International Teaching Assistants (ITA) Program

The International Teaching Assistants (ITA) Program is designed for teaching assistants (TAs) and international graduate students who speak English as an additional language and/or are new to a North American university setting.

The Centre for Educational Excellence (CEE) offers targeted support to help international graduate students acclimatize to SFU’s academic setting, including workshops and resources. We provide practical tips and strategies to support you in your teaching role, as well as useful language for facilitation in classes and labs.

We offer you free online and face-to-face workshops, online resources through Canvas, and individual one-on-one consultations that can help you as an ITA improve your teaching skills. In addition, we provide more general support for teaching assistants for online, blended and face-to-face teaching contexts.

Teaching Squares | Fall 2022 ITA Opportunity

Looking to improve your teaching practice and connect with other international teaching assistants? 

Take part in the Centre for Educational Excellence’s ITA Teaching Squares this fall!

A teaching square uses peer-based classroom observation and group reflection to help instructors improve the planning and delivery of lessons. 

  • Open to international graduate students who have a Fall 2022 TA assignment. 
  • September 29–November 10 
  • Time committment is approximately 10 hours
  • Location is determined by you! Participant teaching schedules and availability will determine which campus(es) will host Teaching Squares. 

Registration is now closed.

Upcoming events

Canvas online resources

  • ITA Teaching Guide
    This ITA Canvas resource has been designed as an introduction to your position as a graduate teaching assistant or tutor-marker at SFU. It will help you better understand your roles and responsibilities and how to find support for yourself and your undergraduate students, as well as how to find more training as you begin your teaching position.
  • Pre-arrival International TA Guide
    This Canvas resource has been designed for graduate students who have not yet begun their SFU learning and teaching journey and would like an introduction to a position as a graduate teaching assistant or tutor-marker (TM).
  • TA Hub
    The TA Hub is a virtual resource created to help SFU TAs strengthen their teaching, leadership and interpersonal skills. The TA Hub combines online and in-person modules to help prepare all SFU TAs for their important roles supporting undergraduate students. 

Consultations

  • Individual consultations (online or in-person)
    Do you have a context-specific question related to your TA teaching at SFU? Contact our ITA mentor, Amanda Wallace, at ita@sfu.ca for a one-to-one consultation and individual teaching support throughout the term.
  • General questions
    If you have a general question or request, click on the blue “How Can We Help You?” button at the bottom of your screen or contact CEE’s ITA team directly, also at ita@sfu.ca.

Finally, don’t forget to take a look at the many teaching resources available throughout this website!