Working with Graduate Students
The University of Toronto employs thousands of graduate students (PhD and MA-level students) to support teaching staff with undergraduate level courses and to work as sole-responsibility Course Instructors. Teaching Assistants (TAs) and some undergraduate students conduct tutorials and labs, grade course work, and may assist with the teaching of a particular course. Some graduate students are also hired to prepare and deliver entire courses. TAs and Course Instructors are unionized under the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), who can be reached at 416-593-7057, or at www.cupe3902.org.
For information on Training Options for teaching assistants and graduate student Course Instructors, visit the Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP) Job Training.
Supervision Guidelines: an informative resource provided by the University of Toronto’s School of Graduate Studies.
You can also explore the expanded version for faculty: Graduate Supervision Guidelines for Faculty
Working with Your TAs: six key areas for training and development
TA Training
Information on mandatory paid training for teaching assistants and graduate student Course Instructors is available on the Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP) website.
The TATP website offers valuable information for teaching assistants and faculty. In addition to offering two certificates and Teaching Excellence Awards for teaching assistants and graduate student Course Instructors, TATP staff members also run TA job training sessions and offer workshops and seminars throughout the year on a variety of teaching issues.
The TATP has a number of resources and guides for teaching assistants, including:
- Fostering Accessible Learning
- Supporting Students in Distress
- Supporting International Students and TAs
At UTSC
The Centre for Teaching and Learning, UTSC, offers TA support, workshops and resources.
At UTM
Teaching assistants on the UTM campus can visit the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre for support and resources.