Training for first-contract TAs

As you may know, the current CUPE 3902 Unit 1 collective agreement requires that all first-contract TAs receive 3 hours of paid pedagogical training.  However, did you know that the Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP) can assist your department with this training?  You, the hiring department/unit, can 1) develop and deliver the training and request for a TATP staff member to attend to give a brief talk about TATP services 2) request for the TATP staff to design and deliver a portion or the full 3-hour training session (in consultation with your department/unit).

If your department/unit is only hiring a few TAs, or has TAs who will not be able to attend your department training, you can send your TAs to the TATP discipline-specific workshops for first-contract TAs (e.g. “First-Time TAs in the Humanities”) offered as part of the TATP Workshop Series in September and January on all three campuses.  These sessions are 3 hours and address a range of teaching-related issues for new TAs with a broad disciplinary focus.  The dates for these sessions will be posted on the TATP website later this summer.

Scheduling a TA Training Session with the TATP
If you are interested in engaging the TATP to assist with your training needs for first-contract TAs, you can either submit your request online or contact the appropriate TATP representative.  See information below.

Online training request form for all three campuses:

http://www.teaching.utoronto.ca/gsta/training/department-training/training-request-form.htm

TATP representative for department training:

  • UTSC campus: Janice Patterson, Assistant Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning, 416.287.7504, janicecp@utsc.utoronto.ca.

If you want to learn more about the TATP and the services this office provides, you can visit the TATP’s website at: http://www.teaching.utoronto.ca/gsta.htm