Community-Engaged Learning Teaching Assistant Training

Presented by: The Centre for Community Partnerships

The Centre for Community Partnerships is accepting applications for its training for teaching assistants (TAs) in community-engaged learning (CEL) courses taking place in Fall 2024. CEL course instructors who have TAs can apply to have their TAs undertake 10 hours of training and support in a multicourse, multidisciplinary online cohort running alongside course delivery. Participating TAs will be able to better support CEL course instructors with elements of teaching specific to CEL courses including liaising with community partners, assessing reflection assignments, and preparing students for their engagement.

Learning objectives

The CEL TA Training is designed to:

familiarize TAs with the uniqueness of CEL and its difference from pedagogies they may have encountered and supported before
provide an opportunity for TAs to learn, practice and deepen skills required for supporting student learning in CEL, including assessing reflection assignments and troubleshooting common student issues with placements and projects
support TAs through the arc of CEL course delivery
offer a collaborative space for TAs across disciplines to reflect on their practice as community-engaged educators
Themes

TAs participating in the Training will come away with concrete skills in, and a theoretical understanding of:

– CEL as a pedagogy and practice in the experiential learning landscape
– Ethics, opportunities, and challenges of learning with grassroots, non-profit and public sector partners
– Preparing and supporting community partners and students for mutual benefit
– Designing, facilitating and assessing reflection as a core learning strategy in CEL
– Managing logistics, communications and troubleshooting
– Training delivery

The Training consists of six interactive virtual sessions (of 1.5-2 hours) running alongside course delivery in Fall 2024. Sessions include workshops, hands-on practice, coaching, and individual and group work. Participating TAs will have access to targeted support from CCP staff. Session schedules will be determined according to participant availability and instructor input.

Eligibility and Registration

Any instructor delivering a CEL course in 2024-2025 can enroll their TA(s) in the training. Units must integrate this 10 hours of training into their TA contracts. For more information, please visit our website. To register TAs, interested instructors can complete this MS form by Friday, August 9, 2024. Upon receipt we will schedule a one-on-one meeting with you to discuss specific needs and the scheduling for the training.

Those interested in a potential Winter 2025 training offering are welcome to contact Rebs Lee, Programs Administrator, at rebs.lee@utoronto.ca.

Download a PDF about the Training