Getting Started
Are you a new teaching assistant at McMaster? Welcome! To help you get started in your new role, we’ve developed the Teaching Assistant Guidebook with information on the university, your role, and teaching and learning at McMaster.
Topics include:
- Teaching Assistant roles and responsibilities
- Leading tutorials and labs
- Assessment and feedback
- Evaluating and documenting your teaching
Your first step should be to reach out to your employment supervisor so you can discuss your position and fill out the TA Hours of Work Form within five days of your start date as a TA.
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Some key questions you may want to ask at your first meeting with your supervisor include:
The duties assigned to teaching assistants vary depending on the course and the instructor. For instance, teaching assistants may lead weekly tutorial groups, grade essays or assignments, supervise laboratories, or work as a lead/head TA. Before your teaching assistantship begins, you will meet with the course instructor to discuss and agree upon your duties.
Your Hours of Work Form will specify how many hours you will devote to each task. with your employment supervisor should be included in your contract hours. A copy of the Hours of Work Form can be found online on McMaster’s Human Resources Services website.
TAs are required to complete the Workplace Health and Safety training and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act training, which each department provides before you begin your duties. The hours you devote to this training are paid and are above and beyond your ‘regular’ TA duties, so they are not included in your Hours of Work form.
New TAs are required to complete 5-hours of mandatory training on pedagogy and anti-oppression topics. Training must be completed within two weeks of starting your contract. You will be paid for these 5 hours of training in addition to your contract hours. This mandatory training is also separate from, and in addition to, other training that you may be expected to complete as part of your contract, including general TA orientations, institution-wide mandatory health and safety training, and assignment-specific health and safety training.
You may find the Educational Technologies & Skills Development Checklist for Teaching Assistants helpful as you and your employment supervisor work to identify the technologies you should be able to use, and what you should be able to do with each. The checklist also includes links to instructional support videos for specific tasks, including how to mark in Avenue, how to set up Zoom sessions, and how to edit videos. If you are asked to complete any technology training this should be accounted for in your hours of work.
Some commonly used technologies that are supported at McMaster include:
- Avenue to Learn (Brightspace Learning Management System)
- MacVideo
- Echo360
- Zoom: Web Conferencing
- Microsoft Teams
A description of each of these technologies, as well as related resources, can be found on the Supported Tools tab of MacPherson Institute’s Teaching Remotely website.
As of September 2021, TAs and RAs in Lieu at McMaster University must complete five hours of Mandatory Paid TA Training outside of their TA contract hours in topics related to pedagogy and anti-oppression. These five hours of training are separate from, and in addition to, other training that may already take place in the form of general Departmental TA orientations, institution-wide mandatory health and safety training, and assignment-specific health and safety training. You must complete these five hours of training within two weeks of starting your contract. For most TAs, this training will consist of online asynchronous workshops offered via Avenue to Learn. Information for registering will be on your Hours of Work Form. Check with your Faculty/Department/Program/School and/or supervisor for information on which workshops to complete.
TAs are required to complete the Workplace Health and Safety training and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act training, which each department provides before you begin your duties. The hours you devote to this training are paid and are above and beyond your ‘regular’ TA duties, so they are not included in your Hours of Work form.
Any other training that you are asked to complete by your employment supervisor outside of the above-mentioned training should be accounted for in your hours of work.
Training deemed to be not mandatory (i.e., optional training) will not be accounted for in your hours of work (i.e., it will not be paid training).
These videos have been prepared by experienced teaching assistants at McMaster University to share some of their insights and experiences. Several questions have been posed to a panel of graduate students, with representation across the Faculties.
Celese Suart, a PhD Candidate in Health Sciences, acts as moderator for the panel discussion. The panelists include:
- Ryan Bacic, PhD Candidate in the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences
- Rajeshwari Nandkumar, PhD Candidate in the Department of English and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Humanities
- Daniel D’Sousa, 5th year undergraduate TA in iBioMed, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Jenny Williams, PhD Candidate in Kinesiology, Faculty of Science
Describe your first day in front of a classroom. What happened? How did it feel?
What is one memorable moment from your time teaching tutorials or labs?
What is one thing you wish you knew prior to starting your first semester as a TA? What advice would you give to a new TA?
What is a skill you think is undervalued or not talked about enough in regards to teaching?
What is your process of putting together a lesson plan? What steps do you take to conceptualize a plan?
How do you integrate accessible/inclusive teaching practices in your tutorial/lab?
What strategies do you suggest for balancing TA work with grad studies?
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The Learning Catalogue is a collection of asynchronous online modules that cover a wide range of teaching and learning topics related to instructional skills; educational technology; equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility; and professional development.
The Learning Catalogue is used as part of EDUCATN 640: Essential Skills in University Teaching. You can find out more about the course and other courses offered in our Teaching and Learning Certificates of Completion Program here.
The Teaching Remotely Guide shares best practices, tips, and links to resources for teaching in virtual or online classrooms.
The Avenue to Learn Knowledge Base provides tutorials, FAQs, update notifications, and other helpful tools.
Forward with FLEXibility is a comprehensive guidebook designed to support educators in applying Accessible Education principles across teaching and learning contexts to enhance access for all. Modules 1, 2, 3, and 5 are particularly relevant to TAs.
MODEL offers free services (e.g., workshops and one-on-one consultations) to both undergraduate and graduate students who may need support developing their English-language skills.
The CUPE 3906 Unit 1 website has a wealth of resources that will be of value to you in your role as a TA, including the current collective agreement.
Title: Graduate Student Writing Support
• One-on-one appointments with a trained Writing Advisor
• Support with planning, organization, revision, incorporating feedback, writing for publication, and more
• Writing advisors partner with writers to answer questions, give feedback, and help writers keep momentum
Dr. Rosenberg brings a wealth of experience working individually with graduate student writers across the disciplines. She also has worked with educators to help them effectively support the writing development of their students.
Make appointments on Oscar Plus or by contacting the Graduate Writing Specialist, Dr. Karen Rosenberg at rosenbek@mcmaster.ca
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As a CUPE Local 3906, Unit 1 employee, you are required to complete 5 hours of mandatory training that will include instruction on topics in pedagogy and anti-oppression. The training program will include a module on Anti-Oppression (2-hours) and TA Professionalism, Rights, and Responsibilities (1-hour). The additional 2 hours of training will be selected from a menu of centrally offered elective workshops outlined in Avenue to Learn.
Self-registration for training courses is available through the regulatory training tile in Mosaic. Once registered, the training will be available in Avenue to Learn approximately 15 minutes after registration (between 7am and 9pm). This document outlines how to register for the training. When registering for the training in Mosaic, ensure you select the appropriate training based on your Faculty/Department assignment (e.g., Engineering Paid TA Training).
For additional information please review the frequently asked questions document.
The MacPherson Institute offers two Teaching and Learning Certificates of Completion: (1) Theory and Inquiry and (2) Practice and Application.
Participating in the Certificates of Completion courses will provide a strong foundation in different pedagogical approaches, as well as the opportunity to practice your instructional skills, prepare common teaching documents (e.g., teaching portfolio, teaching philosophy, course outlines, and lesson plans), and access supportive networks of peers and educational development staff.