91ÒùĸÊÓƵ

August 18, 2025 | 9 - 9:30 a.m. MT

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This session is optional and not for GTL/PD credit.

Instructor: Renee Polziehn, PhD, Director, Professional Development, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Overview: In this session, you will learn about the Graduate Teaching and Learning Program offered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ. The program is open to all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows for free and has four levels. We will discuss the different components of the program, what is required for completion and the benefits of completing the program.

August 18, 2025 | 10 - 11:30 a.m. MT

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Step 3: Self-enrol in the GTL Program Canvas Course Level 1 Foundations: Workshop Preparation (two quizzes to be completed) - Canvas Course to open by August 15

This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 2.0 Hours | 30 minutes preparation; 1.5 hour workshop

Instructors: Jay Friesen, PhD, Educational Curriculum Developer, Rob Desjardins, PhD, Educational Curriculum Developer and Renee Polziehn, PhD, Director Professional Development, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Overview: Teaching presentation skills are central to your competency in the classroom, impacting the effectiveness with which your material is presented and the extent to which students feel compelled to invest in the shared responsibility for learning. Failure to draw upon basic presentation strategies in combination with uncontrolled nerves can sabotage your efforts in the classroom, leaving you frustrated with your own performance and students unconvinced of your credibility as an instructor. This session will equip you with presentation basics and strategies for managing nerves — all of which is based on current and proven research — which, when put into practice, will allow you to look and sound like a teaching pro.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Debunk common myths about teaching presentation skills;
• Discuss what students value in their instructors in the classroom;
• Describe strategies for inclusive teaching online;
• Explain basic principles of effective communication; and
• Describe strategies for effective presentations.

August 18, 2025 | 12 - 1 p.m. MT

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This session is an optional GTL Level 1 workshop.

Professional Development Credit: 1.0 Hour | 1.0 hour workshop

Instructors: Daniel Ripley, Faculty of Education - English Language School; Zuzana Buchanan, Assistant Lecturer, Faculty of Education - English Language School

Overview: Transitioning into a teaching assistant or principal instructor role can be challenging for anyone. For international students, the learning curve can be daunting. You have the added challenge of learning not only cultural nuances and ways of communicating that may be different from your own, but also understanding and activating different approaches to teaching and learning. You may find yourself bewildered by the approaches you have observed in learning design and the role of the instructor. You may be mystified by student behaviour, expectations, and ways of communicating with you. This session will provide you with an understanding of the Canadian classroom and will equip you with strategies for positive interactions with students. In this session you will have the opportunity to hear from a panel of international graduate students recognized for their teaching on the 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ campus.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Explain student expectations in the Canadian classroom around communication and interactivity;
• Discuss the atmosphere of the Canadian classroom and norms around student-instructor interactions; and
• List strategies that can support positive interactions in the classroom.

August 19, 2025 | 9 - 10 a.m. MT

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Step 3: Self-enrol in the GTL Program Canvas Course Level 1 Foundations: Workshop Preparation (two quizzes to be completed) - Canvas Course to open by August 15

This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 1.5 Hours | 30 minutes preparation; 1.0 hour workshop

Instructor: Jay Friesen, PhD, Educational Curriculum Developer, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Overview: In this session, we will consider how our learning experiences inform our own approach to teaching. We have all had excellent and heinous learning experiences. How can we use these experiences to inform how we teach? Critically reflecting on our own learning and teaching experience is one of the four critical lenses that Stephen Brookfield suggests we use to develop our own teaching praxis. We will discuss these lenses and how we can use them to become critically reflective teachers. Finally, teaching (and learning) is highly context-dependent; the teaching strategies we use need to consider our students' prior experiences and the learning culture in which they are embedded. This session will culminate in thinking through how context matters to teaching and how that results in teaching and learning being different for every instance we teach.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Align your learning experiences with your approach to learning;
• Critically reflect on your own teaching (and learning);
• Describe in broad terms "how learning works";
• Explain how the role of context determines the degree of instructor talk vs active learning; and
• Discuss contextual factors that influence teaching and learning design.

August 19, 2025 | 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. MT

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Step 3: Self-enrol in the GTL Program Canvas Level 1 Foundations: Workshop Preparation (one quiz to be completed) - Canvas Course to open by August 15

This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 2.0 Hours | 30 minutes preparation; 1.5 hour workshop

Instructors: Nazanin Campbell, Student Integrity Education Officer, Student Conduct and Accountability and Dr. Ali Shiri, Vice-Dean, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Overview: Situations arise in teaching that sometimes tests us on conflict of interest, conflict management and ethical boundaries. Using a few case scenarios, we will look at different ways that people may interpret what has happened and how as teachers you may want to handle these situations. The objective of this session will be to build strategies to help resolve potential conflicts regarding instructor-student relationships.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Identify and discuss ways that people may interpret situations and how, as teachers, you may want to handle these situations (based on Ethical Principles);
• Build strategies to help resolve potential conflicts regarding instructor-student relationships; and
• Identify resources to assist you in working through situations that may arise

Open August 18 - September 2, 2025

Step 1: Self-enrol in the GTL Program Canvas Level 1 Foundations: Workshop Preparation (one quiz to be completed) - Canvas Course to open by August 15

Step 2: Complete the Copyright in the Classroom portion of the Canvas Course page (including quiz)

This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 1.0 Hour

Instructor: Amanda Wakaruk, MLIS, MES, Copyright Librarian, Copyright Office, Learning Services, 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ

Overview: What are the copyright implications of scanning a book chapter and uploading it to Canvas? What can you do when you find your (or your course coordinator's) lecture slides in a fee-based course content aggregator like OneClass or Course Hero? This session will introduce the UA's Use of Copyright Materials Policy and help participants make decisions about copying, presenting and distributing resources for instructional purposes.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Locate copyright-related 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ policies and procedures (UAPPOL) policy, procedures and Fair Dealing Guidelines;
• Help students and other instructors create stable urls to UA Libraries (UAL)-licensed resources;
• Explain the difference between re-use considerations for UAL-licensed resources and all other copyright-protected works;
• Define open educational resources (OER) and describe how they can be beneficial to both students and faculty; and
• Differentiate between materials that are suitable for sharing in a course content aggregator from materials that are not suitable for sharing in a course content aggregator (e.g., OneClass, Course Hero, etc.).

August 20, 2025 | 9 - 10 a.m. MT

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Step 3: Self-enrol in the GTL Program Canvas Level 1 Foundations: Workshop Preparation (one quiz to be completed) - Canvas Course to open by August 15

This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 1.5 Hours | 30 minutes preparation; 1-hour workshop

Instructor: Rob Desjardins, PhD, Professional Development Instructional Designer, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies | Principal Instructor, Graduate Teaching and Learning Program

Overview: Learning outcomes play a central role in course design and delivery and serve as the guiding light for virtually every instructional decision you will make in the classroom. During this workshop, you will learn how to write SMART learning outcomes that will support instructional decisions related to lesson planning and assessment.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Explain the difference between course objectives and outcomes;
• Describe how outcomes function at the level of the course and lesson;
• Discuss how outcomes are useful for students and instructors;
• Explain Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning and describe how it supports outcomes;
• Evaluate learning outcome exemplars;
• Create two SMART outcomes for a lesson plan.

August 20, 2025 | 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. MT

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This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: Credit: 1.5 Hours

Instructors: Suman Varghese and Jasmine Bajwa, Registered Psychologists, Counselling and Clinical Services

Overview: As a teaching assistant or principal instructor, you play an important role in fostering an environment that promotes and supports student mental health and well-being. You play a front-line role, and your close contact with students means that you may be one of the first people to notice a student experiencing difficulty or distress. Students may choose to disclose their struggles to you. Your ability to recognize students who may be in distress and require support may support early intervention for students. This workshop will help you identify common indicators of distress and will help you feel confident in responding to students in distress and in referring them to campus support.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Identify common signs of distress;
• Apply strategies to have supportive conversations with students in distress; and
• Describe various campus resources for student support.

August 21, 2025 | 9 - 10 a.m. MT

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This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 1.0 Hour | No preparation 

Instructor: Renee Polziehn, PhD, Director of Professional Development, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Overview: Why are some instructors able to create engaging classes that always seem to perfectly fill the time allotted? Experience is certainly one factor, but creating a lesson plan is a critical step to having positive teaching outcomes and for students to have a good learning experience. In this session, we will cover principles to consider in making your lesson plan.

Intended Learning Outcomes: 

• Discuss the benefits of a lesson plan;
• Describe the three domains of Bloom's Taxonomy;
• Explain why taxonomy is useful when designing a lesson plan;
• Explain the components of a lesson plan; and
• Describe the steps involved in reflecting on the effectiveness of a lesson plan.

August 21, 2025 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. MT

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This session is a GTL Level 1 Option.

Professional Development Credit: 1.5 Hours | No preparation

Instructor: Justin Pritchard, MDes, CCDP, Session Instructor, Department of Art and Design, Faculty of Arts, 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ and Past-President, U of A Mindfulness Meditation Group

Overview: 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ indicates that people spend approximately half of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they're doing in the present moment, and this mind-wandering typically makes them feel unfocused and unhappy. Fortunately, mindfulness practice can help us bring our attention back to the present moment. In this session, you will learn about what mindfulness is, how it is practiced, how it can be integrated into your teaching experience, as well as how it connects to overall well-being. Short meditations will be discussed and practiced throughout the session.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Identify foundational aspects of mindfulness practice, including what it is, how it is practiced, and why we should do it;
• Examine at least 5 approaches to integrating mindfulness practice into a teaching experience to benefit the teacher and learner; and
• Practice mindfulness in a group setting as an experiential mode of learning.

August 22, 2025 | 9 - 11 a.m. MT

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This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 2.0 Hours | No preparation

Instructor: Nazanin Campbell, Student Integrity Education Officer, Student Conduct and Accountability Office, U of A

Overview: Knowing the "ins and outs" of the University’s policies on student conduct (the Student Conduct Policy and the Student Academic Integrity Policy) and how to respond to violations that emerge in the classroom is critical in your role as a teaching assistant or principal instructor. Using case studies based on real-life examples, this session will provide you with an overview of the issues that can emerge in the classroom, how they intersect with the student conduct policies, and the best course of action in your role as a teaching assistant and/or principal instructor. This session will also provide an introductory overview of the 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy and what to do if you receive a disclosure or complaint.

Intended Learning Outcomes: 

• Explain the areas covered in the Student Conduct Policy and the Student Academic Integrity Policy;
• Describe the processes for each policy;  
• Describe the steps for responding to a disclosure of sexual and gender-based violence;   
• Discuss strategies to prevent cheating while proctoring an exam; and
• Explain the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy and the difference between a disclosure and a complaint; and
• Apply principles of the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Student Conduct Policy to different scenarios and propose the best course of action based on the situation.

August 22, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. MT

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This session is an optional GTL Level 1 workshop.

Professional Development Credit: 1 Hour | No preparation

Instructor: Renee Polziehn, PhD, Director of Professional Development, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Overview: The first class of each term is an opportunity to create a positive first impression with prospective students. While introducing yourself as a knowledgeable scholar is significant, is this the sole determiner of classroom success? As a 21st-century campus-based educator, are you also intent on creating a Learning Community? The messages conveyed within the first-class will provide students with information as to how you purposely intend to teach the course. This workshop will introduce you to a multitude of successful teaching tips and rapport-building strategies that will set a positive tone in your classroom and put students on a path for participatory learning.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Describe "first-class" components that initiate a positive and productive learning environment;
• Critically analyze "first-class" exemplars; and
• Identify "first-class" strategies that initiate a positive and productive learning environment.

August 25, 2025 | 9 - 10:30 a.m. MT

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This session is an optional GTL Level 1 workshop.

Professional Development Credit: Credit: 1.5 Hours | No preparation

Instructor: Carla Starchuk, PhD, Lab Coordinator

Overview: If you are teaching a lab or hands-on activities with students, this session provides a great overview of how to make your teaching experience much better. This session will demonstrate effective strategies for teaching labs, primarily in the life sciences. We will explore ways to engage students as well as develop methods for guided inquiry in undergraduate laboratories.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the stages of learner development and key learning motivators;
• Develop a strategy for safely leading labs;
• Describe strategies for increasing student participation; and
• Discuss strategies to handle common student interactions.

August 25, 2025 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. MT

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This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 1.0 hours | No preparation

Instructor: James White, PhD, Assistant Lecturer, U of A; Graduate Student Teaching Award winner

Overview: In this session, students will learn how to develop effective pathways of communication both in and out of the classroom, understand instructional best practices, create insight about verbal and non-verbal cues and engage with technologies to encourage participation beyond the traditional lecture sessions.

Intended Learning Outcomes: 

• Describe how to communicate effectively with students;
• Propose possible solutions to communications problems that arise;
• Discuss factors that support an effective lecture or discussion session that students can readily understand; and
• Describe strategies for talking with students one-on-one during office hours.

August 26, 2025 | 9 - 10 a.m. MT

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Step 3: Self-enrol in the GTL Program Canvas Level 1 Foundations: Workshop Preparation (one quiz to be completed) - Canvas Course to open by August 15

This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 1.5 hours | 30 minutes preparation; 1-hour workshop

Instructor: Renee Polziehn, PhD, Director, Professional Development, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Overview: A common trap that we as instructors can fall into is the belief that students are either motivated or they are not. In reality, the issue of student motivation is not this straightforward. This session will explore the factors that influence student motivation and the role that the instructor plays in supporting engaged, enthusiastic students who are prepared to take responsibility for their own learning and play a positive role in the classroom environment.

Intended Learning Outcomes: 

• Discuss the factors that influence student motivation;
• Explain three approaches to learning: mastery, performance, strategic; and
• Discuss how instructors can support student motivation by: 
  • Fostering a community of learners
  • Designing significant learning experiences
  • Drawing on active learning strategies.

August 26, 2025 | 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. MT

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This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 1.0 hours | No preparation 

Instructor: Rukiyah Ghani, Instructional Designer, Accessibility, Centre for Teaching and Learning

Overview: In this session, we will explore how an ethic of equity can inform pedagogy. We will discuss the salience of Discrimination, Harassment and Duty to Accommodate Policy and relevant procedures. There will be a focus on human rights, accommodation and equity and their role in fostering inclusion.

Intended Learning Outcomes: 

• Explain the concept of equity and its philosophical and practical implications for inclusion;
• Explain in basic terms the Discrimination Harassment and Duty to Accommodate Policy and discuss its value in cultivating an inclusive classroom; and
• Discuss in introductory terms the connection between human rights, accommodation and the inclusive classroom.

August 27, 2025 | 9 - 10:30 a.m. MT

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Step 3: Self-enrol in the GTL Program Canvas Level 1 Foundations: Workshop Preparation (two quizzes to be completed) - Canvas Course to open by August 15

This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 2.0 Hours | 30 minutes preparation; 1.5 hour workshop 

Instructor: Cheryl Poth, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Education

Overview: Assessment is an integral part of teaching any course. This session aims to provide you with some of the skills needed to discuss and apply different assessment techniques in post-secondary education. Participants will explore ideas including formative assessment, evaluation and grading, designing course assessment plans and best practices in assessment.

Intended Learning Outcomes: 

• Effectively use learning outcomes to guide and enhance assessment;
• Define formative and summative assessment and describe how each are used in a course;
• Give students effective feedback on their submitted assignments;
• Explain the benefits of using a rubric to guide assessment of student work; and
• Identify and describe three different types of rubrics.

August 27, 2025 | 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. MT

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This session is an optional GTL Level 1 workshop.

Professional Development Credit: 1.0 Hours | No preparation 

Instructor: Kate Pratt, PhD, Writing Services Director, Academic Success Centre

Overview: In this session, participants will engage in a conversation about writing feedback across the curriculum. Participants will have an opportunity to reflect on their own experiences giving and receiving writing feedback, and Kate will share effective practices from the Writing Services team in the Academic Success Centre. Some of the related questions the group will explore include the following: how much feedback should I give? How directive should I be in my feedback? What are some of the equity considerations in writing feedback? How can I talk to students about writing feedback? Together, the group will consider both students and educator needs in sustainable writing feedback. 

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Effectively use learning outcomes to guide and enhance assessment;
• Define formative and summative assessment and describe how each are used in a course;
• Give students effective feedback on their submitted assignments;
• Explain the benefits of using a rubric to guide the assessment of student work; and
• Identify and describe three different types of rubrics.

August 28, 2025 | 9 - 10:30 a.m. MT

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Step 3: Self-enrol in the GTL Program Canvas Level 1 Foundations: Workshop Preparation (one quiz to be completed) - Canvas Course to open by August 15

This session is a GTL Level 1 CORE requirement.

Professional Development Credit: 2.0 Hours | 30 minutes preparation; 1.5 hour workshop 

Instructor: Jay Friesen, PhD, Professional Development Instructional Designer, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies | Principal Instructor, Graduate Teaching and Learning Program

Overview: One of the greatest sources of anxiety for instructors is the encounter with emotionally-charged classroom situations. Let's face it, student learners face incredible pressures to succeed and while most have the capacities to self-regulate their thoughts and feelings, some simply do not have those skills yet. We are cognitive and behavioural role models for all students. In this session, self-reflection and group discussion will assist in identifying various behavioural archetypes that we will encounter with students. Recognizing possible disruptions on a continuum will assist in determining the level of action required from a human and institutional point of view. Relevant codes and policies will be reviewed regarding what to do with the most extreme of situations.

Intended Learning Outcomes: 

• Identify, detect and differentiate between various archetypal characters in the classroom;
• Recognize the roles and responsibilities of TAs/instructors in difficult classroom situations;
• Assess the seriousness of various student disruptions;
• Recognize and classify classroom disruptions according to university codes, policies and risk to student safety, and identify steps for action; and
• Identify strategies and resources for managing difficult situations.

August 28, 2025 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. MT

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This session is an optional GTL Level 1 workshop.

Professional Development Credit: 

Instructor: Renee Polziehn, PhD, Director, Professional Development, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Overview: Classroom discussion can be a magical experience for the instructor (and learners) when everyone is engaged, yet we can all remember instances when this exercise was painful. We will explore these dynamics and identify some strategies that can create positive teaching and learning environments. We will also discuss strategies that can help you develop your facilitation skills.

Intended Learning Outcomes: 

• Define discussion;
• What factors influence people’s participation in discussion;
• Identify strategies to initiate classroom discussion;
• Create learning activities that utilize discussion; and
• Identify strategies for facilitation skills.