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TAing with Care: Centering Wellness and Inclusion from Day One
Moderators: Hebatalla Ouda (School of Computing), Paul Akpomuje (Education) , Panelists: TBD

What kinds of responsibilities will I have as a TA, and what should I know before I start? How can I foster an inclusive classroom where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued? And how do I make the most of my TA experience—growing as an educator—without burning out?
Join Hebatalla and Paul, alongside a panel of experienced TAs from across disciplines, for a lively and honest conversation about the real work of teaching at Queen’s. You’ll hear stories from the classroom, pick up practical tips, and learn lessons on everything from managing workload and setting boundaries to building meaningful connections with students and developing your own teaching style.
Whether you’re stepping into the classroom for the first time or returning for another term, this session is your space to ask questions, exchange ideas, and feel supported within a wider teaching community. Curious? Nervous? Excited? However you’re feeling—come ask a TA! All are welcome.

Room 1102

New Faculty Roundtable: Thriving in your Teaching at Queen’s
Moderator: Karalyn McRae (CTL), Panelists: Xiaying Xin (Civil Engineering) and TBD

Join us for an interactive roundtable where we’ll share tips and tricks to help you navigate your teaching at Queen’s. 
This session will feature a panel of faculty who will share their perspectives on creating inclusive classrooms, engaging students, and balancing the demands of academic life. You'll hear practical advice on teaching at Queen’s and campus resources. The conversation will also highlight strategies for maintaining your own wellbeing as you build a sustainable and fulfilling teaching practice. Come with your questions and leave with fresh insights and connections to help you thrive.

Room 2109

From Access to Success
Facilitator: Michele Chittenden (Library Accessibility Services)

Creating an inclusive and accessible environment is essential to ensure that all students have equal opportunities to succeed. Adaptive, assistive, and accessible technologies play an important role in achieving this goal. These technologies enable students to engage with course material and participate fully in both digital and in-person classrooms. Ensuring that course readings, multimedia, lectures, web content, and other materials are accessible further eliminates barriers to learning. This session will examine how instructors can implement accessible practices to promote a culture of accessibility within the learning environment.

Room 1120

Reimagining TA Roles: Designing Meaningful and Effective Support (Faculty/Departments) 
Facilitator: Erin Meger (School of Computing)

Teaching Assistants do so much more than mark assignments—but organizing a team of TAs can be a challenge, especially when they come with a wide range of skills, backgrounds, and goals. In this one-hour workshop, we’ll explore creative strategies for managing and mentoring TAs at all levels—from undergraduate expert teachers to graduate students new to the area. 
 
We’ll start by identifying who your TAs are and what skills and experiences they bring. Then we’ll examine how TA roles can be intentionally designed to support your learning outcomes and assessment design. We’ll also consider the TA experience itself: how can we design TA roles that not only support student success but also help TAs grow as educators, professionals, and scholars? 
 
Finally, we’ll present several organizational models for TA teams, including hierarchical, peer-based, and skill-focused structures. This session is especially useful for instructors managing large numbers of TAs but will provide insights for teaching teams of all sizes. We’ll also highlight the fantastic TA training resources available through the CTL—special thanks to Karalyn and the team!

Room 2109

The What and Hows of Leading Your First Tutorial
Facilitator: Nevena Martinovic (Centre for Teaching and Learning)

Teaching Assistants are instrumental to delivering course content and cultivating academic communities, especially in courses with tutorials. This session will provide you with frameworks and suggestions for running small-group sessions, from developing community agreements to fostering student engagement and managing challenging conversations. This session will be beneficial for TAs from across all disciplines and academic levels. We invite you to bring your most pressing tutorial queries, as there will be time for a Question and Answer period.  

Room 1102

Promoting Wellbeing in the Classroom
Facilitator: Abby Taher (Health Promotion, Student Wellness Services)

Delivered by Student Wellness Services' Health Promotion team, this session will discuss the importance of fostering student wellbeing in academic settings and provide practical strategies course instructors can implement to support students. The session will also cover the importance of instructor self-care and prioritizing personal wellness.

Room 1120

Lunch

Check out the Wellness Affirmation Space in the Atrium! 

Teaching can be tough, but you’ve got this!

Stop by the affirmation space to write yourself a positive affirmation or leave one for another educator!  This interactive space is for educators to reflect ahead of the next academic year by setting a positive, empowered outlook on their teaching confidence and capacity. Participants can write their own sticky-note affirmations, select one that someone else has shared, or contribute an uplifting affirmation for the next educator! You may also want to share a wellness tip or a piece of teaching advice for a new educator. This space encourages you to think about mindfulness, peer support, and a sense of community as you embark on your teaching journey. Stop by during lunch or anytime during the day if you need a break. 

Atrium

Keynote Address: Designing for inclusion: An authentic and honest foray into doing our best to break down barriers in the classroom

Dr. Meghan Norris (Psychology)

Instructors and academic staff are at the front lines of supporting students in a variety of contexts and in our continuously evolving educational landscapes. In this plenary session, Dr. Meghan Norris, associate professor and chair of undergraduate studies in psychology at Queen’s, will share common struggles that instructors and front-line academic staff are facing, and provide tools for supporting instructors as they undertake the important, and challenging, work of creating accessible and inclusive learning environments for students.  Dr. Norris has experiences teaching large enrollment undergraduate courses, managing TA teams, and supporting students inside and out of the classroom. Join us for the plenary discussion to come together and learn from Dr. Norris (and others who might have similar teaching challenges and successes) as we start off the academic year!

Auditorium & High-Tech Active Learning Classrooms: Orientation Drop-In

We invite instructors teaching in large lecture halls, auditoriums, or high-tech active learning classrooms to drop-in for an in-person orientation session.  During this time, participants will be invited to become familiar with the classroom technology and to discuss strategies for integrating active learning in course design. The session will be co-hosted by ITS and the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Please note that we will only be offering training in one of the auditoriums and high-tech active learning classrooms, however we will be able to describe and demonstrate standard classroom features present in the other classrooms at Queen’s.

Active Learning:
Dunning Hall 10

Auditorium:
Dunning Auditorium

10:00 - 11:00am

Linguistic Justice in Assessment
Facilitators: Yunyi Chen (CTL), Johanna Amos (SASS)

We all come to post-secondary classrooms with different linguistic and academic experiences. However, at most post-secondary institutions in Canada, certain varieties of English are valued more than others. As educators at Queen’s strive to create more inclusive learning experiences, they are encouraged to consider how to best support multilingual students with their academic success. This workshop introduces the concept of linguistic justice, an anti-racist approach towards language instruction that invites educators to critically examine the systems and structures that inhibit multilingual students from thriving academically. Through interactive activities and discussion, participants will deepen their understanding of linguistic justice and explore practical strategies for designing linguistically responsive assessments that honor students’ diverse language backgrounds.

Online

1:30 - 2:30pm

TAs and TFs: Understanding Your Collective Agreement and Union Resources
Facilitator: Justyna Szewczyk el-Jassem, Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) 901 

This is a session for TAs and TFs on understanding how the Collective Agreement operates at Queen's, what it offers TA/TAs in terms of benefits, standardized hiring practices, grievance procedures and more.  TAs and TFs are encouraged to attend to learn how the Collective Agreement benefits them and what changed during the last round of bargaining. 

Online

2:30 - 3:30pm

Teaching with onQ: Key Tools and Accessibility Tips
Facilitator: Karla Coleman, Centre for Teaching and Learning

This session is for course instructors and teaching assistants who are new to onQ. We’ll provide a quick tour of key tools to help you get started, including Announcements, Content, Assignments, Grade Book, Classlist, and Classlist Email. We’ll also highlight features that support accessibility and flexible teaching, helping you create a more inclusive learning experience for all students.

Online

Designing for Impact: Integrating Experiential Learning into the Curriculum
Facilitators: Katie Fizzell (Experiential Learning Hub, Career Services)

Join us for a practical and thoughtful session on how to integrate experiential learning (EL) into undergraduate and graduate curriculum. We'll explore the pedagogical benefits of EL and its alignment with I-EDIAA (Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism) principles. The session will highlight effective and sustainable design strategies, supported by the tools, services, and partnerships offered through Queen’s Experiential Learning Hub. Whether you're new to EL or looking to enhance your current approaches, this session offers insights and resources to support meaningful curricular integration.

10:00 - 12:00pm

Exploring GenAI Tools for Discovery, Research, and Creation
Facilitators: Rebecca Sweetman, Karla Colman, and Selina Idlas (Centre for Teaching and Learning)

Join us for an interactive "playground" session designed for educators to explore and experiment with Generative AI tools. This hands-on workshop will provide a collaborative environment where you can dive into various AI-powered resources and think about how your students may be using these tools for their own learning. During the session, you’ll have the chance to:

• Discover GenAI tools that your students may be using in your course.
• Collaborate with peers and share strategies on how students can think critically about GenAI for assessments and activities.
• Discuss challenges and opportunities for integrating AI into your curriculum and teaching practices.

This collaborative environment is designed to spark new ideas, provide valuable insights, and help you think critically about GenAI in ways that align with your teaching goals.

In-Person, Douglas Library Classroom, Rm 416

1:00 - 3:00pm

Exploring GenAI Tools for Discovery, Research, and Creation
Facilitators: Yasmine Djerbal (CTL), Johanna Amos (SASS), Angelique Roy (Library), Nasser Saleh (Library)

Join us for an interactive "playground" session designed for educators to explore and experiment with Generative AI tools. This hands-on workshop will provide a collaborative environment where you can dive into various AI-powered resources and think about how your students may be using these tools for their own learning. During the session, you’ll have the chance to:

• Discover GenAI tools that your students may be using in your course.
• Collaborate with peers and share strategies on how students can think critically about GenAI for assessments and activities.
• Discuss challenges and opportunities for integrating AI into your curriculum and teaching practices.

This collaborative environment is designed to spark new ideas, provide valuable insights, and help you think critically about GenAI in ways that align with your teaching goals.

In-Person, Douglas Library Classroom, Rm 416

2:00 - 3:00pm

Strategies for Effective Teaching in the Laboratory
Facilitator: Karalyn McRae (Centre for Teaching and Learning)

Teaching happens in many different places and spaces, and for some of us, it means preparing to teach in our laboratory and clinical learning environments. Teaching in science, engineering and health science disciplines are all enhanced through the hands-on experimentation that happens in laboratory sessions. As a TA, how can you best prepare for in-lab teaching sessions? What are some of the common challenges of teaching in a lab space? This session will focus on introducing some essential strategies and practices that you can use as either a TA or new course instructor in a lab setting. 

Online