Classroom Climate TA Training

The Classroom Climate TA Training supports TAs to develop skills in teaching and learning on ways to engage responsibly with Indigenous knowledges and topics in the classroom and strategies to foster supportive, productive, and inclusive classrooms. Some of these strategies and tools include:  

  • Instructional skills that can be applied to demonstrate care in the classroom 
  • Approach to Indigenous topics and histories (where applicable) with respect and responsibility
  • Navigating difficult conversations in the classroom
  • Understanding TA responsibilities to support underrepresented and marginalized students in their learning 
sʔi:ɬqəy̓ qeqən, carved by Brent Sparrow Jr. (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm).

Format

The format of Classroom Climate TA Training is an interactive blended asynchronous and synchronous workshop. It includes completing a 90-minute asynchronous Canvas module, followed by attending a 90-minute synchronous session, totaling a time commitment of 3 hours.  

Learning Outcomes

  • Reflecting on experiences with land acknowledgements  
  • Discussing contexts for acknowledging Musqueam lands at UBC  
  • Identifying the factors that play a role in classroom climate 
  • Formulating strategies for addressing these factors in the role as a TA  
  • Exploring and discussing Indigenous students’ experiences in the classroom and how this is relevant to establishing an inclusive environment for everyone  

For further information please see CTLT Indigenous Initiatives’ approaches to TA Training, or contact Janelle Kasperski, Educational Consultant, at janelle.kasperski@ubc.ca