Teaching Assistant (TA)

Workshops and resources

The Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning offers a selection of workshops, activities, and resources focused on developing specific skills and knowledge relevant to roles as a Teaching Assistant (TA).

You can receive recognition on your co-curricular record for attending TA Success Sessions and completing TA Series activities that are most relevant to you.

Courses for graduate student teachers

The following teaching courses are specifically designed for graduate student teachers:

GPS 982: Mentored Teaching

For PhD students who have received a Teacher-Scholar Doctoral Fellowship from the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS). This faculty-mentored program prepares graduate students to become classroom instructors (term one) with a teaching practicum in their home department (term two).


GPS 989: Introduction to University Teaching 

This course is designed for graduate students preparing to teach. Students are introduced to instructional approaches and ways to build the classroom environment that may be applied beyond the university classroom. This is a pass/fail one term course, and completion appears on the university transcript.  Students taking this course are eligible to apply for the Teaching Preparation Certification.


GPS 960: Introduction to Ethics and Integrity

This is a required, non-credit, web-based course that all first-year graduate students at the University of Saskatchewan must complete. The purpose of this course is to discuss ethical issues that graduate students may face during their time at the University. Topics covered include academic integrity, intellectual property, professional relationships, and research integrity.

In addition to this course, all first-year graduate students are also required to take one of the following courses based on their research specialty: GPS 961: Ethics and Integrity in Human Research or GPS 962: Ethics and Integrity in Animal Research. Students should register for these courses through the Registration channel on PAWS.


More Learning Opportunities

There are many more opportunities to learn and reflect on your teaching experiences with peers, both on and off campus. The Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning, the University Library and Mitacs have programming available.

Certificates


GPS 974: Graduate Professional Skills Certificate

Work towards completing the Graduate Professional Skills Certificate while completing your graduate degree or working as a post-doctoral fellow. *Note that you must complete, or be registered to complete, GPS 984: Thinking Critically in order to register for the Graduate Professional Skills Certificate.


GPS 984: Thinking Critically

Register for GPS 984: Thinking Critically - Professional Skills for Global Citizens, a multi-disciplinary course that will help you develop and practice critical and reflective thinking skills.


GPS 986: Teaching Preparation Certificate

This comprehensive, non-credit and competency-based certificate is designed for graduate students and post docs who have prior experience teaching or as a teaching assistant, or training in teaching skills. GPS 986 supports participants with assessing their own level of competence and documenting their growth in a teaching portfolio.

The skills developed in other GMCTL teaching workshops and courses may count towards this certificate, and all competencies may be met through completion of GPS 989 or GPS 982.  Participants receive and provide peer support over one or more semesters. Students may start in either the fall or winter, as well as continue over the spring, summer, and subsequent terms.

To register for the Teaching Preparation Certificate, log into PAWS, then search GPS 986. New students may register in either terms 1 or 2.

Help your peers and gain experience

Facilitation through GMCTL

Graduate students with considerable teaching experience are encouraged to share their expertise with their peers by facilitating workshops through the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning on relevant topics such as marking, building rapport with students, or teaching in a lab. 

Please contact a GMCTL staff member if you are interested in working with us.

USask Tutoring Network

A Subject Tutor is a current student or a recent alumnus who has achieved at least 80% or higher in the courses they tutor. If you are interested in helping fellow students, and are looking for an opportunity to earn some extra money, consider becoming a subject tutor with the USask Tutoring Network. See the University Library's webpage for eligibility requirements.

Another opportunity includes becoming a Peer Mentor with the Peer Assisted Learning ProgramGrad Help peer mentors are graduate students who reflect on and share their experience of grad school to contribute to their fellow students' academic success. 

Support

Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning

If you have questons regarding the information listed above, please connect with us.

See more professional development courses, sessions, and events provided by the GMCTL aimed to USask faculty and instructors on the Courses and Workshops page.