Teaching in the Canadian Classroom (TCC)

Teaching in the Canadian Classroom (TCC) is a 4-week, 20-hour certificate program composed of:

• 16 in-person class hours (including 2 microteaching sessions)
• 4 hours of asynchronous online work

This program is designed for international and new resident graduate students who want to enhance their teaching through a socio-cultural lens.

Students will explore questions such as:

• What does the Canadian post-secondary classroom look like?
• How can I design effective lesson plans?
• Which classroom teaching strategies are best suited for my teaching context?

Topics

• Intercultural communication
• Intercultural classrooms
• Classroom management
• Student content tools on OWL
• Active learning techniques
• Marking
• Microteaching
• Constructive feedback

The program aims to build on the participants’ skills, expertise, experience, and teaching identity. TCC also supports participants in practicing and reflecting on their teaching, while engaging with peers in a supportive atmosphere.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• Reframe their understanding of the nature, norms, and values of the classrooms at Western University and how to navigate them to excel at and enjoy teaching.
• Recognize and develop their unique teaching persona.
• Develop their teaching skills for enhanced confidence in the classroom by designing and delivering lessons using the Bridge-Outcomes-Pre-Assessment-Participatory Learning-Post-Assessment-Summary (BOPPPS) model.
• Assess the role of culture in giving effective feedback and practice giving and responding to feedback.

What to Expect

Classes will run twice per week. Classes will run from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Microteaching sessions with smaller groups will be scheduled during the second week of the program once groups and participant availability have been confirmed.