Dal Events

Faculty Certificate in Teaching and Learning Information Session

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Thursday, January 15
12:30–1 p.m.
Online
Link to register for the session

This info session will provide attendees an overview of the Faculty Certificate in Teaching and Learning program and its required components (the Core Design Course, studio courses, peer observations and the teaching dossier workshop).

Decolonizing Assessment

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMT

This session is part of the Decolonization Workshop Series.

This four-part series invites faculty members, instructors, and teaching assistants to reflect on what it means to take a decolonial approach to teaching and learning. Drawing on Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang’s reminder that “decolonization is not a metaphor,” the series distinguishes decolonization from Indigenization and inclusion, and explores how colonial legacies continue to shape higher education. Together, we will consider how to reimagine virtual and in-person classroom participation, assessment practices, and our broader academic contexts in ways that are more just, relational, and responsive.

Friday, January 16, 2026
11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Online
Link to register for the session (opens in new window)

Grades, rubrics, and tests often reflect Euro-Western notions of pilipili��. This workshop introduces alternative, relational, and culturally responsive approaches to evaluating learning, helping faculty critically examine whose knowledge is valued and how assessment can reinforce or challenge inequities.

Through attending this session, participants will learn to:

Recognize how traditional assessment methods reflect colonial and cultural assumptions.
Explore relational, inclusive, and culturally responsive assessment strategies.
Design evaluation practices that honor diverse ways of knowing and learning, while supporting student growth and pilipili��.

This session builds on concepts from the previous workshops but can be attended independently by anyone interested in transforming assessment practices.

Facilitator

Rachelle McKay, Educational Developer, Indigenous Knowledges & Ways of Knowing

Generative A.I. for the Curious and the Cautious: The TA Edition

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:00:00 GMT

This session is limited to Dalhousie and the University of King's College community.

Thursday, January 22
2–3 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400*
Link to register for the event

During an online lab, a student activates an A.I. assistant/bot that records the session and automatically shares meeting notes and transcripts with the entire class. This raises concerns about student privacy and safety, as well as the instructor's intellectual property. What should the TA do?

In this workshop, we will explore real-world scenarios like this one that teaching assistants and graduate students may encounter in their roles. We will look at three cases that mix gen A.I. with the policies, teaching practices, and course designs of a university classroom.

The workshop culminates in a collaborative activity where you'll work with others to create your own A.I.-related case scenarios and work with peers to develop practical solutions. This interactive, dynamic session is designed to equip you with concrete strategies directly applicable to your TA roles.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, you will:

Identify and access relevant resources for addressing generative A.I. challenges in your teaching contexts, including university policies, ethical guidelines, and practical tools.
Develop strategies for navigating complex situations involving generative A.I. in teaching and learning environments, with attention to privacy, equity, and academic integrity.
Build connections with a community of peers who are similarly navigating A.I.-related questions in their teaching practice, creating an ongoing network for support and shared learning.

Presenters

Les T. Johnson, PhD (he/him), Educational Developer (Accessible Digital Learning)
Ezgi Ozyonum, PhD (she/her), Educational Developer (Student Development)

Intended Audience

Teaching Assistants
Markers
Demonstrators
Graduate Students

*Creating an accessible and optimal learning environment is paramount for the CLT: please email us at clt@dal.ca to let us know if you anticipate any barriers we will need to remove in the learning environment, or if there is anything in particular you feel we should know that will best facilitate your learning experience. The information you share will be kept confidential and only shared with the session facilitators.

Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

If you have any questions please email clt@dal.ca.

Building a Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Tuesday, January 27, 2026
11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams

Link to register for the session.

In this workshop, facilitators will introduce the pedagogical competencies and frameworks of Intercultural Teaching Competence (ITC) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), reflective tools that help guide instructors in designing courses and creating safe, interactive, flexible, and culturally responsive classroom environments.

The workshop will centre on a (virtual) “hands-on” activity where participants in small groups will arrange the “building blocks” of culturally responsive teaching by identifying the connections and overlaps of UDL and ITC. Then, together, we will reflect on, discuss, and strategize ways to incorporate these concepts into our course designs and teaching practices.

Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, we hope that you will be able to:

articulate the main ideas of ITC and UDL, and how these intersect to form culturally responsive pedagogies (CRP)
identify ways in which you are already using ITC, UDL, and/or CRP in your courses
feel inspired and invested in continuing to embed CRP into your course designs and teaching

Facilitators

Dr. Shazia Nawaz Awan (she/her), Educational Developer (Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Global Engagement)

Dr. Les T. Johnson (he/him), Educational Developer (Accessible Digital Learning)

The Resilient Classroom Series: Navigating the Emotional Labour of Teaching

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Wednesday, January 28
1:30–3 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400*
Link to register for the event

Back by popular demand: the Navigating the Emotional Labour of Teaching workshop! “Emotional labour” is a term that was first coined by sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild in 1983 to describe the process of managing outward expressions of feelings to fulfill the emotional requirements of a job. It involves wearing a “mask” that requires the suppression of negative emotions and the display of only positive emotions, regardless of how you actually feel. Consider a time when you received negative news and then had to teach ten minutes later or when you had to hide your frustration while telling the tenth student, “Check the syllabus!” Performing emotional labour can lead to lower job satisfaction and burnout (Humphrey, 2021). In this in-person workshop, you will:

Learn what emotional labour looks like in the context of teaching and its associated impacts.
Be introduced to a set of strategies to redirect the energy and efforts used for emotional labour toward effective pedagogy and instructor self-care.
Reflect upon your own experiences with emotional labour in your teaching. Group sharing is welcomed, but not required.

Facilitator

Daniella Sieukaran, MA (she/her)
Senior Educational Developer (Program Development)

Intended audience

Instructors
Graduate students
Early career instructors

*Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

CLT Virtual Graduate Students & TAs Drop-in

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Wednesday, January 28
2–3 p.m.
Online
Link to join the drop-in

No registration is required. Drop in anytime during the session if you have questions about your role as a TA, CLT’s workshops for graduate students, or the Certificate in University Teaching and Learning (CUTL) program. Whether you are navigating your first teaching assignment or looking to deepen your professional development, this informal space is an opportunity to connect, ask questions, and learn more about the supports available to you.

Facilitator

Ezgi Ozyonum, PhD (she/her)
Educational Developer (Student Development)

Intended audience

Graduate Students
TAs
Markers
Demonstrators