The Teaching Commons offers support to Course Directors who teach students in their first year of their undergraduate studies. This time of transition for students may often be exciting but it is also a time of challenge and unrest for many. We offer workshops to assist those teaching 1000 level courses in exploring ways to integrate curricular/pedagogical approaches to student transition with the Five Senses model developed by Alf Lizzio (2006), and effective teaching strategies.
Resources for Teaching 1000 Level Courses Workshop
The first year of university is a time of social and academic transition for all students and particularly so for "first gen" students who are the first in their family to attend university-- of whom York has a significant number. How can Course Directors help their students to adapt and thrive in this new learning situation? York has a number of resources to support faculty and also extensive resources specifically designed to assist students to make a successful transition.
In this session, we will provide information on York' s first year students and explore concrete strategies for simultaneously challenging and supporting them in their transition. You will hear from a panel of faculty who are experienced in teaching 1000 level courses; be introduced to York’s First Year Experience (FYE) toolkit; and learn about the services offered by the university library. You will also become aware of the resources at York so that you will be able to guide students to become more resourceful and to seek out appropriate supports as needed, e.g. York’s Learning Commons, Counselling and Disability Services and the Student Success Centre.
Wednesday October 24, 2018, 10am-1pm in DB 1014
Register for Resources for Teaching 1000 Level Courses
Teaching 1000 Level Courses Workshop
During the first portion of this 2-hour workshop, you will be prompted to discuss the challenges facing course directors in the delivery of 1000-level courses. This will be followed by an interactive session about how to enhance student engagement in large classes. The discussion and reflection will focus on asking effective questions as well as strategies to get students to answer.
Thursday January 17, 2019, 10am - 12pm in DB 1014
Register for Teaching 1000 Level Courses
Past workshops
Becoming Resourceful: Finalizing your Syllabus and Course Design to Teach your 1000 Level Course
In this session we will introduce transition pedagogy at York in the form of Lizzio’s Five Senses of Student Success. Participants will be asked to reflect on the design of their 1000-level course(s) and identify where they will nurture each of Lizzio’s senses of success within their course. Participants will engage in discussions and share ideas of how you already incorporate and support these senses of success and what more we could do.
You may find it helpful to bring a draft of your course syllabus with you to finalize over lunch. We will have a working lunch break, but please note that lunch is not provided.
In the afternoon, we will welcome guests from across campus who will help support you and your students throughout your course. We will have individuals from the Learning Commons, including the Career Centre, YU Experience Hub, Learning Skills Services, Libraries and the Writing Centre. We will also have faculty members from Science and Writing experienced in teaching critical thinking, writing and metacognitive skills share their secrets.
