Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award

Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, U of T

Call for Nominations 2011-12

Deadline: Nominations will be accepted at any time, but no later than Thursday, April 5, 2012.

The purpose of the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards is to recognize the important role of Teaching Assistants in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and to publicly honour the efforts, talents, and dedication of TAs who make an exceptional contribution to the learning experience of their students.

Recipients will receive a certificate and a monetary gift in recognition of their achievement.

Criteria: The awards are based on excellence in teaching. Factors to be considered by the selection committee include the TA’s ability to:
- motivate, engage, and challenge students
- be helpful and approachable
- be well prepared for labs or tutorials
- conduct the lab or tutorial in an organized and clear manner
- have a good grasp of the subject matter
- communicate interest and enthusiasm in the course material
- provide constructive and timely feedback on course work
- demonstrate a positive attitude towards teaching and learning

Eligibility: Candidates for the award must hold, or have held, a Teaching Assistant or Sessional Instructional Assistant position in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology of at least 70 hours since May 10, 2010 (courses include BIO150Y, BIO251Y, all EEB courses, ENV234Y, and JMB170Y).
 
Who can nominate? - Nominations are welcome from undergraduate students, and graduate students (enrolled in a graduate course where there is a TA), who have observed the TA first-hand in a teaching environment.  Each student submitting a nomination must be registered in the course in question in the current academic year.

Submission of nominations: Nomination letters should be submitted electronically to the EEB Undergraduate Office (undergrad [dot] eeb (at)utoronto [dot] ca) as either a Word or PDF document. The letter should address one or more of the criteria outlined above and should include specific examples. Single nomination letters will be accepted from multiple students (i.e., more than one student can sign the letter). An electronic signature is acceptable; please be sure to use your first and last names as they appear on ROSI.

Selection: The selection committee will evaluate each nomination in accordance with the criteria stated above. Short-listed candidates may be requested to submit a c.v., statement of teaching philosophy, and letter of support from the course instructor. Award announcements will be made in April or May, including on the EEB website (www.eeb.utoronto.ca).

For more information contact: Corey Goldman, EEB Associate Chair (Undergraduate), ESC 3045C, corey [dot] goldman (at)utoronto [dot] ca, 416-978-7163.