About this Event
The Trauma-Informed Strategies for Teaching-Assistants workshop (TISTA) is a skill-building event aimed at providing teaching assistants with tools and support to navigate increasingly complex issues facing York University’s diverse community. Many York students and instructors are impacted by global humanitarian crises, wars, insecurities and uncertainties that affect their well-being and mental health, which can manifest in unique ways in classroom spaces. TAs are often the frontline for undergraduate students navigating such issues due to smaller class sizes and group discussion formats, while many topics covered in lectures and course materials may intersect with personal and ongoing trauma. As a result, both students and TAs are in vulnerable positions needing support and tools to navigate these uncertainties together. The TISTA workshop addresses this need by providing trauma-informed skills for the classroom, empowering TAs to feel confident and safe in navigating challenging topics to best support their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of York undergraduate students.
The Fall Session Workshop will be facilitated by experienced mental health professionals, Nicole Franklin and Justine Allen of the Black Therapists Collective, who will explore important terms and contextualize how trauma can manifest in pedagogical settings. The Winter Session Workshop will be facilitated by Justina Zatzman, an experienced mental health professional with over 15 years of experience in private practice, grief counselling, arts-based services including Workman Arts and CAMH, as well as teaching experience at Centenniel College.
Smaller group discussion and activities will help prepare TAs for articulating their needs and boundaries to support them in the classroom, while building confidence in sharing resources for students in need.
We would like to acknowledge the support from the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies and the Institute for Research on Digital Literacies for their support in bringing this event to York TAs.
Agenda
🕑: 10:00 AM - 02:00 PM
Fall Workshop Session: The Anti-Oppressive Classroom with Nicole and Justine
Info: Develop innovative and anti-oppressive tools to transform your classroom. Work collaboratively alongside other educators towards designing a critical, creative learning environment that supports student mental health & wellbeing, especially those pushed to the margins, while creating change in class and beyond.
Winter Workshop Session with Justina
Info: As the frontline of student-facing support, TAs can absorb an overwhelming amount of student distress. Students seeking support may offload intense life stories, heavy emotions, and challenging behaviours and requests. This workshop will focus on applying trauma-informed understanding to two skillsets that will help TAs in interpersonally challenging situations with students: 1) skills with self (self-regulation and internal system maintenance; and 2) skills with others (de-escalation, skillful communication and boundary setting). Participants will learn how to operate skillfully with a trauma-informed lens and will practice strategies for emotional sustainability. We will also clarify the scope of your role in supporting students and when to escalate matters. Participants should leave with more confidence in how to be helpful to students without taking on too much.
Event venue & nearby stays
York University Institute for Research on Digital Literacy (IRDL), 134 Ian Macdonald Boulevard, Toronto, Canada
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