Starting in Fall 2025, up to 10 graduates per year from RRC Polytech’s engineering technology programs will be eligible for direct entry into the U of M’s civil or mechanical engineering degree programs through the Price Faculty of Engineering.

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Join one or all of the four 50-minute sessions designed for professors, instructors and graduate students committed to exploring Pedagogies of Care. Sessions are standalone and alternate between in-person (Fort Garry) and remote modalities. Whether you’re teaching in-person or in an online format, this series will equip you with pedagogical approaches that cultivate caring and inclusive educational spaces. 

The design of this workshop series embraces the same attributes the workshop aims to infuse into faculty teaching practices across UM. Each session will provide practical tools for creating inclusive, engaging, and empowering learning environments. The facilitators will look to learn from the participants on how the community wants to be supported. 

“This series will engage in a conversation around Pedagogies of Care and how they can be practiced at the university” explained John Bevan [MA/21] facilitator and educational developer from the Teaching Initiatives and Innovation Team. As a change agent “Pedagogies of Care allows for us to be flexible and adaptable and recognizes that the individual contexts in which students learn are an important factor in their learning.” adds Dr. Lori Doan [BA(Hons)/05, MA/07, PhD/14] facilitator from the Science of Teaching and Learning team. 

Pedagogies of Care was sparked by Cintia Costa, senior educational developer on the Programs and Curriculum Development Team, who saw the need to incorporate neuroscience into learning strategies workshops. What began as a single workshop grew after Costa’s team lead suggested connecting with Doan. A casual conversation with a colleague about upcoming projects had Bevan eagerly joining the series to contribute his skill. Each facilitator helped shape the workshop into a four-part offering, focused on changing to a more caring teaching environment. 

While this series does not directly address faculty wellness or care, Costa believes there are indirect benefits of Pedagogies of Care in changing classrooms: “it will be better for instructors, faculty, and professors if they see that their students feel safe to ask questions instead of feeling afraid. I have a feeling that the classroom atmosphere is going to feel lighter and more supportive” 

This workshop series hosted by The Centre for Advancement of Teaching and Learning continues our support of Empowering Learners. By identifying flexible practices to incorporate into courses, it will help us move towards a more supportive and sustainable education system. 

Our February storytelling theme, Agents of Change, highlights those driving meaningful change in their communities and beyond. Through bold ideas and actions, these change-makers challenge the status quo, spark transformation, and shape a better future. 

Pedagogies of Care series – Winter Term 2025 

Cultivating Liberatory Spaces 

Date and time: Tuesday, February 4, 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.  

Location: Remote – UM Zoom 

Description: This session with focus on key elements of relational and emancipatory teaching approaches that foster inclusivity and empowerment in the classroom. 

Register for Cultivating Liberatory Spaces 

Universal Design – Curb Cutting the Academy 

Date and time: Tuesday, February 25, 1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. 

Location: Room 223 – The Centre (65 Dafoe Road) 

Description: This session with focus learning activities that incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, evaluate existing course materials improvement opportunities. 

Register for Universal Design – Curb Cutting the Academy   

Science of Learning – Firing and Wiring the Neurons 

Date and time: Thursday, March 13, 10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. 

Location: Remote – UM Zoom  

Description: This session will focus on how the brain processes information and that influences learning and memory retention. Then they will explore brain-based strategies to generate environments that enhance cognitive engagement and student learning. 

Register for Science of Learning – Firing and Wiring the Neurons   

Bringing it All Together – Sharing Our Stories 

Date and time: Tuesday, April 1, 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. 

Location: Room 223 – The Centre (65 Dafoe Road) 

Description: Participants will create an integrated teaching approach based on their experiences over series or insights from their classrooms. 

Register for Bringing it All Together – Sharing Our Stories   

Registration for the Winter 2025 cohort of the GTP opens on February 4, 2025, with a limit of 200 spots.  

Learn about teaching at your own pace by combining foundational modules, elective modules and an optional capstone to build your own path to success. Students can select to pursue individual courses (with digital badges) or complete the program with a capstone project. The modules are fully online in UM Learn. Renato Bezerra, a PhD candidate in Engineering Education, participated in the 2024 pilot and found the experience to be unique compared to others. Bezerra described it as “more relaxed, welcoming, and meaningful. Relaxed because it was self-paced with enough time to complete it; welcoming because of the friendly tone and relatable nature of the content; and more meaningful because the assessment allowed me to connect the learnings from the GTP with my previous experiences and knowledge.”  

The GTP program not only helps build classroom skills but also equips participants with a broad set of abilities that can be applied to further their career in other ways. Dr. Ruchira Nandasiri, a Post Doctoral Fellow in Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, used skills developed in the GTP program to apply for the McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Fellows Teaching & Leadership Program at McMaster University. Nandasiri explains “The GTP program, particularly its emphasis on inclusive teaching practices and cultural awareness, has helped me refine my application and better articulate my approach to teaching and research. The McCall McBain Fellowship places a strong emphasis on teaching excellence and the ability to engage postdoctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds, both of which are areas I have worked to strengthen through the GTP program”  

Nandasiri is one of only twenty fellows selected for the McMaster program this term. Nandasiri believes the GTP has “positioned me to take on more leadership roles in academia and contribute meaningfully to creating inclusive, student-centered learning environments.” 

The GTP program was revamped to improve access, recognize the diverse needs of graduate students, and foster their success as part of The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning’s continued commitment to empowering learners. Strengthening graduate student teaching skills is one way The Centre is helping build an exceptional student experience at UM. 

Registration 

Registration opens on February 4th, 2025, and will be limited to 200 students for the Winter term. To register and learn more about the graduate teaching program, please visit the GTP website.