Teaching Preparation Series

The Center for Teaching and Learning and campus partners offer a professional development opportunity for graduate student instructors to learn about, observe, practice, receive feedback on, and reflect upon classroom teaching techniques. Some of these campus partners include: Texas Career Engagement, Disability and Access, and the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC). Join us in our online and in-person sessions to learn about teaching!

Workshops for the spring semester have concluded, but self-enrollment in the Canvas course for Spring 2024 is open for those who wish to access the resources. Join the site to receive updates about the fall 2024 schedule, workshop registration openings, and more opportunities for graduate students and post-docs.

Self-enroll in our canvas course to access resources!

What are the benefits?

The Teaching Preparation Series gives graduate students and post-docs an opportunity to grow their teaching practice, whether you attend one workshop or all of them. However, participants who complete multiple sessions will receive a Certificate of Completion that acts as a credential demonstrating your investment in professional development to future employers. Participants who attend three unique workshops and upload a reflection will earn the Teaching Preparation Certificate. Participants who complete seven unique sessions and submit a qualifying Teaching Statement for an Advanced Teaching Preparation Certificate.

What will I learn?

You can expect to learn about a variety of skills and concepts regarding teaching and learning, improve your pedagogy, and connect with peers from across campus to improve upon your teaching. Below, you can find typical session descriptions in the series.

Understanding your role: How do I work effectively with students & faculty?

As a graduate student, you assume many roles: teacher, instructor, as well as student. In this workshop, you will learn about and apply theories of self-directed learning to students and oneself’s achievement, as well as gain strategies about setting expectations and working effectively with students and faculty.

How we learn: How can I use pedagogical theory to make learning last?

Join us for an introductory crash course in the cognitive theories underlying learning and memory. Discover how you can leverage these theories to encourage deep, meaningful, long-lasting learning for your students.

Lesson planning: How do I structure my time in the classroom?

In this hands-on and collaborative workshop, participants will learn the basic outline of a lesson and practice creating these steps for their own teaching material: the objective, introduction, activity, wrap-up, and assessment. We will dwell on the “activity” stage to discuss scaffolding techniques, which enable instructors to build to advanced material. Finally, participants will brainstorm assessment methods to check if their lesson plans were successful. Instructors will leave with a useable lesson plan for their classrooms.

Grading & feedback: How do I quickly and fairly assess student work?

Join us for a discussion of equitable grading practices and some time-saving tips for managing your workload.

Facilitating discussions: How can I foster student participation to enhance learning?

Discussion can be an effective classroom tool to reach a variety of course goals. In this session, you will identify course goals you may achieve through discussion, consider instructor anxieties regarding discussion, learn tools to facilitate effective discussions, and gain knowledge about a range of discussion schemes and strategies.

Drafting teaching statements: How do I articulate my beliefs about teaching?

Learn the characteristics of an effective teaching statement —including what search committees look for —and begin drafting/refining your statement to vibrantly convey your teaching values and the instructional choices you make to help students achieve learning goals.

Workshop your teaching statement: What is working? What can I improve?

CTL staff will facilitate an asynchronous peer workshop in which participants will receive feedback on their teaching statement drafts and share suggestions to strengthen others' statements with vivid examples of teaching strategies and learner-centered goals.

Teaching Practice (microteaching)

Teaching Practice is a teaching improvement technique that involves an instructor delivering a mini-lesson (10-12 minutes) to a small group of peers in order to receive detailed feedback on their teaching effectiveness. It is a great opportunity for instructors to try new teaching strategies in a safe environment.

Students with disabilities: How do I provide equal access and foster inclusion through academic accommodations?

How do I provide equal access and foster inclusion through academic accommodations?

Instructors are responsible for providing equal access to information and reducing barriers to learning for all students. For students with disabilities, this might be accomplished through the provision of academic accommodations. Teaching Assistants (TAs) and Assistant Instructors (AIs) are often assigned to facilitate accommodations. In each course, TAs and AIs have an opportunity to create an inclusive environment and foster meaningful participation in the classroom since students often feel more comfortable communicating with them. During this session, you will learn about how to work with students with disabilities in your role as a TA or AI!

Transferrable Skills of Teaching: How do I communicate my skills to employers?

Through teaching, you have developed multiple skills that are applicable to careers beyond academia: from leadership and management to communication and public speaking. Learn how to identify the skills you employ in teaching to market your skill set for diverse career pathways. In this workshop, you will reflect upon and evaluate your skills and experiences. You will learn how to analyze job listings, tailor your resumes, and communicate the transferrable nature of your teaching skills to an employer.

How can I register?

You can self-enroll in our Canvas course to stay on top of announcements and sign up for individual workshops.

What have others said?

“I really enjoyed the series and learned a lot of information that I feel will be applicable in my future teaching career.”

“[H]aving the certification impresses a lot of search committees. It's been a great talking point when they ask about my teaching experience and training.”

“I've had several tenure track job interviews [...] and I think a lot of it is because I am able to talk really clearly about teaching and pedagogy in my statements, which I learned in the classes.”