University of Oregon
Office of the Provost
OCTOBER 31, 2025
Dear graduate teaching community,
Happy Halloween! We hope you've had a great first half of fall term.  
In this issue of GE Teaching News, you'll find a list of events and workshops; information about a brand new, self-paced module on writing teaching philosophy statements; and this issue's TEP Tips. 
Wishing you and your students success this term!
Sincerely,
The TEP Team

Key Resources
Writing Teaching Philosophy Statements Self-Paced Module
TEP has launched a new resource to help you write a Teaching Philosophy Statement (TPS), a common component of faculty job applications. At UO, GEs might also write a TPS as part of award applications or courses on teaching. This module will discuss what a TPS is and what goes into one; we’ll also look at research on what makes a good TPS. The module includes opportunities for you to consider your teaching values, practices, and background to infuse these key components into your statement.   
The module is asynchronous and self-paced, so you can work through it when you need it. It is built into a new TEP Community Canvas site, so you need to be logged in with your UO credentials to access it. 

Upcoming Events and Workshops
International GE Coffee Hour—Connect, Recharge, Build Community
Wednesday, November 12, from 10-11:30 a.m.  in Straub Hall 401
Register on MyTrack
Join us for a relaxed gathering created for international Graduate Employees. This is a space to pause, enjoy coffee or tea and light snacks, and connect with fellow international GEs about teaching. Whether you want to share your teaching experiences, talk through challenges, or simply take a break and meet new people—you’re warmly welcome. Drop in anytime, stay as long or as little as you’d like. We’re here to support one another. 
Educational Research in Action: Survey Design 
Friday, November 14, from 10-11 a.m. in Knight Library DREAM Lab 122 
Register on MyTrack
This interactive workshop explores how to design surveys that are clear, equitable, and aligned with research goals. Participants will gain practical tools for crafting effective questions and approaches to data collection that support meaningful insights. 
GenAI in Teaching at UO 
Friday, November 21, from 1-2 p.m.  on Zoom 
Register on MyTrack
This session overviews the state of AI and instruction at UO, including updates on GenAI policies and good practice recommendations. Participants will also see sample course policies and examples of how faculty are integrating GenAI into assignments—or insulating them from AI misuse.
Educational Research in Action: Qualitative Interviews 
Friday, December 5, from 10-11 a.m. in Knight Library DREAM Lab 122 
Register on MyTrack 
Participants will learn how to craft effective interview questions, support ethical and inclusive data practices, and develop strategies for analysis. The session also explores how interviews contribute to broader educational research. 
Assignment Hacks 
Tuesday, December 9, from 1-2:30 p.m.  in Knight Library DREAM Lab 122  
Register on MyTrack 
Participants will explore how to make assignments clearer and more equitable by explicitly stating the purpose, task, and criteria for success, while considering how GenAI may intersect with these elements. 
A full list of our events can be found on the teaching website's event calendar. 

Community
Science Teaching Journal Club: Mitigating Digital Distractions in Class
Thursdays through Week 10 from 9-9:50 a.m. in LISB 217 and on Zoom 
Join the journal club to read and discuss articles from the research literature relevant to teaching and learning, especially (but not exclusively) in STEM fields. We’ll initiate a new recurring feature: Are You Sure? in which we look at new evidence relating to some long-accepted ideas about teaching and learning. Later, we’ll have a mini-concentration on an increasingly urgent problem for instructors: digital distractions in class and possible strategies for mitigating them. As always, we welcome participants from all ranks and disciplines to join us each week or to drop in for selected conversations.  

TEP Tips

Something New & Fun


Each issue, TEP provides a research-informed technique you can take straight to the classroom. Fishbowl is an interesting way to engage the class by focusing on a smaller group of students charged with solving a problem, performing a role play, or carrying on a discussion. Fishbowl promotes critical thinking, collaborative learning, and provides students an opportunity for peer feedback. 


Instructions: Set up the room so that three to five students can be observed by the rest of the class. Give them a problem to solve, role play instructions, or discussion questions. While they perform the activity, the remainder of the class observes and takes notes. At the end of the discussion, students on the periphery can make observations, and students in the performing group can offer their reflections. 

Variations: Cycle students in and out of the fishbowl—they can get individually tagged out in a staggered pattern by other students who want a turn to speak, or you can hold rounds of discussion, with the full group of students entering and exiting all at once.


You can see more tips like this in the Student Engagement Techniques resource on TEP’s website. 

Got a tip to share? Email tep@uoregon.edu with your questions or suggested topics.
We welcome your input to keep this newsletter informative and meaningful, so please send your ideas, resources, and suggestions our way. You can reach us at tep@uoregon.edu. 
1258 University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1258
 tep@uoregon.edu  |  teaching.uoregon.edu 
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