Graduate Teaching Toolkit

Preparing for the academic job market or applying for the Graduate Associate Teaching Award (GATA) but not sure where to get started with crafting your teaching portfolio? In this workshop, participants will gain familiarity with the elements of successful teaching portfolios, learn about best practices for writing and organizing their materials, and practice drafting their own teaching statement. Crafting a strong teaching statement is a valuable skill for anyone involved in teaching, providing a foundation you can build on now to enhance your teaching, develop a compelling portfolio, and prepare for future opportunities in academia or beyond. Graduate students at any stage in drafting their materials are welcome to attend. 

Lunch will be provided.

After this workshop participants will be able to:

• identify the purpose and value of teaching statements and portfolios
• identify the necessary elements of successful teaching statements and portfolios
• employ effective practices in the writing and organization of teaching statements and portfolios

Click here to register

Want to create a course where every activity and assessment supports exactly what you intend to teach? In this workshop, participants will explore backward design, a proven approach to course planning that begins with learning goals and works backward to craft meaningful assessments and effective instructional strategies. Even if you won’t be designing a course yourself, experimenting with backward design as a TA is a practical way to strengthen your teaching skills, create portfolio-ready examples, and prepare for future opportunities in academia or other education-focused careers. In this workshop, participants will learn backward design step by step, from defining clear course goals to creating measurable learning outcomes and aligned assessments. By the end, participants will have a practical framework and resources, as well as portfolio-ready examples to demonstrate how to align teaching, activities, and assessments. 

Lunch will be provided.

After this workshop participants will be able to:

• describe the steps of the backward design process and its rationale
• identify how backward design can improve clarity, alignment, and effectiveness in teaching and learning
• practice designing course goals, learning outcomes, and assessment plans using backward design principles

Click here to register

Do your students ever ask why they are completing a particular task or how the work in front of them connects to the goals of the course? Whether you create your own assignments or support someone else’s course as a recitation leader, grader, or in office hours, clearer communication can significantly improve how students understand and engage with your teaching. This toolkit introduces transparency as a practical and flexible approach for strengthening student learning across multiple teaching roles. Participants will explore the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) model to clarify purpose, task, and criteria for classroom assignments. The session will also highlight strategies for making expectations explicit, reducing confusion, and addressing elements of the hidden curriculum that often create barriers for students. Participants will leave with concrete tools for creating more transparent and supportive learning experiences in a wide range of instructional settings.

Lunch will be provided.

After this workshop participants will be able to:

• identify the benefits of fostering a transparent teaching and learning environment
• apply the TILT (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) framework for assignment design
• develop strategies for addressing the “hidden curriculum”
• understand best practices for communicating course goals, expectations, and relevance to students 

Group work often sparks groans and dread, but it doesn’t have to. With the right strategies, groups can be genuinely collaborative communities instead of just siloed teams. In this Graduate Teaching Toolkit, instructors will learn strategies for facilitating effective group work in their courses.  All graduate students, regardless of teaching experience, are welcome to attend.

After this workshop participants will be able to:

• Identify the benefits of group work within and beyond the classroom
• Gain confidence crafting a variety of group work activities that reflect course goals
• Explore strategies to identify and manage challenges related to group work
• Reflect on methods to conclude and assess group work

Click here to register