Graduate seminar in university teaching (GradProSkills workshop)

This training is offered by GradProSkills. It is only open to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. 

Advance registration is required. 

The goal of this intensive seminar is to prepare graduate students for a university teaching career. Students will examine current issues relating to teaching and learning in higher education and develop competence in making instructional decisions from a student-centered perspective and appropriate to their subject domain.  

Instructors will model a variety of teaching approaches and strategies in class and examine their application in a variety of educational settings. Class time is highly interactive and focused on active engagement, discussion and reflection. Students are encouraged to clarify their goals and interests in relation to teaching and learning to influence the topics of the seminar.   

Students must meet all the requirements to be able to receive the certificate. This includes:    

• Attending and actively participating in all 5 full days (35 hours) of the seminar*  
• Writing a teaching philosophy statement    
• Preparing and delivering a 10-minute mini-lesson and providing feedback to peers    
• Developing a course outline/syllabus  

Please note that: (no class on Thanksgiving October 12) 

Learning Objectives

Having successfully completed this seminar, students will be able to:  

• Demonstrate knowledge regarding the theory and practice of university teaching   

• Articulate their own teaching philosophy, identifying their approach and perspectives on teaching and learning  

• Design and deliver lessons with greater confidence  

• Develop or redesign a course syllabus based on a principled approach to course design   

Additional Information

• Important note: This weekly intensive seminar is a full-time commitment for students who can devote substantial time during this period. In addition to 35 hours of mandatory seminar participation, students should expect to spend time outside of class working on assignments. Registration is strongly recommended only for students who can devote one day a week attending the seminar and additional time completing homework outside scheduled class hours.
• What students of the GSUT have said:
  • “This seminar provided me with helpful frameworks and the particular language to talk about my teaching practice within the structure of an educational institution. The class has helped me grasp a better understanding of how much thought and intention one must put into planning a course.”
  • “The seminar progressed in such a way that it was easy to learn and to absorb a large quantity of information, all the while having meaningful engagements with colleagues. The coursework and evaluations were incredibly helpful as reflections on my own learning and as preparation for job applications. I especially appreciated the reflective ‘meta’ quality of the teaching, it was so helpful to see certain activities and approaches in action!”