/Office of the Provost
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

TA and Postdoc Teaching Programs & Initiatives 

The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching supports Postdoc and TA (graduate and undergraduate) teaching excellence. We currently offer several programs and initiatives either specifically designed for Postdocs and TAs, or with specialized cohorts for Postdocs and TAs.

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TA Teaching Development

Starting in Fall 2020, in a partnership with the Graduate School, CELT began offering TA Training for all new doctoral students and Master’s students who will teach. This introduction to evidence-based strategies and relevant issues in college teaching has expanded into a 2 part online course delivered in Brightspace; a combination of asynchronous modules on key college teaching topics as well as interactive scenario-based discussions. For more information or if your program is interested in additional components or small in-person sessions, please contact us!

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College Teaching Seminars

Offered in partnership with the Center for Inclusive Education (CIE), the College Teaching Seminars is a bi-weekly seminar series open to all graduate TAs and Postdocs. The series continues throughout the academic year with 1.5-hour sessions on relevant topics in college teaching such as Inclusive Pedagogy and Student Engagement. The sessions are a mix of interactive sessions and panel discussions, facilitated by CELT/CIE staff and faculty guest speakers.

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Online Teaching Course (OTC)

Our Online Teaching Course (OTC) is a facilitated online asynchronous course with a 5-week or 2.5 week accelerated option. There are 5 modules to dive deeper into theory and practice of effective online teaching and learning. Check our events page for upcoming courses. Each course cohort is typically a mix of faculty, TAs, and Postdocs, but we can offer specialized cohorts for program/department by request.

EVENTS PAGE
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Class Visits, Feedback & Guided Self-Assessment

Whether you are an instructor of record looking for a series of class visits, need tips to improve lab or group facilitation, or want to discuss your grading practices, we will create a plan with you and provide feedback about your teaching or courses. We can visit your in-person or synchronous online class one or more times, review your syllabi, or review your asynchronous course. The first step is a consultation meeting to discuss options, as well as your teaching practices and goals.

CLASS VISIT PROCESS
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Learning Communities

Learning communities are groups that work together toward a common goal. If you have a small group interested in meeting to set goals, learn from each other, and explore important issues in college teaching, consider forming a learning community that CELT can help facilitate. We can help with your initial goal setting, finding resources, and providing teaching development during the meetings, you would bring your group together, schedule meetings, and be in contact with CELT staff.

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Teaching Statements & Teaching Talks

We offer interactive workshops to help you get started with writing your statement of teaching philosophy for applications, as well as individual consultations for development and editing. We can also preview your teaching talk/demonstration in preparation for an interview and provide feedback. Check our events page for upcoming workshops, or email us to request a workshop for your group or an individual consultation.

EVENTS PAGE
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Consultations

You can make an appointment for a consultation with our TA Development Specialist or another CELT staff member to discuss any aspect of the services listed above or any other aspect of your teaching you need support with. If you are interested in a consultation please send an email to celt@stonybrook.edu.