Support for Graduate Students
Seminars and workshops on teaching
Each semester, including summer, we offer a series of seminars covering various teaching topics. The seminars are two hours long. They are free to attend for all graduate students, but space is limited to 20 participants per seminar. Feel free to bring a meal to eat during the seminar; we’ll provide beverages.
Teaching Seminars for Graduate Students: Descriptions and Registration.
Microteaching workshop
This workshop, limited to 6 participants, is offered every semester. Participants teach an introductory concept from their field for 5-7 minutes and receive feedback from Eberly staff as well as from other participants. Microteaching workshops are videotaped, and participants can elect to review the tape at a later date with Eberly center staff to get more in-depth feedback. Reviewing the tape with an Eberly consultant counts as one observation toward the Documentation of Teaching Development Program.
Classroom observations
We are available to observe your teaching and provide confidential, constructive feedback. Please <contact us> at least one week in advance of the date when you would like to be observed. The observation process includes a pre-observation meeting to set up the goals for the observation and a post-observation meeting to discuss the feedback. A classroom observation counts toward the Documentation of Teaching Development Program.
Documentation of Teaching Development Program
This professional development opportunity helps graduate students develop their teaching and document the steps they have taken in preparation for future faculty positions. Completion of four requirements (seminars on teaching, classroom observations, a course and syllabus design consultation, and an individualized project) leads to a detailed letter describing participants’ skills and a transcript of the seminars attended.
More information about the four components of the program.
Contact us to enroll in the program.
Assistance with early course evaluations
We are available to help you design, implement, interpret, and respond to course evaluations. We recommend distributing early evaluation forms approximately 4-5 weeks into the semester. See also: sample early course evaluation forms and suggestions about the process.
Contact us for a consultation tailored to your specific context.
Teaching statements and portfolios
Many faculty positions require applicants to submit a teaching statement and sometimes even a teaching portfolio. These tools can also be very useful for personal reflection and growth in your teaching. We are available to consult with you on drafts of statements and portfolios, individually or in groups.
Contact us to check if a portfolio group is about to start or to arrange an individual consultation.
Pedagogy reading group
Every semester, we run a monthly reading group for advanced graduate students interested in pedagogy. Participants create the calendar based on their availability, decide what topics they want to focus on, and rotate choosing relevant readings and leading the discussion. On request, the Eberly Center provides readings on the topics specified by the participants.
Contact us if you are interested in the reading group.
Course on teaching
Once a year, the Eberly center offers a graduate course on teaching, 99701: College and University Teaching. The course is 6 units, is pass/fail, and will appear on your official CMU transcript. Many of the activities in the course can count toward the Documentation of Teaching Development Program.
Course Syllabus: 99701 College and University Teaching (doc)
TA handbook
The Eberly Center has collected teaching strategies and advice from experienced CMU TAs in their respective fields. Collected Wisdom: Strategies and Resources for TAs (pdf) offers more than 200 strategies, pedagogical rationales for applying or adapting those strategies, quick-reference checklists, and answers to common questions about teaching resources.
Support for departmental training
The Eberly Center is available to partner with academic departments to focus teaching support on a specific discipline. We work with several departments during orientation and throughout the year in various ways.
Contact us if you would like to discuss possible collaborations.