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Center for Teaching Innovation

Current Programming for Graduate Students and Postdocs

Cornell is part of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) Network! Check out additional workshops and opportunities available at no cost to graduate students and postdocs.

Institutes & Workshops

Essentials of Teaching Institute I

In this four-part workshop series, you will explore strategies to foster a positive classroom environment, create effective interactive teaching activities to help students learn, and develop fair methods for assessment and grading. 

Role of TAs in Cultivating an Inclusive Classroom

  • When: Tuesday, September 15, 12:00–1:15 p.m. (online via Zoom)
  • How do you create a learning environment in which all students can thrive? This workshop introduces ways to encourage open and active dialogue, address culturally and socially sensitive topics, promote cross-cultural exchanges, and cultivate an appreciation for diversity and difference in the classroom.
  • Register for Role of TAs in Cultivating an Inclusive Classroom.

Supporting Student Learning as a TA

  • When: Tuesday, September 22, 12:00–1:15 p.m. (online via Zoom)
  • How do students learn, and what does this mean for you as a TA? This workshop will introduce evidence-based theories of learning and explore how these frameworks motivate the use of specific teaching strategies, activities, and course structure you implement as a TA.
  • Register for Supporting Student Learning as a TA.

Effective Grading and Feedback

  • When: Tuesday, September 29, 12:00–1:15 p.m. (online via Zoom)
  • How do you assign grades, devise a grading rubric, and grade in a fair, consistent way? A course grade reflects student competency and mastery of the material. This workshop will discuss components of grading students' understanding and mastery of the course material.
  • Register for Effective Grading and Feedback.

Final Session: Discussion of an Action Plan

  • When: Tuesday, October 6, 12:00–1:15 p.m. (online via Zoom)
  • This workshop is for those who have completed the earlier workshops and would like a letter to document their participation in the Essentials of Teaching Institute. This capstone experience is an opportunity for participants to get peer feedback on their action plan.
  • Register for Final Session: Discussion of an Action Plan.

Read more about the Essentials of Teaching Institute.

Inclusive Teaching Institute for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Students

This interactive workshop invites you to reflect and connect with graduate students and postdocs to share knowledge, explore how and why social identities come into play in the learning environment, consider how to remove barriers and increase accessibility, and create a plan to support the learning of all students.

Read more about the Inclusive Teaching Institute for Graduate and Postdoctoral Scholars.

Engaging Your Students Institute

In this four-part workshop series, you will discuss the impact of student engagement on learning, select active learning strategies to implement, and explore methods to motivate students in your discipline. 

Role of Student Engagement in Learning

  • When: Wednesday, October 21, 12:00–1:15 p.m. (online via Zoom)
  • How does engagement help people learn? In this workshop, you will examine how student engagement can help students learn more effectively based on current educational and cognitive research.
  • Register for Role of Student Engagment in Learning. 

Strategies to Foster Student Engagement

  • When: Wednesday, October 28, 12:00–1:15 p.m. (online via Zoom)
  • How can you ensure that in-class activities are purposeful and effective? In this workshop you will learn about a variety of strategies and practice designing an activity that would support the learning outcomes in a specific teaching context.
  • Register for Strategies to Foster Student Engagement.

Promoting Active Learning

  • When: Wednesday, November 4, 12:00–1:15 p.m. (online via Zoom)
  • In this workshop you will discuss some of the best practices in implementing active learning in different classroom contexts. Learn strategies to set up student groups for success. Provide structure, scaffolding, clear communication, and accountability to give all students the opportunity to engage effectively. Discover ways to schedule the timing of active learning within a class period.
  • Register for Promoting Active Learning.

Final Session: Peer Review

  • When: Wednesday, November 11, 12:00–1:15 p.m. (online via Zoom)
  • This workshop is for those who have completed the earlier workshops and would like a letter to document their participation in the Engaging Your Students Institute. This capstone experience is an opportunity for participants to get peer-feedback on a micro-lesson that includes active learning activities.
  • Register for Final Session: Peer Review.

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Teaching Resources

Teaching Assistant Online Orientation

The TA Online Orientation, designed to prepare new graduate teaching assistants for success in their first few weeks of teaching, is a series of self-paced, asynchronous modules that introduce teaching essentials and resources available to support them while at Cornell.

Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom Online Course: 

Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom is a four-week, self-paced online course for anyone with teaching responsibilities at Cornell, at any level of diversity expertise. Modules explore social identity and self-reflection, strategies for inclusive course design, and pedagogical practices that effectively support student engagement and a sense of belonging across difference.

Teaching Portfolio Program

A portfolio encourages you to document and reflect on your teaching at Cornell. Register at any time to be part of CTI’s Teaching Portfolio Program and gain access to resources, consultations, and support for your teaching.

Teaching with Technology

If you're interested in resources to incorporate technology, CTI offers Upcoming Teaching with Technology Workshops.

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