Did you know that the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) supports Postdoctoral Associates (Postdocs), Graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs), and Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UGTAs) in all aspects of your teaching? We offer several programs and initiatives either specifically designed for Teaching Assistants, or with specialized cohorts for Postdocs and TAs!
Read on for more information about:
- Online Teaching Assistant Teaching Orientation
- College Teaching Seminars
- Online Teaching Certificate
- Teaching Observations
- Consultations
- Teaching Ambassador Learning Communities (new!)
- TA/Postdoc Teaching Initiatives Advisory Committee (new!)
If you have questions about any of these programs and initiatives and/or have an idea for collaboration, please contact our *new* Teaching Assistant Development Specialist, Kimberly Bell, PhD: kimberly.bell@stonybrook.edu.
Teaching Assistant Teaching Orientation
In a partnership with the Graduate School, CELT began offering online Teaching Orientation for all new graduate TAs starting in Fall 2020. This has expanded into a 2 part Orientation, with an online asynchronous Blackboard “course” in the Fall. There are four topic areas, or learning modules to complete in Bb, and there are Zoom sessions, such as a Q&A with Graduate School staff and discussions on classroom management. Part 2 continues in the Spring with a Zoom seminar series, with topics chosen based on feedback from Fall participants, with additional, interactive Blackboard modules. For more information or if your program is interested in additional components or small in-person sessions, please contact us!
CIE/CELT College Teaching Seminars
In partnership with the Center for Inclusive Education, CELT offers the College Teaching Seminars, 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, Evidence-based Teaching Practices, and Teaching Online. The Fall 2021 series will take place on Zoom. Register here and check back to this section for session materials and recordings.
Online Teaching Certificate (OTC)
CELT’s Online Teaching Certificate course 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. Register here for the 5-week Fall offerings which starts on 10/18, or here for the 2.5 week version, which starts on 10/13. These are open to all faculty as well. If you or your program/department are interested in a specialized cohort, please contact kimberly.bell@stonybrook.edu
Teaching Observations
CELT offers both informal and formal teaching observations. Using the Classroom Observation protocol for Undergraduate STEM, or COPUS tool (also adapted for Humanities), we can assess how you incorporate active learning into your teaching. If you want more informal feedback, we can schedule a visit to your class and provide you with feedback about your teaching materials, student engagement, assessments, syllabus, etc. A consultation prior to the observation is recommended to discuss your teaching practices and goals. If you are interested in being observed or for more information, please complete this Google form.
Consultations
You can make an appointment for a consultation with a CELT staff member to discuss your teaching. Our TA Development Specialist can also help review Statements of Teaching philosophy and provide iterative feedback, watch a teaching demo and provide feedback, as well as consult on other aspects of your teaching. If you are interested in a consultation please send an email to celt@stonybrook.edu
New for 2021/2022:
Become a Teaching Ambassador through a Learning Community
Learning communities are groups that work together toward a common goal. Each learning community below will meet three times per semester for the academic year for 2 hours. We will discuss research, topics, and experiences relevant to college teaching. At the end of the meetings, you will be ready to go back to your departments and programs and be able to offer teaching advice to your peers. There will be three groups: Postdoc, Graduate TA, and Undergraduate TA. The first cohort will begin in Fall 2022, if you are interested in joining us, please complete this Google Form and a CELT staff member will contact you.
Join the TA/Postdoc Teaching Initiatives Advisory Committee
We are in the process of forming an advisory committee to collaborate on existing and new teaching initiatives for TAs and Postdocs. It will be a mix of TAs, Postdocs, faculty and staff. If you are interested in joining, please complete this Google Form and tell us why you are interested. The first meeting will take place in Spring 2022.