The Office of Graduate Studies is committed to help graduate students become excellent teachers, both for their professional development, and also to support our university’s core educational mission.
Teaching Development Program
The Teaching Development Program (TDP) helps graduate students teach better, now and in the future, and prepares them for the job search process by helping them focus on and document their teaching development efforts.
CIRTL
The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) is a network of research universities across the U.S. and Canada. The CIRTL mission is to enhance excellence in undergraduate education through the development of a national faculty committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse learners as part of successful and varied professional careers.
Teaching Assistant Orientation
On August 15, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Office of Graduate Studies will be an orientation for new Teaching Assistants. This is open to TAs in all fields and intended to be an introduction to teaching policies and practices.
The event will be held in person in the City Campus Union. In addition to general sessions on policies and teaching resources, three main workshops for TAs focusing on the following topics will be available:
- Grading and Assessment
- Preparing Lesson Plans or Class Activities
- Understanding Students' Needs and Establishing Rapport
There will also be a panel of experienced TAs on Zoom later in the day. All registrants will have access to Canvas modules with additional resources for TAs. Events for more experienced TAs will be announced in the following weeks.
Canvas modules with teaching strategies and resources will be provided to students who register. Others may contact Lisa Rohde to obtain access to the Canvas modules. Please register to attend TA Orientation no later than August 1.
Institute for International Teaching Assistants
The Institute prepares international graduate teaching assistants from various UNL departments to teach American undergraduates. Participants attend a two-week intensive training program that focuses on instructional strategies, classroom management and active learning, English pronunciation and intonation, and cross-cultural communication.
