Please Note: These are Brown Bag seminars.

Please feel free to bring your own lunch or dinner. Beverages will be provided.

 

Overview of student motivation

Tuesday, January 26, 12-2pm

In any class students will have different levels and types of motivation which influence their strategies and behavior in our courses. This seminar introduces theories of motivation and provides opportunities to discuss how instructors and TAs can engage students more fully in learning. This seminar counts as a core seminar toward the Documentation of Teaching Development Program.

 

Reflecting on your teaching style:
Microteaching workshop

Tuesday, February 2, 4:30-7:30pm

The goals of this session are to enable you to see how your teaching comes across to others and reflect on how others may approach similar tasks. Participants will teach a brief 5-minute lesson and receive feedback on their teaching in order to facilitate reflection on different teaching styles. Presentations in this session, along with an individual follow-up appointment to review the lesson on videotape, may count as an observation for the Documentation of Teaching Development program.

 

Exploring the impact of stereotypes on learning and performance

Tuesday, February 9, 12-2pm

A growing body of literature emphasizes the subtle but profound impact of stereotypes and expectations in the classroom, through concepts like the "Pygmalion effect" or "stereotype threat." Some of this literature is especially relevant to the performance of certain minority groups in the classroom. In this seminar we will explore the research behind those constructs, its finding and limitations, and we will brainstorm concrete strategies to minimize the effect of stereotyping.

 

Planning and delivering effective lectures

Tuesday, February 16, 5-7pm

Even though all of us have observed hundreds of lectures as students, the process of preparing an effective lecture raises many new questions. How can an instructor keep students' attention? How can we tell if students understand the material? Participants in this seminar will examine how lectures can be most effective by analyzing videotapes of successful CMU lecturers. This seminar counts as a core seminar toward the Documentation of Teaching Development program.

 

Promoting academic integrity

Tuesday, February 23, 12-2pm

In a demanding, competitive academic environment, instructors and TAs need to be mindful of the pressures on students to achieve at high levels and of our role in creating a climate which encourages honest efforts and discourages shortcuts. This seminar will discuss strategies for promoting integrity in the Carnegie Mellon community.

 

Helping students to become self-directed learners

Tuesday, March 2, 5-7pm

As educators, we want our students to become lifelong learners, but many students simply lack the metacognitive skills necessary to take charge of their own learning and problem-solving. In this seminar, we will review the research on self-directed learning, understand what some of the roadblocks are for our students, and generate strategies to promote the development of metacognitive skills.

 

Incorporating writing in your discipline

Tuesday, March 16, 12-2pm

Students' writing skills can greatly hinder or enhance their ability to convey their understanding of the subject matter of a course. Furthermore, writing can facilitate the learning process itself. In this seminar we will introduce a rationale for writing across the curriculum, review common problems with student writing, and analyze assignments from various disciplines designed to develop different skills. This seminar counts as a core seminar toward the Documentation of Teaching Development Program.

 

Responding to student writing

Tuesday, March 23, 12-2pm

Some instructors experience uneasiness in assessing their students' writing. This task can be daunting especially for non-native speakers or in some technical fields. In this session, participants will discuss ways to provide helpful feedback and grade student writing more consistently and more confidently. While every session can be attended separately, participants will get the most out of this session if they also attended Incorporating Writing in the Disciplines.

 

Assessing student learning and providing helpful feedback

Tuesday, March 30, 12-2pm

Assessing students' progress in mastering course material and providing feedback to guide students' efforts are two critical parts of effective teaching. Participants in this seminar will reflect on different educational philosophies that lead to different grading schemes, discuss strategies for efficient grading and more effective feedback. This seminar counts as a core seminar toward the Documentation of Teaching Development program.

 

Course and syllabus design

Tuesday, April 6, 5-7pm

Many of the decisions affecting the success of a course take place well before the first day of class. Participants in this seminar will examine a variety of syllabi to determine central components of a well-designed course and to explore the role of the syllabus in guiding students' learning. If you want to develop your own syllabus for the summer session or the Documentation program, this seminar is recommended as preparation. This seminar counts as a core seminar toward the Documentation of Teaching Development Program. It is also strongly recommended for prospective summer instructors.

 

The first day of class

Tuesday, April 13, 12-2pm

What is the best way to introduce yourself and your course in order to set the tone you want? What decisions do students make on the first day that affect the rest of the semester? What are you communicating with what you say and do (and don't say and don't do)? We will discuss these issues and more, and we will brainstorm strategies to get off on the right foot.

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