FALL 2006

Teaching Workshops, Conversations on Teaching & Academic Job Search Series

Throughout the school year, the Center organizes workshops facilitated by CFT senior staff, Graduate Teaching Fellows, University administrators and faculty, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and invited guests.

• The Teaching Workshop - Led by CFT professional staff and graduate teaching fellows, this series features practical, applied workshops on basic teaching practices applicable in a variety of disciplines. Throughout the series, participants will also gain exposure to a core set of widely-used, research-based best practices, models, and approaches to university teaching and learning.  Those interested in developing and refining skills for their current or future teaching are welcome to attend.

• Conversations on Teaching - Conversations on Teaching are occasional, informal, and topical. Sessions typically begin with a panel offering brief remarks, followed by open discussion with session participants.

• Academic Job Search Series - This series of workshops, co-sponsored by the Center for Teaching and the Career Center, is designed to help guide graduate students, professional students and post-docs in their preparation for the academic job market. Many of these workshops will include follow-up sessions to provide feedback to participants on their documents and skills. 

Working Groups are small cohorts who commit to meet regularly to discuss either a specific teaching practice or a more conceptual set of issues.

Related Programs are relevant workshops, conferences and other events being offered by other organizations around campus

August

8/30/06 Teaching Certificate Program Orientation
4:10pm - 5:30pm, Calhoun 117
Faciliator: Derek Bruff, Assistant Director, CFT

The Center for Teaching's Teaching Certificate program is designed to help graduate and professional students and post-docs develop and refine their teaching skills through three cycles of teaching activities, each consisting of inquiry, experimentation, and reflection phases. Participants who complete the program receive a Teaching Certificate from the Graduate School and the Center for Teaching. This orientation session will provide an introduction to the program and give attendees a chance to ask questions about how they might begin the program.

September

9/8/06 Teaching Statements (Academic Job Search Series)
12:10pm – 1:00pm, Sarratt 189
Facilitators: Patricia Armstrong, Assistant Director, CFT; Laura Taylor, Graduate Teaching Fellow, CFT

Whether you have been teaching for two years or two weeks, it is no easy task to write about your teaching in an eloquent and persuasive way.  With this challenge in mind, this workshop will help you identify your core teaching values and use those values as a guide to determine the form you want your statement to take.  We will examine such questions as: What exactly is a teaching statement?  What purpose does it serve, and what does it look like?  How can I communicate my core values about teaching in an effective way?  This session is intended for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows preparing for the job market or who want to get a jump on that preparation. 

Please note: All participants in the "Teaching Statements" workshop will have the opportunity to receive feedback on their teaching statements in a follow-up session on September 18 from 4:10-5:30 in Calhoun 117. If you are interested in participating, please contact Laura Taylor.

9/13/06 Learner-Centered Course Design (for faculty only) (Teaching Workshop)
4:10pm – 5:30pm, Calhoun 117
Facilitators: Jeff Johnston, Assistant Director, CFT
Interested in designing a new course, or redesigning one you have taught for years?  This workshop will provide an overview of the basic elements of “backward” course design, with an emphasis on creating learning goals for your students.  We will also consider how to choose teaching strategies and learning activities that will move students toward meeting those goals, and what type of assessments will demonstrate that the goals are being met.  Join us for a discussion about course design that will provide a framework for designing and redesigning the courses you want to teach.

Please note: Participants in the "Learner-Centered Course Design" workshop are invited to join the Center for Teaching's Course Design Working Group as a follow-up to this workshop.

9/15/06 CV and Cover Letter Writing for Graduate Students (Academic Job Search Series)
12:10pm – 1:00pm, Sarratt 189
Facilitator: D’Lanna Mason, Career Adviser, Career Center
Participants will learn how to develop and prepare a Curriculum Vita for an Academic or Research position.  An introduction to cover letter writing will also be covered.

9/22/06 Teaching Portfolios (Academic Job Search Series)
12:10pm – 1:00pm, Sarratt 189
Facilitators: Derek Bruff, Assistant Director, CFT; Heather Rippetoe, Graduate Teaching Fellow, CFT
A teaching portfolio is one way of representing yourself as a teacher when applying for academic jobs.  What is the place of the portfolio in the academic job market today and how can you use one to highlight the strengths of your application?  What exactly should you put in a teaching portfolio and how should you go about constructing one?  In this workshop, participants will learn about possible components of teaching portfolios as well as effective ways of organizing these portfolios.  Participants will discuss the merits of several sample portfolios and have a chance to ask questions about their own portfolios. 

Please note: Participants in the "Teaching Portfolios" workshop are invited to attend a follow-up consultation session on Monday, October 2, 4:10-5:00 p.m., Calhoun 117, for those who want to receive individual feedback on drafts of their teaching portfolios.  If you are interested in participating, please contact Heather Rippetoe.

9/26/06 Designing Research Assignments (Conversations on Teaching)
(Co-Sponsored by the University Library)
4:10pm – 5:30pm, Calhoun 117
Facilitators: Melinda Brown, Instruction Coordinator, Central Library; Patricia Armstrong, Assistant Director, CFT

If you’ve ever wondered about why your student research papers aren’t as good as you’d expected or are worried about crafting a new research assignment, this interactive workshop is for you.  In it, we’ll look at actual assignments from a student’s perspective to determine what’s helpful and what’s not.  We’ll also discuss the necessary framework for conceiving of and developing a successful assignment: setting instructional goals, determining the skills students will use to complete the assignment, and identifying the resources that will be the most useful for them.  All participants will have the opportunity to participate in a 3-week working group in which they’ll develop a research assignment and receive feedback about it from colleagues, an instructional librarian, and a CFT consultant.

Please note: The second "The Ethics of Teaching" session, featuring different panelists, will be held on October 24.

9/28/06 Classroom Response Systems (Conversations on Teaching)
4:10pm – 5:30pm, Calhoun 117
Facilitators: Derek Bruff, Assistant Director, CFT
Panelists: Robert Roselli, Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Grace Zoorob, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry

A classroom response system (sometimes called an “audience response system” or “personal response system”) is a set of hardware and software that allows a teacher to pose a multiple-choice question to his or her students, students to submit their individual answers to the question electronically (using “clickers”), and the teacher to quickly analyze student responses.  These systems can be used to check for student understanding during class, encourage student participation and discussion, and teach in ways responsive to student learning needs.  This session will feature an overview and demonstration of these systems, and two faculty members who have used these systems will share their experiences teaching with them.

Please note: Stephen Buckles, Senior Lecturer in Economics, will host a “teaching visit”—an opportunity for faculty members to sit in on one of his Economics 101 classes, observe the ways in which he uses a classroom response system in his class, and meet with him afterwards to discuss the class and his use of a classroom response system. The teaching visit and discussion will be held on Wednesday, October 4, from 2:10 to 4:00 p.m.  

9/29/06 Interviewing for Academic Jobs: The Search Committee Perspective (Academic Job Search Series)
12:10pm – 1:30pm, Sarratt 189
Facilitators: D’Lanna Mason, Career Adviser, Career Center

Anticipating what to expect from the interview process can go a long way toward helping you succeed in the interview.  Come and learn from faculty members what to expect and how to prepare for the academic interview.  Topics to be addressed include: preparing to give a job talk, anticipating and handling questions, and maintaining your energy and staying fresh throughout the day.

10/4/06 Lectures that Motivate Learning (Teaching Workshop)
4:10pm – 5:30pm, Calhoun 117
Facilitator: Jeff Johnston, Assistant Director, CFT

In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore both the “why” and the “how” of lecturing.  What kind of material is best presented in lecture?  When might students learn more from exploring a topic through in-class work or an assignment than from listening to information about it in a lecture?  What should you keep in mind when preparing and delivering a lecture?  Designed for instructors new to lecturing or who want to reinvigorate their practice.

10/6/06 Talking about Teaching in Academic Job Interviews(Academic Job Search Series)
12:10pm – 1:30pm, Calhoun 218
Facilitators: Patricia Armstrong, Assistant Director, CFT; Changchun Liu, Graduate Teaching Fellow, CFT

While graduate students and post-docs receive ample opportunity and encouragement to present their research in forums such as departmental colloquia or national conferences, they rarely talk about teaching and pedagogy in such public settings. As a result, many graduate students and post-docs lack the preparation for speaking about their teaching in compelling terms when it counts the most: the job interview.  This workshop will give participants the chance to begin--or refine--that preparation and provide tools and resources for continuing that preparation up to the campus visit.

October 9-10, 2006

INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP SERIES
with LEE WARREN AND NANCY HOUFEK– HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Lee Warren is Associate Director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University, where she is a pedagogical coach for faculty and graduate students.  She works with them on group process issues individually, in workshops and seminars, and through videotape.  Lee also teaches in the Leadership Executive Programs at the Kennedy School of Government, and consults internationally with Cambridge Leadership Associates. 

Nancy Houfek is Head of Voice & Speech for the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University, where she teaches graduate courses in vocal production, coaches the professional acting company, and administers the M.F.A. in voice training pedagogy.  Nancy has presented workshops using theatre techniques for the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, the Harvard Medical School, the Kennedy School of Government, and the Radcliffe Fellows program, as well as for clients in the private sector. 

Lee and Nancy began their collaboration in 1997.  Their common interest and expertise in performance, teaching, and leadership led to working as a team with Harvard faculty through the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. Nancy joined Lee on the faculty of the Kennedy School of Government Leadership Educator’s Conference in 1999, and the idea for these workshops was born.  They continue their work with Harvard faculty and have been presenting to groups and conferences throughout the country.  

Powerful Presentations – Nancy Houfek
Monday, October 9th; 9:00 am – 11:00 am (light refreshments provided)
Alumni Hall 203

This workshop will give participants the opportunity to hone their public speaking skills.  In an interactive format, participants will learn techniques from the theater for increasing confidence and charisma, expanding vocal power, using effective body language, and dramatic strategies.  Additionally, they will learn how to bring structural clarity to the content of their speech, whether speaking spontaneously or with prepared remarks.  Finally, they will discover how Power Point can become a tool rather than a distraction, and explore the relationship between time, structure, and silence in order to most effectively land their points.  The session will include practice and individual coaching on how to improve performance.  

Diversity in the Classroom:  Race, Class and Gender – Lee Warren
Monday, October 9th; 11:15 am – 1:00 pm (boxed lunch provided)
Sarratt 189

In this discussion-based workshop, participants will use filmed case studies to explore the challenges and opportunities of teaching in the diverse classroom.  Participants will draw on their own experiences as students and teachers, as well as learn of research-based best practices and approaches.  Through these explorations, participants will develop strategies for working more effectively and more sensitively when addressing controversial topics, teaching classes with culturally diverse populations, or confronting charged situations. 

Strategic Performance – Lee Warren and Nancy Houfek

Faculty only - Monday, October 9th;  2:00pm – 5:00 pm (light refreshments provided)
Board of Trust Room, Student Life Center

Graduate Students/Post-Doctoral Fellows only - Tuesday, October 10th; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (light refreshments provided)
Alumni Hall 203

This workshop is designed to provide participants with skills to succeed in accomplishing their goals in negotiations and meetings.  Participants will be introduced to techniques that people in the theater and in leadership training understand about how to be effective.  They will learn how to articulate a clear purpose, land their message, be heard, enhance personal presence, depersonalize attacks, and manage hot moments.  Participants are asked to bring examples of past challenging negotiations or meetings. These moments are examined in the workshop through the use of role plays.  Discussion, coaching, and the replay of scenarios create a highly interactive, personal and powerful learning of the wide range of tactics available for success.  Participants will leave with an improved sense of how to think strategically about their professional challenges and leadership opportunities. 

Series co-sponsors: Center for Teaching; Center for Ethics; Office of the Provost; College of Arts & Science; School of Engineering; Peabody College; Opportunity Development Center; Graduate School; Career Advancement & Professional Development Program; Women’s & Gender Studies Program; African-American & Diaspora Studies Program; Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center; Departments of Anthropology, Communication Studies, Earth & Environmental Science, English, Physics & Astronomy, Sociology and Theatre; Office of Biomedical Research, Education & Training; Graduate Student Council; Graduate Development Network, University Lectures Committee.

10/24/06 The Ethics of Teaching (Part II) (Conversations on Teaching)
(Co-Sponsored by the Center for Ethics)
12:10pm – 1:30pm, Alumni Hall 205 (lunch provided)
Facilitators: Patricia Armstrong, Assistant Director, CFT; Charles Scott, Director, Center for Ethics
Panelists: Michael Bess, Chancellor’s Professor, History; Molly Miller, Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The goal of this series is to bring forward for discussion such questions as:  What values do faculty members seek to foster in their students by and through their teaching, and what approaches do they use in their classrooms to foster those values?  In what ways are the power and authority dynamics present in our classrooms ethical issues, and how do we work with them? Each session will feature two faculty members speaking for 15-20 minutes each, to be followed by an open discussion by all in attendance.

Please note: The first "The Ethics of Teaching" session, featuring different panelists, was held on September 27.

November

11/2/06 Teaching Problem Solving Skills (Teaching Workshop)
4:10pm – 5:30pm, Calhoun 117
Facilitator: Derek Bruff, Assistant Director, CFT

Problem solving and quantitative reasoning skills are important in a variety of disciplines, including mathematics, economics, engineering, and the sciences.  In this session, participants will analyze the skills and mindsets needed to solve problems in these disciplines by considering the different ways in which novices and experts solve problems.  Participants will also learn specific, concrete strategies for helping students solve problems and learn problem solving skills in a variety of teaching settings, including lectures, help sessions, and office hours.

11/07/06 Discussion Leading (Teaching Workshop)
4:10pm – 5:30pm, Calhoun 117
Facilitator: Allison Pingree, Director, CFT

Effective discussions can provoke profound learning, yet they also are particularly challenging to create and sustain. This workshop will use a discussion format to explore questions such as:

• How can I get a good discussion going, and keep it going?
  
• What can I do if a discussion falls apart?
  
• How can silence be productive?
  
• What can I do with students who dominate, or withdraw from, discussion?
  
• Should I grade discussion participation, and if so, how?
  
• How can I assess my own effectiveness as a discussion leader?

11/8/06 Teaching in the American Classroom (Conversations on Teaching)
4:10pm – 5:30pm, Calhoun 117
Facilitators: Jeff Johnston, Assistant Director, CFT; Changchun Liu, Graduate Teaching Fellow, CFT
Panelists: Nathalie Dieu-Porter, Senior Lecturer, Department of French and Italian; Florence Sanchez, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Soma Chaudhuri, Graduate Student, Department of Sociology; Srivatsan Pallavaram, Graduate Student, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Junkai Xu, Graduate Student, Department of Physics and Astronomy

Faculty and graduate student teaching assistants from different parts of the world often find much that is unexpected when they teach in an American classroom. In this Conversation on Teaching, several international faculty members and graduate students will share their experiences teaching in Vanderbilt classrooms, describing cultural and linguistic differences they have faced as well as strategies for overcoming these differences. Attendees will have the chance to discuss their experiences as teachers in American classrooms and ask questions of the panelists and other attendees.

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