Invest in your future and earn the Aspire Certificate, which is designed to complement your academic program by providing opportunities to develop a range of skills and competencies.
To earn the certificate, complete five workshops in at least two Aspire pillars.
Learn more details about the Aspire Professional Development Certificate.
Some of the workshops are self-directed on MyLearningSpace. First, register for the workshop by selecting "Self Registration," then select the workshop, and select "Register."
Take charge of your personal well-being. Our workshops provide you with the skills to manage your time, mental health, and work-life balance. Foster self-awareness and mindfulness in your personal, scholarly, and professional life.
All sessions are virutal, 1 hour in length and open to all students.
Our teaching development workshops offer transferrable teaching skills and foundational teaching knowledge that can be used for both the classroom and the workplace. Learn about different pedagogies and hear from experienced staff and colleagues as they reflect on their experiences and share their knowledge.
All sessions are 90 minutes in length.
Self-paced Microsoft Stream recorded workshops:
Rock the First Day
Want to spark student interest, motivation and collaboration? This workshop will identify five practical things you can do as a teacher or teaching assistant on the first day (or any day thereafter) to establish a classroom climate that invites students to get the most out of your course. Students form an impression of you and your expectations on your first day of class. This is your opportunity to learn how to rock that first impression!
Didn’t connect with your students on the first day? These tips can be utilized beyond the first day as well. The strategies provided are equally helpful as ongoing tools to implement, reflect on, and revise throughout the term.
Thursday September 12th 10AM – 11:30AM Click here to register
Monday September 16th 2PM – 3:30PM Click here to register
Providing Student Feedback and Feedforward
For teaching assistants, recognizing how and when to provide feedback to learners can be a tricky task. Concerns about how much and the quality of the feedback provided is fundamental to students’ success. In this introductory session, participants will spend time exploring the complexity of providing guidance to learners as a TA and explore the idea of feedforward to support ongoing student development.
Thursday September 26th 10AM – 11:30AM Click here to register
Sparking Student Engagement
Does the room go quiet when you ask questions? Do you see blank stares when you try to get students talking? Knowing how to actively engage your students to enhance their learning is an important skill. This workshop will introduce you to some strategies to both ignite and sustain student engagement.
Thursday October 10th 10AM – 11:30AM Click here to register
Providing Student Feedback and Feedforward
For teaching assistants, recognizing how and when to provide feedback to learners can be a tricky task. Concerns about how much and the quality of the feedback provided is fundamental to students’ success. In this introductory session, participants will spend time exploring the complexity of providing guidance to learners as a TA and explore the idea of feedforward to support ongoing student development.
Monday October 21st 2PM – 3:30PM Click here to register
Sparking Student Engagement
Does the room go quiet when you ask questions? Do you see blank stares when you try to get students talking? Knowing how to actively engage your students to enhance their learning is an important skill. This workshop will introduce you to some strategies to both ignite and sustain student engagement.
Monday November 4th 2PM – 3:30PM Click here to register
Reflecting on your Teaching
You taught, now what? You’ve spent the past semester or two teaching in various capacities (teaching assistant, instructional assistant, lab coordinator, course instructor, etc.). So where do you go from here? How do you take the knowledge and experience that you’ve gained from teaching this year and carry it forward to your next teaching opportunity?
Come reflect on your teaching and debrief with us. We can talk through what went really well, areas that you’d like to improve and swap teaching stories. In joining this session, graduate students will also have the opportunity to connect with their peers across campus and learn from one another.
Thursday November 21st 10AM – 11:30AM Click here to register
Reflecting on your Teaching
You taught, now what? You’ve spent the past semester or two teaching in various capacities (teaching assistant, instructional assistant, lab coordinator, course instructor, etc.). So where do you go from here? How do you take the knowledge and experience that you’ve gained from teaching this year and carry it forward to your next teaching opportunity?
Come reflect on your teaching and debrief with us. We can talk through what went really well, areas that you’d like to improve and swap teaching stories. In joining this session, graduate students will also have the opportunity to connect with their peers across campus and learn from one another.
Monday December 9th 2PM – 3:30PM Click here to register
In any academic or professional environment, strong communication and leadership skills are critical. Perfect your writing and oral presentation skills with help from specialists in the field.
On-going self-paced learning on MyLearningSpace:
Details for each session and registration links can be found on the Graduate Tab of the Writing Service Workshop site.
ASPIRE: Scholarship Proposal Writing Workshop
In this 90-minute workshop, you will develop the tools to write effective scholarship proposals. Working from samples of winning graduate student proposals (from OGS, SSHRC, and NSERC grants), we will examine common features of successful research statements, and you will learn how to apply these writing strategies in your own proposal. This workshop is targeted to Master’s and PhD students in all disciplines. The Zoom link for the workshop is included below. The Zoom link will also be emailed to all registered participants prior to the workshop. You can register for the workshop on the Student Success Portal.
ZOOM link for September 23: https://wilfrid-laurier.zoom.us/j/97249655310?pwd=2jBPHn1BQDIdhrZmEOwRAf6os8SaAm.1
ASPIRE: Writing Literature Reviews
Graduate students are often tasked with writing a literature review during their coursework or graduate studies. This workshop will provide MA and PhD students with strategies on how to organize, structure, and write a literature review. We will also discuss how to frame your literature review around a scholarly gap or research problem. The Zoom link for the workshop is included below. The Zoom link will also be emailed to all registered participants prior to the workshop. You can register for the workshop on the Student Success Portal.
Move successfully into your next career phase. ASPIRE workshops, run by Career Centre professionals, can help you to market your transferable skills, build your resumé, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile, and network and interview with confidence, among many other skills.
All sessions are virtual on Zoom.
Career Planning for Master’s + PhD Students & Postdoctoral Fellows
Whether you have clear ideas about your career path or are still wondering what is next for you, this workshop will allow participants to learn how to gather relevant information, insights, and resources to explore opportunities and how to develop a plan to get there.
This session will introduce practical strategies and resources to assist you in conducting the necessary self-reflection and research to identify ideal work environments, optimal job satisfiers and realistic goals for pursuing an academic or post-academic career.
September 18, 5pm - 6:30pm Register in Navigator to receive the Zoom link.
September 20, 9:30am -11:00am Register in Navigator to receive the Zoom link.
Resumé & Cover Letter Writing for Master’s + PhD Students & Postdoctoral Fellows
Have you updated your employment documents lately? What are employers looking for in resumés and cover letters? Do you have to target your resumé? Do you even need a cover letter?
Participants in this workshop will learn tools and strategies to present your relevant qualifications effectively and connect your skills, experiences and abilities to a target job.
September 27, 9:30am - 11:00 am Register in Navigator to receive the Zoom link.
CV Writing for Academic Jobs for Master’s + PhD Students & Postdoctoral Fellows
Interested in a career in academia or research?
Participants will learn the unique purpose, format and guidelines for creating an effective Curriculum Vitae (CV), as well as clarify the main distinctions between a resumé and a CV.
October 4, 9:30 am -11:00 am Register in Navigator to receive the Zoom link.
Resumé & Cover Letter Writing for Master’s + PhD Students & Postdoctoral Fellows
Have you updated your employment documents lately? What are employers looking for in resumés and cover letters? Do you have to target your resumé? Do you even need a cover letter?
Participants in this workshop will learn tools and strategies to present your relevant qualifications effectively and connect your skills, experiences and abilities to a target job.
October 9, 5:00 pm -6:30 pm Register in Navigator to receive the Zoom link.
LinkedIn for Master’s + PhD Students & Postdoctoral Fellows
In today’s professional context, an online presence is essential.
Participants in this workshop will learn about tools and strategies to build your LinkedIn profile, represent yourself professionally, maximize your career research and build your online networks.
October 23, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Register in Navigator to receive the Zoom link.
Network with Confidence for Master’s + PhD Students & Postdoctoral Fellows
Networking is one of the best things you can do for your career. Not sure where to start?
Participants will learn how to network online, build your elevator pitch, develop a professional reputation, and gain strategies for conducting informational interviews.
October 25, 9:30 am - 11:00 am Register in Navigator to receive the Zoom link.
Register in Navigator to receive the Zoom link.
Research is a huge component of many Masters, PhD and Postdoctoral Fellow programs. Workshops in our research pillar can help you to complete the work that you are doing at Laurier and help prepare you for future research opportunities. Through workshops ranging from how to develop a research question, to managing your data, our research experts will teach you how to translate your technical work for non-specialist audiences.
Self-paced MyLearningSpace modules:
