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.
Skills Acquired: This workshop will identify five practical things you can do as a teacher or teaching assistant on the first day to establish a classroom climate that invites students to get the most out of your course.
Tuesday, September 9th 4:00 p.m. - Register for Zoom link here
Wednesday, September 17th 10:00 a.m. – Register for Zoom link here
Friday, September 26th 12:00 p.m. - Register for Zoom link here
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.
Skills Acquired: This workshop will introduce you to some strategies to both ignite and sustain student engagement.
Thursday, October 2nd 4:00 p.m. Register for Zoom link here
Friday, October 24th 12:00 p.m. Register for Zoom link here
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.
Skills Acquired: 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 6th 10:00 a.m. Register for Zoom link here
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.
Skills Acquired: 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.
Friday, November 7th 12:00 p.m. Register for Zoom link here
Thursday, November 27th 4:00 p.m. Register for Zoom link here
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.
Skills Acquired: This workshop will introduce you to some strategies to both ignite and sustain student engagement.
Tuesday, November 18th 10:00 a.m. Register for Zoom link here
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.
Scholarship Proposal Writing
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.
You can register for the workshop on the Student Success Portal.
The Zoom link for the workshop is included below. The Zoom link will also be emailed to all registered participants prior to the workshop.
https://wilfrid-laurier.zoom.us/j/98159986074?pwd=fBjl0NYr0QvjFKI2CM8wKAJsH6PxGo.1Thursday August 14 @ 10:30am-12pm Register here.
Scholarship Proposal Writing
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.
You can register for the workshop on the Student Success Portal.
The Zoom link for the workshop is included below. The Zoom link will also be emailed to all registered participants prior to the workshop.
https://wilfrid-laurier.zoom.us/j/95506522550?pwd=oVzkePowUfGsWT8JmuNt1LgqOMqgbN.1
Wednesday August 20 @ 2pm-3:30pm Register here.
Scholarship Proposal Writing
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.
You can register for the workshop on the Student Success Portal.
The Zoom link for the workshop is included below. The Zoom link will also be emailed to all registered participants prior to the workshop.
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 research gap or scholarly 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.
Writing Reflection Papers
In this ASPIRE workshop, students will develop tools and strategies to write critical reflection papers. The workshop will discuss common challenges students face when writing reflection papers, including how to relate their personal experiences to academic literature. By the end of the workshop, students will have a better understanding of how to write and structure their reflection papers. 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.
Interview Success for Graduate Students
Be prepared and ace your interview. What are employers really looking for from candidates? Join us as we discuss how to prepare for a successful job interview.
Skills acquired: Participants will learn how to identify and present your best qualifications, formulate effective answers to common interview questions and strategies to help reduce stress and maximize your performance.
Facilitator(s): Lisa Roy
Wednesday, August 6@1:00 p.m. (online via Zoom) Register here
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:
