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Workshops and Events
These events and workshops serve as not only professional development resources, but as a chance to expand your understanding of various pedagogical approaches, build a cross-disciplinary community, and share knowledge with peers and professional staff and faculty.
Upcoming Programming
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 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.
Upcoming sessions:
Jan. 11 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Register to join on Zoom
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.
Facilitators: Rammy Saini and Karen Lochead
Upcoming sessions:
March 9 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Register to join on Zoom
Are you writing a job or teaching award application and been asked to submit a dossier? Teaching dossiers, or portfolios, are a way to communicate your teaching abilities and goals for future teaching to your intended audience (yourself, peers, committee members). Dossiers are also a useful tool that you can use to improve your skills as a teacher through self-reflective practices.
This workshop will introduce you to the key components of a dossier and why starting a dossier early will help lead you to success in the years to come. You’ll also be supported in thinking about your teaching philosophy and provided with tips on how to start writing an effective teaching statement.
Upcoming sessions:
Wednesday, Jan. 25 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Register to join on Zoom
Thursday, April 27 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Register to join on Zoom
Teaching statements are utilized in academic job applications and teaching award submissions as a way to communicate who you are as a teacher, the beliefs you hold about teaching, the evidence you have of how your beliefs are put to practice, and the impact you’ve had on students.
In this session, students will bring a working draft of their statements to be reviewed by a peer for feedback on both areas of strength and areas in need of growth. Students will benefit from having insights from peers outside of their disciplines. Applications are often reviewed by non-specialists so having non-specialists review your teaching statement can help strengthen the quality and clarity of how you communicate your teaching skills and abilities. Students will also be supported by an Educational Developer in this session.
Bring your draft, bring your questions and get your teaching statement submission-ready!
Requirement: An outline or first draft of your statement is required. It does not need to be a finalized or perfect draft!
Facilitator: Educational Development
Upcoming session:
Thursday, Feb. 2 from 1 to 2 p.m. in the following locations:
- Peter’s Building, room P224, Waterloo campus
- Carnegie Building, room CB100, Brantford campus
To register: email developyourteaching@wlu.ca expressing your interest in attending and for further instructions.
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.
Facilitator: Educational Development
Upcoming session:
Tuesday, April 11 from 2 to 3 p.m. on Zoom
Register to Join on Zoom
Develop Your Teaching Spotlight Series
After many years as a student, learning to teach can feel intimidating. The best way to develop your teaching is by learning from others and reflecting on your teaching practice.
This series for Laurier graduate students will feature educational developers and instructors who will share their knowledge and experiences about teaching and learning. Each session will introduce you to a different speaker and a different realm of teaching and learning so you can reflect on your own teaching – both where you are and where you’d like to be. Questions and discussions are encouraged.
The Develop Your Teaching Spotlight Series is free and open to all graduate students, regardless of their teaching experience.
Facilitator: Rammy Saini, Educational Developer
Date: Wednesday, March 29
Time: 12 to 1 p.m.
This term’s Spotlight is Rammy Saini, an Educational Developer who also helps support graduate student teaching at Laurier. She will begin her talk by speaking to students about the importance of inclusive pedagogy (why does it matter?) and share insights on the impact that more inclusive teaching practices can have on student engagement and motivation. She will also reflect on her own experiences with teaching at the college and university levels on topics related to Britain and the world in the 19th century and South Asian migrants.
Students at the session will have an opportunity to ask their teaching-related questions either during registration or at the talk. Students will be encouraged to listen, reflect and, if willing, share their own experiences with inclusive teaching!
Questions are encouraged and can be submitted in advance during registration.