Graduate students will have the opportunity to learn how to teach and search for jobs more effectively at the First Annual Teaching Weekend, Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Education Building rooms 347 and 351.
The single day seminar, planned by the Graduate Student Senate will include 12 workshops including syllabus design, leadership in the classroom, job-searching, vitae writing, eliminating discrimination in the classroom, getting students involved in class, managing online classes and teaching in different educational institutions.
“In all cases, there is a great need for anybody to have professional development,” said Nicky Damania, graduate assistant in the Center of Multicultural and Academic Initiatives for LGBTA-Q Programs. Damania, who will be teaching the anti-discrimination workshop, added that Teaching Weekend will be a good opportunity for graduate students who teach to develop their instructional skills, through the very small commitment of a few hours.
Graduate students will be able to attend a maximum of six workshops, as two are offered at the same time during each hour of the program.
At 2 p.m. there will be a question and answer session with a panel of four current teaching assistants.
The event will be free for University students and $10 for any guests who attend. Lunch will be provided.
According to Damania, the GSS — which hosted Thesis and Dissertation Weekend last semester — hopes that Teaching Weekend will be successful in its first year of existence.
“I think that it is important for graduate students to have this kind of opportunity when their academic training may not provide them with some of the skills needed to teach in the classroom,” said Carolyn Duven, GSS Programming Chair.
The weekend’s workshops will be taught by a variety of different people on campus including representatives from Career Services, the Office of Residence Life and the College Student Personnel Program.
“We were not limited to people in the education realm or people who have been directly related to Graduate Student Senate,” Duven said. “We went all over to look for people to present.”
According to Duven, the workshops are not only for graduate students who teach.
“It’s not just for TA’s,” she said. “It is also for all graduate students on campus. For example, I do not have a teaching assistantship, but I’m going to the conference, not only because I’m running it, but because I’m interested in learning about these things.”
Duven hopes the outcome of Teaching Weekend will be a new annual program for the GSS.
“I think that this will be a very beneficial program on campus, and that if it is successful once, hopefully it will just build in years to come,” Duven said.
“Especially after reading some of the topics that people are presenting, stuff that I never would have thought about, I think it will be really important and really good for the graduate students on this campus.
“It will be a good opportunity for them to have a connection and something to do every year around this time.”
Editor’s Note:: To pre-register for Teaching Weekend, graduate students can go to the Graduate Student Senate office, in Union room 401 or wait until the event to register on-site. The GSS office can be contacted at 419-372-2426.
