We support graduate student TAs in their teaching

These services and resources are available to all graduate students at Carnegie Mellon.
Using these services and resources is free and does not require any prior or current teaching experience.

All of the Eberly Center's Services are:

Strictly confidential

We do not disclose any information from our consultations. This includes the identities of those with whom we work, the information they share with us, and data we gather on their behalf via classroom observations and inter- actions with TAs and students.

Documented for your purposes alone

We provide written feedback to the colleagues with whom we consult that summarizes and documents the consultation process. We do not write letters of support for reappointment, promotion or tenure, but faculty can choose to use our documentation as they see fit.

Voluntary

We do not seek out faculty or graduate students, but we are happy to meet with anyone who contacts us.

Participate in teaching seminars

During the fall, spring, and summer semesters, we offer a seminar series that covers a variety of topics related to teaching, learning, and professional development as an educator. These seminars are interactive and synthesize teaching strategies and the research studies that support them.

Attending these seminars is free and does not require any prior or current teaching experience. However, space in these seminars is limited so you must register in advance.

Upon request, the Eberly Center can also present more tailored seminars for graduate students in an individual department or program. If you are interested in arranging this type of seminar, please contact the Coordinator of Graduate Programs

99-701: College and University Teaching

The Eberly Center occasionally offers 99-701: College and University Teaching—a 6-unit, pass/fail course—that introduces graduate students to the topics of course and syllabus design, assessment, and instructional activities. The course appears on the official Carnegie Mellon transcript.

Talk one-on-one about teaching

Graduate students are encouraged to meet one-on-one with a consultant to ask questions, discuss ideas, and get feedback on any aspect of teaching. Some of graduate students’ most common motivations for a one-on-one consultation include:

Preparing to TA or teach a course for the first time
Trying a new assignment, activity, or technology
Responding to a difficult or challenging teaching situation
Creating or revising a syllabus
Distributing and responding to early course evaluations and end-of-semester evaluations
Getting feedback on a teaching statement or teaching portfolio

Contact the Eberly Center if you would like to talk one-on-one with a consultant about any aspect of teaching.

Get feedback on your teaching

Inviting someone to observe you as you teach and give you feedback afterward is one of the most effective ways to develop and gain insight into your teaching. The Eberly Center offers two types of opportunities for graduate students to receive feedback on their teaching: classroom observations and microteaching workshops.

Classroom Observation

When you request a teaching observation, an Eberly colleague observes your class – whether it is a lecture, discussion, lab, studio, recitation, or some other format. An observation is voluntary and confidential. [ more... ]

Microteaching Workshop

During the fall, spring, and summer semesters, we offer several microteaching workshops that give graduate students the opportunity to receive immediate peer feedback on their teaching. Each participant presents a five-minute (“micro”) lesson on a concept or term from his or her discipline and receives friendly, constructive feedback from the other participants and the two Eberly consultants who lead the workshop. The lessons are videotaped, and participants are encouraged to meet one-on-one with one of the Eberly consultants to watch and discuss the video of their own lessons. Graduate students must register for a microteaching workshop in advance.

Learn about our Future Faculty Program

What is the Future Faculty Program?

The Future Faculty Program helps graduate students develop and document their teaching skills in preparation for a faculty career. Participants in this program learn the principles of effective course design and pedagogy through our seminars, receive feedback on their teaching through observations, and apply what they have learned in completing a course design project as well as an individualized project of their choosing.

What will I gain from completing the program?

In addition to the intellectual benefits of completing the program, graduate students who complete the program receive a transcript of their Eberly Center activities (e.g., seminars attended, observations completed) as well as a two- to four-page letter that describes their work with the Eberly Center. This letter is written by the Coordinator of Graduate Programs and is addressed to the student. It lists the seminars completed, provides significant details from classroom observations, and discusses the course design and individualized projects. These documents can be used to strengthen a teaching portfolio or job application, and the letter can be given to potential employers in lieu of a recommendation. We have heard from alumni of the program that these documents gave them a significant advantage in the academic job market.

If you do not complete the program requirements, you can still download a transcript of your Eberly Center activities.

What are the requirements for completing the program?

The four requirements are:

Seminars. You must attend at least six core seminars (pdf) and at least ten seminars overall. These interactive seminars cover a wide range of topics on teaching and learning. Completing the 99-701: College and University Teaching course or attending an Eberly Center seminar for your department or program may substitute for a portion of these seminars.
Classroom observations. You must complete two classroom observations. You may substitute your participation in a microteaching workshop for one of these teaching observations.
A course design project. You must create or substantially revise a syllabus for a course that you expect to teach at some point in your academic career. This may be a course for which you have served (or will serve) as the TA or instructor. An Eberly Center consultant will provide advice and feedback to help you plan the course and produce a syllabus that reflects the principles of effective course design.
An individualized project. You must complete an individualized project that is relevant to your teaching interests, demonstrates a substantial commitment of thought and effort, and is accompanied by a short reflection on the pedagogical rationale underlying the project. The two most common types of projects are: (1) developing a set of instructional materials (e.g., assignments, lecture slides, rubrics) for a course that you expect to teach at some point in your academic career or (2) creating a teaching portfolio. Other types of projects are possible, and all projects must be approved in advance by the Coordinator of Graduate Programs

How long does it take to complete the requirements?

Completing the Future Faculty Program requires time and effort across several semesters. The amount of time it takes to complete the program depends on individual circumstances—for example, the availability of teaching opportunities that are appropriate for observations as well as time commitments that do not conflict with attending seminars.

There is no specific order in which you must complete the requirements, but most graduate students find it helpful to attend a few seminars before beginning either of the projects.

We encourage you to meet with the Coordinator of Graduate Programs to make a plan for completing the requirements that addresses your particular circumstances and needs.

How do I enroll in the program?

You can enroll in the Future Faculty Program by emailing the Coordinator of Graduate Programs. You can choose to enroll in the program at any time, and any Eberly Center activities that you have already participated in can be used to satisfy the program requirements.

You can still use the Eberly Center’s services and resources even if you are not enrolled in the Future Faculty Program.

What happened to the Documentation of Teaching Development Program?

The Future Faculty Program was formerly known as the Documentation of Teaching Development Program. The new name more accurately reflects the program’s focus on preparing graduate students for academic careers that involve teaching, and the requirements for the course design and individualized projects have been clarified to reflect this focus.

Explore resources on teaching

If you are interested in exploring resources on teaching and learning, the following are especially appropriate and highly recommended for graduate students at Carnegie Mellon.

Available via web

Collected Wisdom:
Strategies and Resources from TAs for TAs

The Eberly Center has collected teaching strategies and advice from experienced Carnegie Mellon TAs and instructors across the disciplines in Collected Wisdom: Strategies and Resources from TAs for TAs (pdf). This publication offers more than 200 teaching strategies, pedagogical rationales for applying and adapting these strategies, quick-reference checklists, and answers to common questions about other resources for teaching and learning at Carnegie Mellon.

Guidelines for Teaching Portfolios

The Eberly Center has developed Guidelines for Teaching Portfolios (pdf), which graduate students who are nominated for teaching awards or who intend to apply for post-graduation jobs that involve teaching will find helpful. In addition to providing an overview of the purpose and components of a teaching portfolio, sample documents from Carnegie Mellon faculty’s teaching portfolios across several disciplines are included.

The Eberly Center web site

The Eberly Center web site offers in-depth information on a wide variety of topics related to teaching and learning. The sections that graduate students tend to find most helpful are Teach Your Course, which covers instructional activities and classroom management, and Solve a Teaching Problem Tool, which helps identify possible reasons for teaching problems as well as strategies tailored to these reasons. Graduate students who are creating or revising a syllabus will also find the Design Your Course section helpful.

Available via print

How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching

by Susan Ambrose, Michael Bridges, Michele DiPietro, Marsha Lovett, and Marie Norman

Organized around the Eberly Center’s learning principles, How Learning Works explains the research studies in which these principles are grounded and includes several teaching strategies that support each principle. The research studies are presented accessibly and the examples are drawn from a variety of disciplines, making this an excellent resource for graduate students who are interested in learning more about the research underlying effective teaching practices.

Tools for Teaching

by Barbara Gross Davis

Tools for Teaching covers the most common topics related to teaching and learning, such as planning a course, leading discussions, giving lectures, grading, and using different types of technology in the classroom. Relevant teaching strategies and activities are included in each chapter. This resource is especially helpful for graduate students who are new to teaching or to specific types of activities (e.g., discussions, lectures, group activities).

McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers

by Marilla Svinicki and Wilbert J. McKeachie

McKeachie’s Teaching Tips provides short overviews and related strategies on a large number of topics, ranging from grading to group-based learning to teaching large classes. The thirteenth edition was published in 2010, but any recent edition will be a helpful reference for graduate students interested in breadth rather than depth.

Enter myEberly

Register for seminars and workshops
Cancel your registration for seminars and workshops
View the seminars and workshops that you have attended
View the observations and consultations that you have completed
View the requirements that you have completed for the Future Faculty Program
Download a transcript of your Eberly Center activities