CAT is pleased to provide workshops, reading groups, and other programming and services designed to support graduate students in their teaching. Whether you are an experienced teaching assistant looking for additional professional development opportunities or completely new to teaching, we have a variety of events to connect you with inspiring colleagues and develop your pedagogical skill set.
Required TA Training
If you are looking for the Essential Policies & Practices for TAs, a fully online training required for Categories 1–5 TAs who need to get certified to teach, please see our webpage for upcoming training offerings and more information.
Workshops
CAT teaching workshops are interactive sessions (typically 1.5 to 2 hours) led by a CAT facilitator or other subject matter expert. In addition to providing opportunities to learn about effective approaches to teaching, they are also opportunities to discuss ideas with other graduate students across disciplines. The following are our current workshop offerings:
Learning Design
This interactive workshop will help participants design effective learning experiences of any length, from courses to modules to class sessions. First, we’ll discuss adopting a learning-centered approach to teaching, in which instructors shift their focus from covering content to facilitating learning. Then, we’ll practice using a backward design process to set learning goals for students, design and align assessments, and make good use of class time by providing students with opportunities for practice and feedback. We hope you can join us for this fundamental workshop that helps lay the foundation for the rest of the TDP. We look forward to working with you!
Facilitators: Zach Lloyd, CAT Teaching Consultant & Caity Bente, Program Manager: TA Training & Professional Development
- Email: teaching-assistants@fsu.edu
Date/Time (2 options):
- Tuesday, January 21st, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. OR
- Thursday, January 23rd, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
*These are the same session with two date options; you do not need to attend both dates.
Location: Strozier Library Bradley Reading Room
Register Here: https://forms.office.com/r/MdcMXQKQxu
Providing Feedback for Learning
In this interactive workshop, we will discuss implementing timely feedback that supports students’ learning. We will consider different types of feedback and the timing of feedback within a course. We will also identify the qualities of effective feedback and design feedback that helps students make progress toward course goals. We hope you can join us for this feedback-focused workshop. We look forward to working with you!
Facilitator: Zach Lloyd, CAT Teaching Consultant
- Email: teaching-assistants@fsu.edu
Date/Time (2 options):
- Wednesday, January 29th, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Dirac Conference Room (216) OR
- Thursday, January 30th, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Scholar’s Commons Reading Room (Strozier Library)
*These are the same session with two date options; you do not need to attend both dates.
Register Here: https://forms.office.com/r/gXnnN4ATaw
Gathering and Responding to Student Feedback
What do you do with the information students provide in their course evaluations at the end of every semester? How do you sort through their comments to create an actionable plan to make meaningful changes to your next course? What if you also asked for feedback before the end of the course? In this workshop, we will discuss ways to gather more feedback from your students before the end-of-course evaluations and explore ways to enact positive change in your courses based on the feedback you gather!
Facilitator: Zach Lloyd, CAT Teaching Consultant & Caity Bente, Program Manager: TA Training & Professional Development
- Email: teaching-assistants@fsu.edu
Date/Time: Monday, February 3rd, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Scholar’s Commons Reading Room (Strozier Library)
Register Here: https://forms.office.com/r/RSMeKLtxhh
Project Design
Many courses include projects—whether papers, presentations, proposals, videos, social media campaigns, or something else—that provide opportunities for students to develop skills while producing original work. In this interactive workshop, we’ll help you design projects that engage students in the kinds of thinking you’d like for them to do, and that help them to produce the kinds of work you’d like to see. We will identify key principles for designing and implementing projects within your courses to maximize students’ learning, and you will get practice in writing a project description that communicates your project’s design to students in a transparent and motivating way.
Facilitators: Zach Lloyd & Darcey Liang, CAT Teaching Consultants
- Email: teaching-assistants@fsu.edu & zlloyd@fsu.edu
Date/Time (2 options):
- Thursday, February 6th, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Dirac Conference Room (216) OR
- Friday, February 7th, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Scholar’s Commons Reading Room (Strozier Library)
*These are the same session with two date options; you do not need to attend both dates.
Register Here: https://forms.office.com/r/iLhtbch0yh
Activity Design
In this interactive workshop, we will discuss how to create opportunities for students to learn actively during class. In-class activities are opportunities to for students to develop knowledge and skills, and to interact with peers, which has both cognitive and social-emotional benefits. Participants will set priorities for what their students need to practice, share active learning strategies, and plan for effective facilitation. We hope you can join us as we think about making the most of our class time with students. We look forward to working with you!
Facilitators: Jen Bartman, CAT Senior Associate Director & Caity Bente, Program Manager: TA Training & Professional Development
Email: teaching-assistants@fsu.edu
Date/Time (two options):
- Thursday, March 20th, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. OR
- Friday, March 21st, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
*These are the same session with two date options; you do not need to attend both dates.
Location: TBA
Register Here: https://forms.office.com/r/6Tk2U0Bsnq
More Spring Workshops on Motivation and other crucial teaching topics coming soon — bookmark this webpage and check back regularly for updates!
Reading Groups
Reading groups are a great opportunity to connect with colleagues across disciplines and discuss great books about teaching and learning. Groups typically meet three times (approximately 1.5 hours each session) across three consecutive weeks and are led by a facilitator from CAT. Reading groups are a relaxed, discussion-focused environment that encourages participants to share their experiences and questions on the book topics.
See below for upcoming reading group offerings:
How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching Dates: Tuesdays – 1/28, 2/04, 2/11
Time/Location: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Strozier Library Bradley Reading Room on 1/28 & 2/04; Strozier Graduate Instruction Classroom 005 on 2/11
Facilitator: Caity Bente, CAT Program Manager: TA Training & Professional Development
- Contact: teaching-assistants@fsu.edu
Book Availability: E-book, available for free through FSU’s librariesDescription: The newly updated edition of this important book translates decades of scientific literature into practical advice, introducing eight general principles of how people learn. The authors draw on cognitive, developmental, and social psychology, as well as educational research, anthropology, etc. The discussion spans issues from memory to motivation, integrating theory with real classroom examples. Participants will develop strategies for strengthening their own teaching through the application of these principles of cognitive psychology.
Registration: https://forms.office.com/r/uy4FCGaB07
Please Note — These reading groups are for graduate students only. If you have questions about a particular reading group, please email the facilitator listed for that reading group. More reading groups for Spring coming soon!