Adam Beaver, Director of Pedagogy, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning
Chloe Chapin, Assistant Director, Course Development, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning

As a graduate student, you may be asked to teach a course outside of your primary area of expertise—whether in a department or program different from your own, or in the Program in General Education. This can be a daunting prospect, but effective teaching ultimately is not just (or even primarily) about mastering or communicating a specific body of content...

Adam Beaver, Director of Pedagogy, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning

What is a scholar in your discipline actually doing when they are “reading"? How did you learn to perform all of the moves that an effective reader performs? How can you help your students learn to do the same? In this session we will break down what it really means to “read” across our scholarly disciplines. We’ll deconstruct our own disciplinary reading practices, and brainstorm how students new to a discipline can learn to become more skilled readers in it. We’ll consider what novice...

Ashlie Sandoval, Assistant Director, Equity and Inclusion, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning

Equitable and inclusive teaching requires that we (1) identify how social dynamics and systemic inequality pose barriers to advancing student learning and well-being and (2) develop practical strategies to address these dynamics in our classrooms and pedagogical approaches. In this session, we’ll start by considering common challenges to fostering equitable and inclusive learning environments. Then, we’ll explore an array of strategies to skillfully...

Anza Mitchell, Assistant Director, Science Pedagogy, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning

How do we design our courses so that all students can engage in meaningful learning experiences? The goal of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is to intentionally design the learning environment from the start (rather than waiting for accommodation requests) to reduce barriers for students. In this workshop, we’ll explore ways to apply key principles of UDL to the design of courses. We’ll provide examples of how instructors can design activities and...

Tamara Brenner, Executive Director, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning

How do students construct and organize knowledge? What strategies help students retain information and apply their knowledge to new situations? What factors influence student motivation? In this workshop, we will explore key ideas about what we know about how students learn and discuss strategies that you can apply to your own teaching.

This session is part of the Fall Teaching Conference, which is designed to prepare new and experienced graduate student teachers for...

Are you interested in connecting with other international PhD students and practicing your English in a friendly, informal setting? Join our discussion group! International PhD students have the opportunity to connect with each other and our...

Led by Ashlie Sandoval

Research has shown that students who feel that one of their instructors cares about them as a person during their time at college feel more excited about their coursework and experience improved well-being. Unfortunately, in a national survey, only about 27 percent of college graduates reported having had such a faculty member (Gallup Inc., and Purdue University, 2014 ). In this online reading group, we will consider strategies that instructors can use to cultivate supportive relationships with their students as well as build a community of care in the...

Led by Adam Beaver

Are you on or near the job market? Enthused or concerned about the prospect of assembling a teaching portfolio, writing a syllabus, or giving a teaching demonstration? Wondering what, exactly, a “teaching philosophy” is, and how you get one? While Harvard hopefully has given you opportunities to practice and receive feedback on your teaching, it is often the case that your career as a TF is shaped by forces beyond your control: that is to say, that you’ve taught in courses, in modalities, and with assignments set by someone else, which may or may not reflect...

Led by Anza Mitchell

Do you want to design problems that will help your students develop their critical thinking skills and understand your course content better? In this seminar, you will learn to develop learning objectives and craft problem sets and questions that both engage and challenge students. Through a combination of discussions and hands-on activities, we will explore the principles of problem design as well as best practices in running problem-based sections. We will practice and get feedback on teaching the problems that we create. This seminar is designed for PhD...

Led by Pamela Pollock and Rebecca Miller Brown

What can new TFs do to get ready for the first day of class and beyond? In this seminar, you will practically prepare to teach for the first time, learn about resources available to you as you begin your teaching career, and build confidence in the process! We will help new TFs explore best practices for traditional section teaching. We will follow the arc of the semester; each session will be devoted to a teaching topic, including the first day of class, inclusive teaching, lesson planning and delivery, and giving and receiving...

Led by Ashlie Sandoval

How can you skillfully address race in the classroom, accounting for the multiple identities that students hold? How do you facilitate classroom discussions that center race without perpetuating racial harm? In this practice-based seminar, we’ll read articles from scholars working on the intersections of mindfulness and race and practice different mindfulness techniques. Drawing on scholarship and our own experiences, we’ll learn to craft learning scenarios that process hard moments instead of circumventing challenging discussions. We’ll explore how to...

Led by Jonah Johnson

In the best learning experiences, feedback between students and instructors happens early and often. Many writing assignments, by contrast, only involve feedback “after the fact,” with the understanding that it can only be implemented on the next assignment. In this seminar we’ll offer a better model for assignments, where feedback is ongoing and the writing is scaffolded, well-sequenced, and iterative. The seminar will be a hands-on workshop, combining real-life models and discussion of best practices to unpack what “doing a writing assignment” means at...

Led by Sarah Emory

How can you become a more clear and organized communicator? Do you struggle to convey your ideas clearly, either while writing or speaking? In this seminar, we will consider typical classroom oral and written tasks and develop strategies to improve English grammar, fluency, and coherence. Through activities like writing summaries and emails, giving presentations, and sharing feedback, you will build awareness of your language choices and practice strategies to improve accuracy and comprehensibility. This seminar is designed for those who speak English as an...