At our Bok Graduate Community Celebration on April 28, we were excited to honor this year’s Teaching Certificate recipients and all of the graduate students who engaged in our programming over the past year. Students from Bok Seminars, the Professional Communication Program for International Teachers and Scholars, and Bok Fellows programs joined us to share their experiences and connect with fellow graduate students.
The Bok Teaching Certificate gives PhD students a tangible marker of their ongoing commitment to developing as teachers in higher education. Guided by three principles—Learn, Practice, Reflect—those who pursue the Certificate explore different topics in teaching and learning through departmental pedagogy courses and Bok Seminars, reflect on their own teaching practice, and compile a portfolio of written materials documenting their experience.
So far this year, 34 students have received the Bok Teaching Certificate and 7 students have completed the Bok Certificate in Teaching Language and Culture.
This year’s cohort of Teaching Certificate recipients really showcase the Bok Center’s values and highlight that teaching is a continuous process of learning and a highly collaborative endeavor. Teaching Certificate recipients reflected on their experience in the program:
“Pursuing the Bok Teaching Certificate has allowed me to reflect upon how I understand my role as a ‘teacher.’ The seminars have allowed me to develop new skills and to practice and receive feedback on skills I work to strengthen in the classroom; to evaluate the function of various assignments, assessments, and feedback in my courses; and to reflect on my motivations for teaching.”
“I have learned so much about teaching, but more importantly, now I have a framework from which to think about, discuss, and research it in the future.”
“I was so glad to meet students outside of my school at Harvard and was able to meet students interested in improving their teaching practice from across the university. Each student brought their own unique expertise and experiences, which made the program more enriching. It was great to learn in such a collaborative and diverse environment.”
Do you want to learn more about completing the Bok Teaching Certificate? Check out our Teaching Certificate webpage, visit the Teaching Matters Gallery, or meet with us to discuss your teaching goals!