# Teaching Matters What can you learn from teaching? Why should you engage with the Bok Center? Our Teaching Matters gallery celebrates the value of teaching and showcases insights from PhD students who have engaged with us. Jump to: [Student Reflections](#student-reflections) | [Teaching Matters Video Series](#teaching-matters) | [Teacher-Scholar Spotlights](#spotlights) ## I gained excellent feedback from the staff at the Bok Center but also my fellow PhD students. **Aniket De** History, Teaching Certificate Recipient 2021-22 [Hear more from Aniket chevron\_right](https://vimeo.com/766553985/4242faeaf0) ![](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/shadowbok/files/jonas-jacobsson-0frj2scuy4k-unsplash.jpg?itok=VC25H--Q) "Reflecting on the many resources offered by the Bok Center that I have been able to take advantage of throughout the course of my six years at Harvard, I am grateful for the rich variety of support that they have provided me. **Through courses and individual consultations on a breadth of documents and media, I believe I have become a more self-reflective, flexible and sensitive teacher**, better equipped to address the needs of my students, and more confident in my ability to adapt to those needs as they necessarily will change over time." **- Elaine Fitz Gibbon, Music, Teaching Certificate Recipient 2022-23** ![Pedagogy Fellow Longlin Wang teaches a mini-lesson to his peers.](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_1_1__480x480/public/shadowbok/files/53107454080_252d8cc62f_c.jpg?h=bbaf680c&itok=w8Xi61t9) ### On Community "It helps to **be part of a community of teachers/learners** so that we can learn from each other and support one another. I, as a teacher, **always continue to learn and grow,** and **reflection** is an important part of this process." \- **Naohito Miura**, Religion, Teaching Certificate Recipient 2022–23 ### On Professional Communication "The Professional Communication Program for International Teachers and Scholars in particular connected me with other international students, providing a **safe space to share struggles and discoveries** while adapting to a new environment." \- **Haoxue Fan**, Psychology, Teaching Certificate Recipient 2023–24 ### On the Video Consultation "The video consultation allowed me to **experiment with some of the ways I approach complex material** to make it more easily accessible to students and gave me useful pointers on how to **facilitate deep conversation between students** when presenting difficult or emotional material." \- **Randa Wahbe**, Anthropology, Teaching Certificate Recipient 2023-24 "I recall being extremely nervous prior to my class video recording and right before my meeting with the Pedagogy Fellow, but he quickly eased the tensions by setting the stage for how the consultation would proceed. To this day, **I can recall the three guiding questions he asked to support me as I took a more active and reflexive role in improving my pedagogical practices and philosophy:** 1. **What are your learning goals for your students?** 2. **How did you use class time in pursuit of those learning goals?** 3. **How did it go?** These questions are simple, yet powerful because they encourage a teacher to focus on the most important objectives." **- Derek Robey, Sociology, Teaching Certificate Recipient 2022–23** ![53107245069_c0e1882242_c.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_1_1__480x480/public/shadowbok/files/53107245069_c0e1882242_c.jpg?itok=Yp8szFZB) ### On the Video Consultation "One of the most useful parts of the Teaching Certificate was the video consultation. **The level of detail I received from the Pedagogy Fellow was incredibly useful,** as it went beyond how I transmitted the content of the course, or how well prepared I was on that particular day." \- **Greta Galleoti**, Classics, Teaching Certificate Recipient 2023-24 ### On Teaching and Research "I have come to recognize that **effective teaching is inherently intertwined with scholarly inquiry**, as it entails not only disseminating existing knowledge but also fostering a culture of intellectual curiosity and inquiry." \- **Chengyu Fu**, Government, Teaching Certificate Recipient 2023–24 ### On Professional Communication "The seminar Public Speaking for International Teachers and Scholars provided me with the tools to **communicate more effectively**, not just in the classroom, but in any scholarly or professional setting." \- **Yaowei Li**, Environmental Science and Engineering, Teaching Certificate Recipient 2023–24 --- ## Teaching Matters Video Series In this video series we set out to showcase the value of teaching at a research institution. We interviewed faculty, graduate students, and recent PhDs from across the FAS about the impacts of teaching on them, their students, and the broader community; about the skills they’ve gained and developed; and how they see the connection between teaching and research. ### Teaching Matters What can you learn from teaching, as you think about your goals and your future career? The skills you develop as a teacher, such as communicating clearly, engaging different audiences, and working on a team, are a crucial part of your professional development. ### Teaching & Research How does your teaching inform your research, and vice versa? While teaching and research may seem like separate activities, they are really two sides of the same coin; the skills you learn in each domain will help you with the other. ## Teacher-Scholar Spotlight [### November 2024 Teacher-Scholar Spotlight: Naohito Miura ](/news/teacher-scholar-spotlight-naohito-miura) October 31, 2024 Welcome to the newest edition of our Teacher-Scholar Spotlight, illuminating PhD students’ insights on teaching and learning! Each month we’ll share the experiences of PhD students who have engaged in Bok Center programming and what they’ve learned about... ![Naohito Miura](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2024-10/profile%20naohito%20copy_0.jpg?h=7c1e3064&itok=OmLEVKc6) [### October 2024 Teacher-Scholar Spotlight: Cana F. McGhee ](/news/teacher-scholar-spotlight-cana-f-mcghee) October 01, 2024 Welcome to the newest edition of our Teacher-Scholar Spotlight, illuminating PhD students’ insights on teaching and learning! Each month we’ll share the experiences of PhD students who have engaged in Bok Center programming and what they’ve learned about... ![Cana McGhee](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/headshot_green_sweater.jpg?h=72af1d2d&itok=qptgy9B_) [### September 2024 Teacher-Scholar Spotlight: Veronica Peterson ](/news/teacher-scholar-spotlight-veronica-peterson) September 03, 2024 Welcome to the newest edition of our Teacher-Scholar Spotlight, illuminating PhD students’ insights on teaching and learning! Each month we’ll share the experiences of PhD students who have engaged in Bok Center programming and what they’ve learned about... ![Veronica Peterson](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2024-10/Peterson%20headshot.jpg?h=edb2384e&itok=AoflVc1P) [### June 2024 Teacher-Scholar Spotlight: Alexia Simon ](/news/teacher-scholar-spotlight-alexia-simon) June 03, 2024 Welcome to the newest edition of our Teacher-Scholar Spotlight, illuminating PhD students’ insights on teaching and learning! Each month we’ll share the experiences of PhD students who have engaged in Bok Center programming and what they’ve learned about... ![Alexia Simon](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/shadowbok/files/alexia_simon.jpeg?h=ffa20cb0&itok=deOzVe0i) [ More Spotlights arrow\_circle\_right ](/news/news-items/teacher-scholar-spotlight)