Teaching Resources for Graduate Teaching Assistants and Instructors
The Toolkit for New Teachers is a collection of short articles focused on many of the questions and concerns that new instructors often have. We also offer individual consultations for any instructor who would like guidance for being an effective instructor or teaching assistant. GTA’s and graduate student instructors are also invited to our teaching-focused workshops for faculty and instructional staff.
Future Faculty and Teaching Development Program (FFTDP)
Description: CATLOE, under the auspices of the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, offers the Future Faculty and Teaching Development Program (FFTDP) to help prepare University at Albany graduate students for their future roles as faculty members. The FFTDP is a long-term program (designed to be completed over 2 or more years) to help graduate students develop the skills requisite for good teaching practice, prepare for the academic job market, and prepare for a successful transition to faculty careers. The program includes three courses that help students prepare for the variety of roles and responsibilities of a faculty member and provide the opportunity and space for students to start exploring their broader career goals. Given that most faculty at any institution (whether teaching or research-oriented) spend a great deal of their time on teaching, particularly in the first year, the program engages participants with the scholarship of teaching and learning so that they become more confident and efficient teachers. This program complements existing departmental professionalization programs on campus, while at the same time making it possible for students in departments that do not have such programs to prepare for the role of college or university faculty member.
Requirements: The FFTDP has two key elements: coursework and workshop attendance. To fulfill the coursework requirement, participants must successfully complete all three of the Courses in Teaching and Professional Development described below (Seminar in College Teaching, Preparing for the Professoriate, and Becoming a Reflective Teacher). To complete the workshop requirement, participants must either (a) attend 3 short (75-120 minute) teaching-focused workshops (listed as “Workshops for Faculty and Instructional Staff”) or (b) participate in 1 multi-day Instructional Leadership Academy. Consult ITLAL’s workshop schedule to learn more.
Admission: To be eligible for admission to the FFTDP, students must (1) be enrolled in a terminal degree program at UAlbany and (2) have completed at least one of the courses in teaching and professional development listed below. Interested students should submit this short program application.
Completion: At the conclusion of the program, participants will receive a letter from ITLAL as well as a transcript notation attesting to their successful completion of the program requirements.
Courses in Teaching and Professional Development
The courses listed below are required for completion of the FFTDP but are also open to students who are not enrolled in the program. Each course is offered once a year and may be taken for 0-1 credit hours. Regardless of which credit option the participant chooses, the course will appear on their transcript. All courses are graded S/U. Courses are offered under the numbers listed below, and all courses require a permission number. Contact us to request a permission number.
- Seminar in College Teaching (ACAS 601/RPAD 590/RPOS 611): This course is offered each fall. Most faculty have never been taught to teach, and it is easy to believe that it takes natural talent to be good at it. But great teachers are great because they approach teaching as systematically as they approach their research: they study empirical evidence, apply it thoughtfully to their own teaching, and reflect on how it affects their students. You will take that approach in this class as you design a course using the research we have about human learning and motivation. That research shows that undergraduate students are capable of learning, will work hard, and bring valuable knowledge and experience to courses that are well designed. If you are planning a career in academe, teaching will take up large amounts of your time, even at research institutions. Our course will help you make the most of that time, so that teaching can be energizing and rewarding for you and your students!
- Preparing for the Professoriate (ACAS 602/ RPAD 591/RPOS 612): This course is offered each spring. New faculty often find themselves struggling as they get started in their career. They may not have understood what the faculty role really required, or they expected their new institution to be like the research school where they received their graduate training (and so were unprepared for a different setting). This doesn’t have to happen to you. We’ll let you in on secrets about how to be a quick starter in academe—secrets that will not only make you more effective on the job market, but will set you on the path to tenure! In this course, you will examine the different kinds of faculty careers open to you, prepare for the academic job market, and put together a plan to hit the ground running as a new assistant professor ready to balance the research, teaching, and service required to start your trajectory toward a satisfying career.
- Becoming a Reflective Teacher (ACAS 603/RPAD 592/RPOS 613): This course is offered each fall. Even if you aren’t yet on the market, you should be already thinking about how you will communicate your teaching skills to busy (and sometimes grumpy) search committee members. For both the job market, and eventually for tenure, you will need to concisely articulate your values and strengths as a teacher and be ready to provide evidence to show that these guide your classroom practice. In this course, you will work with your colleagues to thoughtfully reflect on your beliefs and practices as a teacher, and work together to refine the documents that will eventually become your teaching portfolio (and serve as an initial draft of what may become your tenure portfolio!).
Individual Consultations
Members of the CATLOE staff are available to consult with you about the academic job market and your career trajectory. We can help you with effective documentation of your teaching; preparation of cover letters, CVs, and teaching statements; preparation for interviews; responding to offers; developing a faculty mindset; and more! Contact us to schedule a consultation.
Workshops
Each fall and spring semester, we offer several workshops focused on preparing for the academic job market. Check our Events and Workshops page for information and to register for upcoming workshops.