The Graduate Student Conversations on Teaching program is a new CTE offering designed to provide a space for currently teaching graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to reflect on their teaching in conversation with peers from across the university. These are informal discussions, and participants are welcome to attend as few or as many of the sessions as they would like.
Two sessions have been scheduled for Fall 2022, with more to be added based on participant interest.
Fall 2022
Class Discussion and Participation
Wednesday, September 21, 2:00-3:00 p.m. (O'Neill 250 or via Zoom)
One of the most common teaching questions we hear in the CTE is “How can I get more students to participate?” — with instructors defining participation in myriad ways. Whether you’re interested in facilitating more lively class discussions, ensuring students come to class prepared, or seeking to encourage greater student ownership of their own learning, it can be a challenge to motivate broad student participation in and out of class. In this session, we’ll talk about the barriers we see to student participation in our classes this semester and brainstorm strategies to encourage greater student engagement. Registrants will be sent a brief reading several days prior to the session that will provide some initial framing for the discussion. However, everyone is encouraged to bring their own ideas and questions related to the topic.
When registering, participants can indicate whether they will attend in-person or remotely. Facilitators may convert the session to fully remote if too few participants indicate in-person attendance. Please register by Friday, September 16.
Grading Effectively And Efficiently
Thursday October 6, 1:00-2:00 p.m. (O'Neill 250 or via Zoom)
Grading is often one of the least enjoyable parts of our roles as instructors, but it is an incredibly important component of the learning process for our students. In this session, we’ll share ideas for how to more effectively manage our grading load while still providing useful guidance to students about their progress. Participants are encouraged to bring their own grading challenges to the session for us to discuss.
When registering, participants can indicate whether they will attend in-person or remotely. Facilitators may convert the session to fully remote if too few participants indicate in-person attendance. Please register by Monday, October 3.
Accommodation Requests
The Center for Teaching Excellence is committed to providing equal access to its events and programs. Individuals with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations or who have questions about physical access may contact centerforteaching@bc.edu.