Graduate Employee Teaching Support

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Graduate Employee Teaching Support

Graduate employees are vital to UO’s teaching culture. TEP supports graduate students in their various teaching roles through consultations, department discussions, workshops, and unique GE programs.

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Ongoing Support  |  Upcoming Events  |  Teaching Awards  |  Support for International GEs

Ongoing GE Support

These programs occur regularly throughout the year to support GEs in their teaching duties and develop their teaching skills. GEs can also always reach out to us for a consultation about specific challenges they are facing, new teaching ideas, or general questions about teaching pedagogy. Our consultations are confidential and can happen over phone, email, in-person, or via Zoom.

GE Success Newsletter

This newsletter offers support, opportunities, and information for GEs. Watch for it in your email at the start of each term and again at the mid-term.

Graduate Day of Teaching

Just before the start of each academic year, we host a day-long series of workshops for new GEs and returning GEs wanting to brush up on their teaching. Check out the Graduate Day of Teaching page.

Graduate Teaching Initiative

The Graduate Teaching Initiative (GTI) is a self-driven program to help GEs improve their teaching skills. You can learn more details about the GTI on its website, including how to sign up for the program.

Workshops

TEP and OU Online offers regular teaching workshops throughout the year. Visit our events page for details about our events and events hosted by our partners across campus. Events are (almost) always open to GEs, so don't hesitate to join us.

Need support outside of your teaching? The Grad OneStop page has a host of resources for GEs.

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AI generated image with Copilot. Initial prompt: "Can you please produce an abstract art piece based on the phrase 'teaching philosophy statement'?"

Resources of Interest

These resources on our website may be of particular interest to GEs.

Coordinating Teaching Teams
This page provides guidance for successfully collaborating with other GEs and your faculty supervisor across linked lectures, discussions, and labs.
Designing Discussions for Universal Participation
This resource outlines the components and principles that go into running effective discussions that invites all students in.
Canvas How-To Topics
Curious about how to create a Canvas announcement, how to setup a quiz, or to manage grades in Canvas? This page provides links to several how-to documents to help you navigate Canvas at the UO. 
Teaching in Turbulent Contexts Resource Guide
This guide identifies six principles that can help you lead your course in times of heightened complexity in the world outside your classroom.

 

GE Specific Events during Fall 2024

 

GTI Meet and Greet – October 8, 11am, Knight Library DREAM Lab
This event kicks off the GTI for this academic year. Join us to socialize, learn more about the program, and have some refreshments!  

 

TEP GE Drop-in Office Hours - Every Wednesday, 9:30-10:30am, Zoom (and some dates in person)
Bring your questions, share experiences, and problem solve with TEP consultants. We'll be on Zoom weekly (link to zoom room) and in person at the Knight Library Dream Lab on these dates: October 16, October 23, October 30, November 6, and November 13

 

Encouraging Active Listening - October 22, 10am, Knight Library DREAM Lab
Learn and practice the “Circle of Voices” discussion strategy, and several other techniques designed to increase broad participation, expand students’ range of views, and encourage active listening. Come for techniques you can apply right away to deepen dialogue in your class. 

 

Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement – October 29, 3pm, Zoom
A Teaching Philosophy Statement is a common application material when applying for faculty positions at a whole range of institutions. Join us to learn about their details and important tips for writing statements that will appeal to hiring committees. 

 

GE Teaching Awards

Kimble First-Year Teaching Award

The Kimble First-Year Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching by graduate student instructors who have demonstrated a commitment to inclusive, engaged, and research-informed practice. The annual ($500) prizes typically are awarded to one first-time lab or discussion section leader and to one first-time sole instructor. 

Learn More About the Kimble First-Year Teaching Award

The Graduate Teaching Excellence Award

This $1,000, one-time award recognizes outstanding teaching performance by experienced graduate employees (GEs) who have demonstrated a commitment to developing their instructional skills, while at the same time excelling in their academic degree program. Qualifying GEs will have at least 5 terms of experience as sole instructor, lab, or discussion leader. 

Learn More about the Graduate Teaching Excellence Award

Meet our 2024 Kimble First-Year Teaching Awardees!

Olivia Matsuoka

Olivia Matsuoka

Department of English

Olivia Matsuoka (she/her) holds Bachelor's degrees in English and Media Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's in Humanities from the University of Chicago. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the English department at the University of Oregon, where she is also pursuing a graduate certificate in New Media and Culture. Her professional backgrounds in advertising and digital marketing inform her current research interests in digital humanities, speculative fiction, and Asian American literary and cultural production. 

Luda Gogolushko

Luda Gogolushko

Communication and Media Studies

Luda Gogolushko is a disabled PhD candidate in the Communication and Media Studies program. As a qualitative, constructivist scholar, her disability-centered research focuses on media, communication, and technology within media effects, media psychology, and children’s media. She currently serves as a student representative for the Society for Disability Studies Board of Directors and is a 2024-2025 AEJMC-MCSD Diversity and Inclusion Career fellow. Prior to joining UO, she studied Communication and Recreation at California State University of Northridge. 

 

Support for International GEs

 

Our GE Day of Teaching contains a specific session for international GEs of strategies and tips for teaching at UO. 

Working with the Division of Graduate Studies and the GTFF, we will continue to roll out support structures for international GEs. Keep an eye on this space!

Need More Information?

Please contact us with any questions about TEP services or programs that support Graduate Employees. We are here to help!

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