Welcome Week Preview: Workshops to help ease your start of the fall semester
UM instructors and graduate students are invited to join CETL the week of August 19 for a series of workshops to help you prepare for the start of classes on August 26.
When calendars turn to August, our thoughts begin turning to the start of the fall semester. Over the summer, the CETL team has put together a series of events for the upcoming Fall 2024 semester that we hope will support instructors with the things we hear requested most—including a series of workshops we’re running August 19-23, all designed to help faculty prepare for the first day of classes on August 26.
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s to come for the University of Mississippi community. Keep scrolling to learn more.
Who Are Our Students? happening Monday, August 19, 3:00-4:00 pm via Zoom.
Graduate Teaching Orientation, happening Tuesday, August 20, 9:00 am-4:00 pm at the Jackson Avenue Center (JAC). This event is specifically for graduate students, especially those who have teaching assistant/instructor of record duties in the upcoming academic year.
Crafting Your Syllabus, happening Wednesday, August 21, 3:00-4:00 pm via Zoom.
Making the First Day Count: Setting the Stage for an Engaged Class, happening Thursday, August 22, 3:00-4:00 pm via Zoom.
Who Are Our Students?
Date: Monday, August 19, 3:00-4:00 pm
Location: Zoom
Presenter: Emily Pitts Donahoe
One of the cardinal rules of teaching is “know thy students.” So, who are the students at the University of Mississippi? In this session, we’ll take a deep dive into the demographics of our students here at UM, and at US colleges more generally, and then consider how this information can inform our teaching in the fall and beyond. This workshop is ideal for new faculty but appropriate for anyone who wants to learn more about the undergraduate population at the University of Mississippi.
Register for Who Are Our Students? (UM affiliates only)
Graduate Teaching Orientation
Date: Tuesday, August 20, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location: Jackson Avenue Center
Presenters: Emily Pitts Donahoe, Amitesh Singh, Winshen Liu, Josh Eyler, Liz Norell
Hosted by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in collaboration with the Graduate School, Orientation will help you establish your role as TA or instructor, provide an introduction to UM students and university teaching, and give you the tools to teach and assess effectively, no matter your discipline. At the end of the Orientation, we’ll take the time to answer all your questions about teaching here at UM.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided for those who pre-register.
Please check with your department to ascertain whether attendance at Orientation is required or recommended for its graduate students. The Orientation is open to all graduate students, whether or not it is required by your department.
Register for Graduate Teaching Orientation (UM graduate students only; registration closes August 13)
Crafting Your Syllabus
Date: Wednesday, August 21, 3:00-4:00 pm
Location: Zoom
Presenter: Josh Eyler
Is a syllabus a description of course content? An invitation? A provocation? A set of goals? A promise? It’s all of these, and much more. In this workshop, we’ll talk about the role of a syllabus in setting the tone for your semester and in shaping your engagement with students. We’ll also share the template for syllabus policies developed by CETL to make your life (and the work of creating a syllabus) so much easier!
Register for Crafting Your Syllabus (UM affiliates only)
Making the First Day Count: Setting the Stage for an Engaged Class
Date: Thursday, August 22, 3:00-4:00 pm
Location: Zoom
Presenter: Liz Norell
Learning works best when it's fun--and that's true for faculty, too. This dynamic and engaging workshop will give you ideas on how to lay a solid foundation for an engaging learning environment all semester, right from the first day. You'll peek into the thoughts your students are bringing into the classroom that day, why it's critical to spark joy and create community from the start, and leave with specific ideas for how to implement this in your own class. Plus, you'll renew your excitement, too!
Register for Making the First Day Count (UM affiliates only)