Professional Development Workshops

Learn ways to interpret end-of-course evaluations so they can be a helpful tool for reflecting on your teaching and also as a resource for generating new ideas for change (e.g., continuous improvement). 

November 5, 4:00-5:30 p.m.; Albright Entrepreneurship Garage Classroom

Facilitated by the Director of Teaching Programs in the Graduate School, this is a multi-part discussion session series for graduate students and postdoctoral research scholars focused on questions, issues and challenges regarding the use of generative AI in teaching and learning (e.g., classroom). As a group, we will also explore perspectives and potential opportunities for how AI tools can enhance instructional strategies and student engagement. Please join us for this engaging, interactive learning experience!

November 6, 4:00-6:30 p.m.; Graduate School Conference Room 2328

Learn ways to interpret end-of-course evaluations so they can be a helpful tool for reflecting on your teaching and also as a resource for generating new ideas for change (e.g., continuous improvement). 

November 7, 11:00-12:30 p.m.; Zoom

Discover how AI is transforming the way work gets done. Learn practical tips and real-world examples you can use to streamline your workflow and see how these tools are applied across industries.

November 7, 1:00-2:00 p.m.; Zoom

Contact colleagues at NC State and beyond with tact and ease! In this workshop, you will gain strategies for crafting effective professional emails. Participants will practice and discuss strategies for: organizing a professional email message, making inquiries and requests, and creating a professional tone or voice in email.

November 7, 2:00-3:00 p.m.; Zoom

Time is something that there never seems to be enough of. However, there are ways to manage one’s time wisely, and this is an important skill to have as a graduate student or postdoc. Join Dr. Rhonda Sutton, Assistant Dean in the Graduate School, as she shares ways to engage in effective time management strategies.

November 12, 12:00-1:00 p.m.; Zoom

Understanding how to communicate in different situations ranging from academic to professional contexts is an essential skill in one’s professional development. In this interactive workshop, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars will be able to practice their speaking skills in the types of conversations expected within and outside of academia such as presentations or informal networking conversations. Additionally we will discuss best strategies to create effective verbal and nonverbal communication when encountering new communication situations as they arise. 

November 12, 3:00-4:30 p.m.; Graduate School Conference Room 2328

Your graduate degree shows you can take on hard challenges and master complex concepts. Your soft skills show you can do it alongside others – collaborating, communicating, and making an impact. Learn from a recent PhD student on the importance of your soft skills and how to leverage them for the workforce.

November 14, 1:00-2:00 p.m.; Zoom

How would you describe your teaching philosophy to someone who has never observed your teaching? In this workshop, you’ll learn strategies for distilling the most important elements of your teaching philosophy and expressing it in a clear, succinct narrative. We will also consider how it can be used to highlight your strengths when applying for academic teaching positions. 

November 19, 4:00-5:30 p.m.; Albright Entrepreneurship Garage Classroom

How would you describe your teaching philosophy to someone who has never observed your teaching? In this workshop, you’ll learn strategies for distilling the most important elements of your teaching philosophy and expressing it in a clear, succinct narrative. We will also consider how it can be used to highlight your strengths when applying for academic teaching positions. 

November 21, 11:00-12:30 p.m.; Zoom

Get an inside look at how to navigate and thrive in a dynamic corporate environment. Learn from a data scientist’s perspective about building transferable skills, leveraging professional development opportunities, and setting yourself up for success in any industry.

November 21, 1:00-2:00 p.m.; Zoom

Are you a new Graduate Teaching Assistant? Embarking on your journey as a graduate student instructor can be both exciting and daunting. This workshop is designed to equip you with the essential strategies and confidence needed to navigate your first day of teaching undergraduate students.

December 5, 11-12:30; Zoom

This workshop discusses dynamics pertaining to teaching in the college classroom and presents pedagogical strategies for promoting student success such as Active Learning and Retrieval Practice.

December 9, 4-5:30; Zoom

The two-day In-Person Writing Retreat Sprint will provide graduate and postdoctoral writers with dedicated time and structure to make progress on a major writing project, as well as resources for writing strategies. Guest speakers will additionally discuss campus writing and research resources.  This event requires a $40 registration fee.

December 16, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Wilson College of Textiles, Convocation Center Room 2225

December 17, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Wilson College of Textiles, Convocation Center Room 2225

This workshop discusses dynamics pertaining to teaching in the college classroom and presents pedagogical strategies for promoting student success such as Active Learning and Retrieval Practice.

January 14, 4-5:30 p.m.

Create solidly grounded learning experiences for your students by ensuring that course objectives are aligned with assessments and learning activities. To do this, we will look at evidence-based methods such as Backward Design and engage in analyzing and discussing examples.

January 21, 4-5:30 p.m.

Create solidly grounded learning experiences for your students by ensuring that course objectives are aligned with assessments and learning activities. To do this, we will look at evidence-based methods such as Backward Design and engage in analyzing and discussing examples.

January 23, 11-12:30 p.m.; Zoom

Looking to engage your students? Explore strategies for promoting student engagement through methods such as pair-and-share, social annotation, collaborative projects and interactive polling.

January 28 4-5:30 p.m.

The TA Teaching Studio is a place where current or prospective Teaching Assistants can gain practical teaching experience by doing short, microteaching demonstrations. Not only will you have the opportunity to enhance and sharpen your own teaching skills, but you’ll also deepen your understanding and knowledge by seeing your peers and offering constructive feedback to them. In addition, Studio participants receive feedback in a constructive, supportive environment.

January 29 4-5:30 p.m.; Zoom

How do you assess student learning? In this workshop, you will learn about different approaches to assessment. You’ll also learn about rubrics and how they can help promote consistency and efficiency in your grading.

February 11, 4-5:30 p.m.

How do you assess student learning? In this workshop, you will learn about different approaches to assessment. You’ll also learn about rubrics and how they can help promote consistency and efficiency in your grading.

February 13, 11-12:30 p.m.; Zoom

Communicating your experiences in a cover letter can be a daunting task no matter the context. The Graduate School will offer a workshop that will include a review of the basics of cover letters for a variety of situations, including job and grant applications. We will focus on writing strategies to convey your confidence in your writing and practice how to write about transferable skills for different kinds of cover letters. 

February 13, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.; Zoom

Strive to create a learning environment that accommodates and welcomes all learners by learning about approaches such as Universal Design for Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching.

February 18, 4-5:30 p.m.

Strive to create a learning environment that accommodates and welcomes all learners by learning about approaches such as Universal Design for Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching.

February 20, 11-12:30 p.m.; Zoom

The TA Teaching Studio is a place where current or prospective Teaching Assistants can gain practical teaching experience by doing short, microteaching demonstrations. Not only will you have the opportunity to enhance and sharpen your own teaching skills, but you’ll also deepen your understanding and knowledge by seeing your peers and offering constructive feedback to them. In addition, Studio participants receive feedback in a constructive, supportive environment.

February 26, 4:30-6 p.m.

How do you deal with Artificial Intelligence as a Graduate Teaching Assistant? What classroom policies should you have regarding questions of academic integrity? In what ways can generative AI be used to support the processes of teaching and learning? We’ll explore these questions and related issues in this interactive, discussion-focused workshop.

February 27, 11-12:30 p.m.; Zoom

Games can be an excellent means for promoting student engagement. Learn how game design principles can be applied in learning environments and different examples of how these can be implemented in your classroom.

March 4, 4-5:30 p.m.

Games can be an excellent means for promoting student engagement. Learn how game design principles can be applied in learning environments and different examples of how these can be implemented in your classroom.

March 6, 11-12:30 p.m.; Zoom

This workshop aims to provide some of the core fundamentals for effectively mentoring undergraduate students. You will explore key topics such as building supportive mentor-mentee relationships, setting realistic goals, offering constructive feedback, and fostering academic and personal growth.

March 11, 4-5:30 p.m.

This workshop aims to provide some of the core fundamentals for effectively mentoring undergraduate students. You will explore key topics such as building supportive mentor-mentee relationships, setting realistic goals, offering constructive feedback, and fostering academic and personal growth

March 13, 11-12:30 p.m.; Zoom

Learn ways to interpret end-of-course evaluations so they can be a helpful tool for reflecting on your teaching and also as a resource for generating new ideas for change (e.g., continuous improvement).

March 25, 4-5:30 p.m.

The TA Teaching Studio is a place where current or prospective Teaching Assistants can gain practical teaching experience by doing short, microteaching demonstrations. Not only will you have the opportunity to enhance and sharpen your own teaching skills, but you’ll also deepen your understanding and knowledge by seeing your peers and offering constructive feedback to them. In addition, Studio participants receive feedback in a constructive, supportive environment.

March 26, 4:30-6 p.m.

Learn ways to interpret end-of-course evaluations so they can be a helpful tool for reflecting on your teaching and also as a resource for generating new ideas for change (e.g., continuous improvement).

March 27, 11-12:30 p.m.; Zoom

How would you describe your teaching philosophy to someone who has never observed your teaching? In this workshop, you’ll learn strategies for distilling the most important elements of your teaching philosophy and expressing it in a clear, succinct narrative. We will especially think about how it can be used to highlight your strengths when applying for academic teaching positions.

April 1, 4-5:30 p.m.

How would you describe your teaching philosophy to someone who has never observed your teaching? In this workshop, you’ll learn strategies for distilling the most important elements of your teaching philosophy and expressing it in a clear, succinct narrative. We will especially think about how it can be used to highlight your strengths when applying for academic teaching positions.

April 3, 11-12:30 p.m.; Zoom

Do people say that your communicate style is too wordy? In this interactive Concise Communication (formerly Concise Writing) workshop, we’ll address the challenge of building clear, concise sentences that represent your science to diverse stakeholders. Using Richard Lanham’s famous “Paramedic Method” and other approaches, participants will leave the session with strategies for “user-friendly” sentences in reports and other areas of workplace communication.

April 3, 12:00-1:30 p.m.; Zoom

April 2, 4:30-5:30 p.m. est.

Modality: Virtual, NC State only

Topic: Imposter Syndrome

April 9, 4:30-5:30 p.m. est.

Modality: Virtual, NC State only

Topic: Professionalism

In this two part workshop, we address the challenges of conveying your research story in a persuasive way for technical and nontechnical stakeholders. We will focus on various structures of writing across STEM and humanities fields to include organization and interpretation of results. These will include technical/non-technical reports, results & discussion sections or articles and theses, and similar types of writing projects.

April 10, 12:00-1:30 p.m.; Zoom

April 17 12:00-1:30 p.m.; Zoom

April 10, 1-2 p.m. est.

Modality: Virtual (Open to all NC State and non-NC State graduate students)

Topic: TBD

April 16, 4:30-5:30 p.m. est.

Modality: Virtual, NC State only

Topic: Relationship Management

The TA Teaching Studio is a place where current or prospective Teaching Assistants can gain practical teaching experience by doing short, microteaching demonstrations. Not only will you have the opportunity to enhance and sharpen your own teaching skills, but you’ll also deepen your understanding and knowledge by seeing your peers and offering constructive feedback to them. In addition, Studio participants receive feedback in a constructive, supportive environment.

April 16, 4:30-6 p.m.

April 23, 4:30-5:30 p.m. est.

Modality: Virtual, NC State only

Topic: Networking 101

April 24, 1-2 p.m. est.

Modality: Virtual (Open to all NC State and non-NC State graduate students)

Topic: TBD