ITeach: Certification in Higher Ed Inc.
Are you a graduate student or early career academic who is driven to excel in your studies and pursue a career as an academic? Then this blog is for you. You'll join 100s of others that I have helped enhance their teaching abilities, gain a competitive edge in the academic job market, and become a well-rounded educator. You will be provided with insights, strategies, and resources to help you become an effective and respected educator within your discipline.
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Humanizing Deep Learning
Hello Reader, What happens when you ask over 68 graduate students and post-docs to share their experience and thoughts about teaching and learning in higher education? On August 7, 2026, ITeach held its annual Graduate Students/Post-docs Teaching in Higher Education: Empowering the Next Generation of Instructors Conference with 288 unique participants, who maintained attendance throughout the whole day. The conference began with a thought provoking keynote by Ian Jarvis, a PhD Candidate in...
READ POSTCourse Portfolios: Your constant companion
Hello Reader, “The portfolio serves as a guide or map. I can see more clearly where I have been, where I want to be, and have better ideas about how to get there.” Cerbin, 1994, p. 104 Have you heard of a course portfolio? When teaching, the course portfolio provides a space for you to reflect on the course and student learning so that you critically assess your course and formulate ideas for improvement. If you do not assess your courses, then you risk repeating inefficient assessment and...
READ POSTGraduate Students/Post-docs Teaching in Higher Education Conference: Empowering the Next Generation of Educators
Hello Reader, If you are someone who is interested in teaching, then you will want to attend the Graduate Students/Post-docs Teaching in Higher Education Conference: Empowering the Next Generation of Educators. At this virtual gathering, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who are actively engaged in teaching within higher education, either as sessionals/adjuncts, teaching assistants(TA), or other teaching-type positions, will share valuable teaching strategies. When: Friday, August...
READ POSTCommon challenges with gathering feedback from students
Hello Reader, What are the common challenges when gathering feedback from students? When gathering feedback from students, you can face some challenges. This guide will help you overcome common issues with student feedback. 1. No constructive feedback: Even though everyone loves to hear how well they did, if you do not receive any feedback that indicates that students have critically reflected on their learning and the course structure, then that feedback is not useful to you. 2. Low response...
READ POSTWhy seeking feedback about your teaching is absolutely crucial to your career
Feedback is the cornerstone of progress, hence why seeking feedback about your teaching is so important. It provides you with an opportunity to reflect, learn, and grow. Therefore, gathering effective teaching feedback is absolutely crucial. It acts as a mirror, giving you a clear picture of your teaching methods, strategies, and interactions. However, the key to obtaining feedback is to do so consistently throughout the course. Only gathering end-of-term feedback is insufficient. Aim to...
READ POSTWhy seeking feedback about your teaching is absolutely crucial to your career
Feedback is the cornerstone of progress, hence why seeking feedback about your teaching is so important. It provides you with an opportunity to reflect, learn, and grow. Therefore, gathering effective teaching feedback is absolutely crucial. It acts as a mirror, giving you a clear picture of your teaching methods, strategies, and interactions. However, the key to obtaining feedback is to do so consistently throughout the course. Only gathering end-of-term feedback is insufficient. Aim to...
READ POSTInstructional Skills Workshop
Dear Colleagues, Are you interested in enhancing your instructional skills, for in-person and online teaching? If so, then you definitely want to take the Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW). Over four days, through an experiential learning-centered instructional program, you will engage with asynchronous lessons then come together synchronously on Zoom to teach a 10-minute mini-lesson to peer colleagues. You get immediate feedback about your teaching from trusted peers guided by skilled...
READ POSTInviting Peers to Observe Your Teaching
Do you want to harness the power of peer observation to enhance your teaching? In this post, we explore how to attain access to valuable learning conversations about teaching with peers, and the depth of reflection that comes from engaging in peer observations. Having a colleague take a student’s perspective of your teaching provides you with opportunities to have learning conversations about teaching (Hubball & Clarke, 2011). These can be extremely helpful in generating new ideas. More...
READ POSTStudent Feedback: How to Get the Most from Students
Different ways to obtain feedback from students Keep the focus on getting feedback about students’ learning and how your course structure and teaching supported their learning. Early fast feedback Within the first two weeks ask students if they can find everything they need, have any questions about expectations, and other logistical questions. The goal is to alleviate any stress points immediately. Mid-term Ask about their learning and for specific details about how the course has supported...
READ POSTThe Power of Reflection
Key elements of an effective reflective practice “One of the hardest things teachers have to learn is that the sincerity of their intentions does not guarantee the purity of their practice” (Brookfield, 1995, p. 1). Reflection is the process of scrutinizing experience (Kolb, 1984). To effectively reflect on your teaching, it is recommended that you do so from different perspectives – this is the core process behind reflective practice. Reflect on the following as it relates to your teaching...
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