The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning offers three tiered teaching credentials to graduate students who complete a series of activities (including workshops, observations, consultations, and reflections) designed to improve their teaching. The credentials are self-paced and open to any graduate student in the UM community.
The goals and requirements of each credential are below. For questions about the Graduate Teaching Credential or other graduate programming, please email Emily Pitts Donahoe, Associate Director of Instructional Support, at ejdonaho@olemiss.edu.
Fundamentals of Teaching Credential
In completing this credential, you will…
- Discuss evidence-based teaching practices for engaging students, planning effective lessons, assessing student work, and gathering student feedback
- Form a teaching community with peer instructors from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds
- Observe and reflect on teaching practices within your discipline
Requirements
- One semester of Fundamentals of Teaching: A Learning Community for TAs and Graduate Instructors. (If your department offers a credit-bearing course on postsecondary teaching, it may substitute for Fundamentals of Teaching, as long as you provide evidence for successful completion of the course.)
- Observation of a faculty member’s undergraduate class within your field
- 500-word written reflection on teaching, highlighting major takeaways from Fundamentals or a departmental course on teaching and your observation of faculty teaching. If you’d like further guidance on this portion of the application, log into your UM Google account and consult this reflection guide for FAQs and writing prompts to get you started.
Application
When you have completed the requirements for the Fundamentals of Teaching certificate, fill out this form to submit your materials. A CETL staff member will follow up with you about any additional requirements or to issue your credential.
Emerging Teacher Credential
In completing this credential, you will…
- Identify evidence-based teaching practices and apply them in your classroom
- Discuss teaching practices with faculty and graduate instructors from across the university
- Reflect individually and with others on your teaching practice
Requirements
- Completion of Fundamentals of Teaching Credential
- Participation in five CETL events beyond the Fundamentals series (meetings of the Graduate Reading Group will count toward this requirement)
- Observation of your teaching and follow-up consultation with CETL staff. In the event that your are unable to teach during your time at UM but would still like to pursue the Emerging Teacher credential, CETL staff will help you facilitate a practice teaching demo and consultation.
- 500-word written reflection on teaching, highlighting major takeaways from CETL events and teaching observation. If you’d like further guidance on this portion of the application, log into your UM Google account and consult this reflection guide for FAQs and writing prompts to get you started.
You can schedule your teaching observation and consultation by emailing Emily Pitts Donahoe, Associate Director of Instructional Support, at ejdonaho@olemiss.edu.
Application
When you have completed the requirements for this certificate, fill out this form to submit your materials. A CETL staff member will follow up with you about any additional requirements or to issue your credential.
Excellence in Teaching Credential
In completing this credential, you will…
- Articulate your teaching philosophy and analyze your teaching practices
- Compile and hone a teaching portfolio
- Reflect on evaluations of your teaching
- Prepare for the academic job market
Requirements
- Completion of Fundamentals of Teaching and Emerging Teacher Credentials
- Submission of annotated teaching portfolio, including:
- A teaching statement or philosophy
- A sample syllabus
- A sample lesson plan
- A sample assignment or assessment
- Teaching evaluations (generated by students or observers)
- Two portfolio reflections
- A 300-word evaluation of the sample teaching materials included in the portfolio discussing how they demonstrate evidence-based teaching practices
- A 200-word reflection on the teaching evaluations within the portfolio and what you learned from them
- Portfolio consultation with CETL staff
Application
When you have completed your portfolio documents, please fill out this form to submit them. A CETL staff member will be in touch to schedule your portfolio consultation. For further questions, please email Emily Pitts Donahoe, Associate Director of Instructional Support, at ejdonaho@olemiss.edu.