Programs
The Teaching Center offers the following types of programming for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
The following programs are open to all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Rochester:
- Introduction to College Teaching (offered each spring)
- Higher Education Teaching Citation Program
- Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Teaching Book Club
- Graduate teaching workshops:
The following program is open to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows whose primary appointment is in the School of Arts & Sciences or the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences:
If you would like to suggest a specific workshop topic, have a book suggestion, or would like a repeat of a past workshop offering, please contact the Teaching Center.
Upcoming Programming
Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Teaching Book Club
Join the spring 2026 Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Teaching Book Club to learn more about and share your own effective, evidence-based, and learner-centered teaching practices. This group is open to any URochester graduate student or postdoctoral fellow.
This club meets four times a semester, approximately once a month. We will read "How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching, 2nd ed.” (Lovett, 2023), available online through the library.
Spring 2026 meetings are on the following dates from 3-4 p.m. Discussions will be richer if you have read the material beforehand, but you are always welcome to attend.
- February 3: Introduction and Chapter 1
- March 3: Chapters 2-3
- April 7: Part 2, Chapters 4-6
- May 5: Part 3, Chapters 7-8 and Conclusion
Spring 2026 Graduate Teaching Workshops
These one-hour Zoom Teaching Center workshop is open to any graduate student or postdoctoral fellow at the University of Rochester.
Creating and Using Effective Rubrics
Date: Friday, February 20, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. – noon
Location: Zoom
Join this interactive Zoom workshop to learn how thoughtfully designed rubrics can make grading more consistent, feedback more meaningful, and expectations clearer for students. We’ll discuss how to interpret and apply rubrics provided by instructors efficiently, as well as how to create clear and fair rubrics when one isn’t available. Whether you’re grading essays, projects, presentations, or problem sets, you’ll leave with practical strategies to make your grading process more transparent, equitable, and efficient.
Discover practical strategies for using or creating rubrics that make grading easier, feedback clearer, and expectations more transparent for students.
Successfully Navigating Professional Relationships as a Graduate TA
Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. – noon
Location: Zoom
This workshop will address how to navigate different power dynamics and relationships both in and out of the classroom, including establishing boundaries, navigating professional relationships, and balancing time commitments as a graduate teaching assistant.