Teaching Academy 2026: Call for Presenters!

Do you love teaching and want to share some fun and important tips and tricks with new and/or experienced TAs and instructors? We are seeking multiple presenters on a range of topics, such as active learning, preparing for class, the first day, getting your students to discuss and write, and more! Please note that the audience of these workshops will be other grad students working as TAs and instructors at UMass, so the focus is exclusively on teaching at the college level. 

Presenters will: 

  • Create a 60-90 minute workshop on a topic of their choosing.
  • Receive support from OPD and CIRTL@UMass over the summer while planning their workshop by attending 2 one-on-one mentoring meetings.
  • Include at least one active learning activity in their workshop.
  • Design a 1-2 page handout or resource about their workshop topic.
  • Present in August on Zoom.
  • Repeat their presentation in person (when possible) in September.
  • Receive an honorarium of $250.

To Apply

Please apply here! The deadline to apply is April 30. You do not have to have a fully-formed idea for a workshop yet, but we want to see your ideas! Please note that to be a presenter, you must have experience as a TA or grad instructor at UMass and you must be enrolled (or, for postdocs, employed by UMass) in the upcoming Fall semester. 

All UMass grad students and postdocs are invited to attend Teaching Academy workshops! (A full schedule will be released in late June.)

What Should the Workshops Be About? 

We are looking for presenters on the following topics! 

  1. Belonging, classroom climate, and accessibility
  2. Active learning
  3. First Day advice
  4. Advice specifically for TAs
  5. Advice specifically for international TAs
  6. Balance for the instructor (time management, attention to workload)

*The best teaching workshops focus on concrete strategies that participants can put into practice right away!*

*The best teaching workshops are useful to a majority of disciplines across campus!*

You can also check out the workshops offered by fellow grad students in 2024 and 2025!