Embarking on your journey as a graduate student is both an exciting and challenging experience. Our goal is to support you in your teaching and writing by providing a wealth of resources and services designed to help you succeed. Let us help you achieve your highest potential!
McDougal Graduate Teaching Fellows
The McDougal Graduate Teaching Fellows at the Poorvu Center lead programs on effective and innovative teaching, develop teaching resources, and provide individual observations for graduate student and postdoctoral instructors at Yale. As a fellow, you will grow and deepen your expertise, while you reflect on and refine your approach to teaching through sustained engagement with interdisciplinary pedagogical scholarship. To be eligible, applicants must be registered graduate students in good academic standing with at least one semester of Yale teaching experience.
Certificate of College Teaching Preparation
The Certificate of College Teaching Preparation (CCTP) is an opportunity for Yale Graduate Students, Professional Students, and Postdoctoral Scholars to complete a comprehensive training program in effective college teaching. The goal of this certificate program is to equip Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows with transferable skills that are valuable both on the academic job market and in a wide range of careers involving teaching and mentoring. The experience culminates in the production of a portfolio showcasing their teaching development.
Associates in Teaching
Offered in collaboration between the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and the Poorvu Center, the competitive Associates in Teaching Program allows Ph.D. students the opportunity to expand their range of teaching experiences and responsibilities while receiving mentorship from a faculty co-teacher. Through the Associates in Teaching program, doctoral students collaborate with a faculty member to conceptualize or redesign, plan, and deliver an undergraduate course.
Graduate Writing Lab
The Graduate Writing Lab supports Yale graduate students with all aspects of written, oral, and visual communication. Our team helps graduate students communicate the significance of their research to a wide range of audiences. In addition to helping grad students join the academic conversation and navigate the writing conventions in their field, the Graduate Writing Lab strives to build community and promote a supportive writing culture in which every Yale graduate student can thrive.
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Teaching at Yale Day
This event introduces graduate and professional school students who are new to teaching at Yale to resources and best practices for engaging with faculty and students.
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Fundamentals of Teaching
This four-part series for graduate and professional students introduces the theory and practice of teaching while promoting deep, discipline-specific conversations.
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Teaching Courses and Seminars
Open to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, these offerings are a foundational introduction to teaching in preparation for future teaching careers.
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Graduate & Postdoctoral Scholars Learning Communities
Structured space to share experiences, reflect on teaching practices, and refine ideas with peers and colleagues.
Graduate Resources
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A Guiding Framework for Teaching
The framework highlights the teaching philosophy and concepts that shape our educational development programming
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A Guiding Framework for Teaching: Resource Page
Instructors can use the framework to guide their teaching choices about assignments, assessments, and classroom facilitation.
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AI Guidance for Teachers
A guide and list of Yale-related AI resources for faculty instructors interested in using or discussing AI in the classroom.
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Learning Resource Library
A collection of articles to support your journey as a student at Yale.
“My time at the Center for Teaching and Learning has made me think about always having current and future teaching goals for myself, be they trying out a new form of writing assignment or bringing social media into the curriculum. I hope that by articulating these goals to myself and to my colleagues, I will continue to develop as a teacher and discover a community of like-minded educators in the process.”
Annie Berke, Ph.D. (Film and Media Studies, American Studies)
Upcoming Events
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Foundational Writing Skills in STEM 5 Part Series
Ready to develop critical writing skills that will carry you through all your graduate research projects? Join us to explore and build on the cornerstones of effective scientific writing: Part 1: Write For Your Audience: Introduction to Scientific Writing Genres (10/23) Part 2: Keep up with the Literature: Reading, Evaluating, and Synthesizing Papers (10/30) Part 3: Conquer the Blank Page: …
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Learning Community: Teaching as Embodied and Communal Practice (4 sessions online - 10/23 & 30, 11/6 & 13)
While we may often think of instruction as an abstract and intellectual endeavor, how we inhabit the classroom cannot be decoupled from aspects of who we are emotionally, mentally, and physically. So, what does it mean to bring your whole self into the classroom? Should you even bring your whole self to the classroom? What are you left to process after teaching? Your body’s relationship to teac…
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ATW Preparing the Teaching Statement (10/27)
How can your teaching statement offer a clear and compelling description of you as an instructor to future employers? This hands-on workshop offers strategies and suggestions on how to present your teaching principles and practices on the academic job market. We will review examples of successful teaching statements, explore the expectations of the genre, and discuss how to make the most of thi…
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Researching and Writing a Master’s Thesis in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Working on a master’s thesis in the social sciences or humanities? This workshop will prepare participants to begin their projects with practical exercises focused on entering an academic conversation. You’ll develop strategies for gathering resources and streamlining the writing process. We will also discuss the various components of the thesis, including how to choose a topic, conduct a liter…
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Dissertation Writing as Practice Series
This series provides you with key strategies for managing the long game of the dissertation process. We will explore effective practices for pacing your dissertation writing while helping you overcome key common writing blocks and achieve balance in your writing and personal life. During each session, we will engage with a relevant theme, discuss your writing practice and progress, and complete…
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Presenting at Conferences in the Humanities & Social Sciences: From Abstract to Q&A
Wrote an awesome term paper that you want to share at a conference? Found an interesting conference and need help reframing your paper to fit the theme? This workshop will teach you the basics of conference presentations: choosing the right conference, writing the abstract, shaping your paper for your intended audience, navigating funding and registration, presenting engagingly, and sparking a …
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ATW - Preparing the Teaching Statement (Online - 11/5)
How can your teaching statement offer a clear and compelling description of you as an instructor to future employers? This hands-on workshop offers strategies and suggestions on how to present your teaching principles and practices on the academic job market. We will review examples of successful teaching statements, explore the expectations of the genre, and discuss how to make the most of thi…
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ITW: AI in the Classroom
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are becoming fixtures in classrooms, but how do we thoughtfully integrate them into our teaching? In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore how generative AI is shaping student learning, assignment design, and classroom engagement across disciplines. Together, we’ll examine sample use cases, discuss how to set clear expectations around AI use, and surface stra…
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ATW: Lecturing for Active Engagement (Online)
How can we keep students engaged while delivering content efficiently in a large lecture class? In this ATW, we examine how to enhance lecture effectiveness by breaking up dense lecture sections with objective-oriented and engaging student participation activities. We also will discuss development of a teaching persona that welcomes participation and design of effective and engaging lecture med…
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ITW: Mental Health in the Classroom
How do you respond when a student shares with you that they are struggling with depression, anxiety, or other barriers to their wellbeing in your classroom? This workshop will invite graduate student instructors across the disciplines to develop skills and strategies for supporting students’ mental health. We will learn how to apply principles of accessible design to structure our own classroom…
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ITW: Office hours (Online)
Office hours can be much more than a place for students to ask last-minute homework questions. When framed intentionally, they can support deeper learning, foster stronger connections, and promote equity by reaching a broader range of students. In this workshop, we will explore strategies for making office hours welcoming and effective learning spaces. We’ll discuss how to clearly communicate t…
We’re here to help!
Reach out to the Poorvu Center team if you have any questions or to learn more about our programs.