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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Active Learning
Active learning is instruction that creates opportunities for students to actively participate in the knowledge-making process.
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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From Paper to Publication in the Humanities and Social Sciences 4 Part Series
Developing a paper or dissertation chapter into a publishable journal article can be both daunting and exhilarating. This four-part series will demystify the journal publishing field and take you through the process step by step. We invite you to bring a working draft that you plan to convert into a journal article as we work through the following sessions: 1. Getting Started and Finding Your…
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Writing for a Public Audience: Pitch Decks
Do you have an idea and you’re wondering how to turn it into a product? Or are you curious about how innovations spin out of academia? You need a compelling pitch deck! In this workshop, you will learn how to pitch to investors or other stakeholders who can help bring your ideas to life. You will leave with an understanding of pitch decks’ fundamental elements and unique visual style, as well a…
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ITW: Leading Effective Discussions (online)
How can we promote thoughtful and productive discussions in the classroom? What strategies can we use to encourage equitable student engagement across disciplinary settings? In this workshop, we will identify the components of an effective discussion and introduce strategies for facilitating dynamic and constructive conversations. You will gain a foundational toolkit for starting and shaping a …
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March All Write: 3/3, 5-8:30 pm
Join your fellow graduate students to set goals, eliminate distractions, and get some focused writing done. We will provide opportunities for connection, a quiet writing space, and sustenance (beverages and snacks). You will help us create community, accountability, and support as we build our writing momentum together. Please note: We will be checking registered participants in, so make sur…
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ITW: Teaching First-Generation Low-Income Students
First generation and low income (FGLI) students form a diverse and rapidly growing student population. Like many non-traditional student groups, FGLI students face challenges and barriers in college settings not necessarily designed for them. In this workshop, we will analyze first generation and low income students’ experiences and the strengths they bring to learning. We will examine first-pe…
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Yale AI Updates + Community Chat: Tools, Research, and Conversation - Special Guest Alex Moore
Join us for a live online session focused on how AI is shaping teaching and learning at Yale. We’ll share the latest AI tools and updates, demo helpful features, and talk through classroom policy considerations. This is also your chance to ask questions, explore use cases, and connect with others thinking about AI in education. Agenda: 30 Mins - AI Tools and Updates 10 Mins - Classroom AI…
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March All Write: 3/26, 5-8:30 pm
Join your fellow graduate students to set goals, eliminate distractions, and get some focused writing done. We will provide opportunities for connection, a quiet writing space, and sustenance (beverages and snacks). You will help us create community, accountability, and support as we build our writing momentum together. Please note: We will be checking registered participants in, so make sur…
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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 will explore strategies for enhancing lecture effectiveness that maintain student interest and promote active learning. Participants will develop practical tools and strategies for equitable and effective teaching and time management. We welcome teaching fellows and instructors at all…
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LC: Disability Justice as Pedagogy (Online - 3/31, 4/7, 14, & 21)
This online learning community invites instructors from across disciplines to explore how the principles of disability justice can shape our teaching. We will start by introducing principles and vocabulary of disability justice, drawing on readings from both the scholarly disciplines of critical pedagogy and disability studies, and from grassroots disability justice organizers and culture worke…
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Fundamentals of Equitable Teaching (In-Person - 4/1, 8, 15, & 22)
Do you want to support and facilitate the success of students with wide-ranging experiences, identities, and learning styles? Are you interested in learning about the ‘hidden curriculum’ and how structural inequity in university settings impacts student engagement both in and outside of the classroom? In this four-week workshop, we will work together to recognize and address possible sources of…
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Yale AI Updates + Community Chat: Teaching & Learning
Join us for a live online session focused on how AI is shaping teaching and learning at Yale. We’ll share the latest AI tools and updates, demo helpful features, and talk through classroom policy considerations. This is also your chance to ask questions, explore use cases, and connect with others thinking about AI in education. Agenda: 30 Mins - AI Tools and Updates 10 Mins - Classroom AI…
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April All Write: 4/7, 5-8:30 pm
Join your fellow graduate students to set goals, eliminate distractions, and get some focused writing done. We will provide opportunities for connection, a quiet writing space, and sustenance (beverages and snacks). You will help us create community, accountability, and support as we build our writing momentum together. Please note: We will be checking registered participants in, so make sur…
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April All Write: 4/15, 5-8:30 pm
Join your fellow graduate students to set goals, eliminate distractions, and get some focused writing done. We will provide opportunities for connection, a quiet writing space, and sustenance (beverages and snacks). You will help us create community, accountability, and support as we build our writing momentum together. Please note: We will be checking registered participants in, so make sur…
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April All Write: 4/23, 5-8:30 pm
Join your fellow graduate students to set goals, eliminate distractions, and get some focused writing done. We will provide opportunities for connection, a quiet writing space, and sustenance (beverages and snacks). You will help us create community, accountability, and support as we build our writing momentum together. Please note: We will be checking registered participants in, so make sur…
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Canvas Lightning Talks
Join us for the Canvas Lightning Talks Poster Viewing Session, an opportunity to explore innovative ideas, research, and practices through a dynamic poster showcase. This session is designed for attendees who want to engage with presenters, ask questions, and learn more about projects highlighted during the Canvas Lightning Talks. Browse a range of poster presentations at your own pace, conn…
We’re here to help!
Reach out to the Poorvu Center team if you have any questions or to learn more about our programs.