Two students work on a laptop.

I’m a Postdoctoral Scholar

Yale’s postdoctoral community is a critical partner in the university’s research efforts.   The Poorvu Center offers tailored resources and consultations to support your professional growth and development as an instructor.  We look forward to working with you to prepare for a career in teaching. 

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.

Members of the 2024 - 2025 McDougal Fellows program take a photo.

Intermediate and Advanced Teaching Workshops

Programs to help postdoctoral and teaching fellows gain critical skills to transition into a faculty position. 

If you are teaching regularly as an instructor-of-record, you may also find our faculty events series to be relevant and supportive of your teaching here at Yale.

Two people work together at a table.

Postdoctoral Scholars Teaching Communities

Structured space to share experiences, reflect on teaching practices, and refine ideas with peers and colleagues.

If you are teaching regularly as an instructor-of-record, you may also find our faculty teaching communities to be relevant and supportive of your teaching here at Yale.

Jenny with faculty

Teaching Consultations and Observations

Confidential, individual consultations for you and a member of the Poorvu Center team to discuss course goals, semester plans, teaching practices, and course issues or concerns.

A student and faculty member review a document together sitting on a bench.

Teaching Programs

Specialized programs to support your teaching development with a focus on community-building and reflection.

Faculty sitting at a round table discussing their teaching practices

Programs for You

  • Writing Workshops and Panels

    Workshops, information sessions, and panel events to help you grow your writing practice and expand your writing and presentation skills.

  • Writing Resources for Graduate Students

    A range of online writing resources, handouts, model texts, and writing exercises to help you grow as a writer.

  • Academic Job Search Workshops

    Explore essential strategies for navigating the academic job market, from showcasing your teaching experience in an application to preparing for interviews with confidence.

  • Spring Teaching Forum

    Designed to encourage interdisciplinary conversation and community, these events address timely topics about teaching at Yale, ranging from AI to grading.

Resources for Postdoctoral Scholars

    • Teaching

    A Guiding Framework for Teaching: Resource Page

    Instructors can use the framework to guide their teaching choices about assignments, assessments, and classroom facilitation.  

    • Teaching

    Active Learning

    Active learning is instruction that creates opportunities for students to actively participate in the knowledge-making process. 

    • AI
    • Teaching

    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. 

Upcoming Events

  • ATW: Preparing the Teaching Statement (Online - 4/17)

    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…
  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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 …

  • ATW: Preparing the Teaching Statement (Online - 3/5)

    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…
  • ITW: Teaching Quantitative Reasoning

    How do you develop the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, or engineers? This workshop will provide guidance on applying equitable and effective teaching strategies in Quantitative Reasoning (QR) courses, and more broadly, STEM subjects. These disciplines require teaching students logic and analytical skills through the lens of course content. We will define quantitative reasoning an…

  • ITW: Classroom Observation (Online) (2/17)

    Would you like to enhance your own pedagogy while supporting fellow instructors through classroom observation? This workshop will equip you with the tools to provide constructive and equitable feedback on the pedagogical approaches of both your peers and your mentors across classroom formats. We will also review the observation requirements of the Certificate of College Teaching Preparation (CC…

  • Visual Thinking and Visualization Technology: Teaching Material Culture in 2026

    New visualization technologies have made it possible for scholars and students to look even more closely at material culture. How do we bring humanities methods into conversation with scientific analysis in our classrooms? In this interactive program, Cynthia Turner Camp (University of Georgia) will offer a live demonstration of how she teaches undergraduates to communicate different kinds of s…

We’re here to help!

Reach out to the Poorvu Center team if you have any questions or to learn more about our programs.

Contact Us