The requirements of the certificate for Postdoctoral Fellows are as follows. Please note that these requirements have been updated effective Fall 2022. Participants who began work toward the CCTP before Fall 2022 may count all previous workshops toward the requirements.

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1) Completion of Training and Development Workshops/Courses

 

a. Introduction to Teaching

i. The CIRTL MOOC: An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching

ii. One Scientific Teaching Fellows Course (BBS 879 or PHYS 530)

 

b. Completion of 6 Poorvu Center Advanced/Intermediate Workshops (or CIRTL Network Workshops/Short Courses)

i. One workshop must be the ITW: Classroom Observation, which prepares you to observe and provide feedback on your observations (as of Fall 2023; previous participants may disregard this requirement).

ii. Up to 4 workshops can be “Intermediate” Teaching Workshops. Intermediate Teaching Workshops do not presuppose any previous engagement with the topic, but will draw on topics covered in the CIRTL MOOC/Scientific Teaching Fellows Course.

iii. At least 2 of these workshops should be designated as “Advanced” Teaching Workshops, but you can take as many as you wish.

iv. Advanced Teaching Workshops are designed as deeper dives into a given topic, or as preparation for the academic job market. As such, they are especially appropriate for participants with prior experience or who are preparing to apply for academic jobs. If you are new to the subject matter, you may be more comfortable starting with an ITW, but this is not required. 

v. Please note that the distinction between Intermediate and Advanced workshops was introduced in Fall 2022. If you began working toward the CCTP before this date, you may count all previous workshops toward the requirement for 2 Advanced Teaching Workshops.

 

2) Two Occasions of Observing Others Teaching with Written Reflections

 

a. Reflective observation of others’ teaching has many benefits. Not only does it expand the repertoire of the observer, but it also gives him/her practice in taking a critical perspective on teaching and articulating observations of teaching practices and their effects on student learning.

 

b. Before completing these observations, you are required to attend our ITW on Classroom observation.

 

c. You should document your observations, which will become part of your teaching portfolio. For each observation, provide:

- Course number, department, and title

- Type of class (lecture, section, seminar, lab)

- Instructor name

- Instructor’s role at Yale (TF, professor, lector)

- A write-up documenting your observations. You may use the forms (after class) we provide for peer observations or use them as a guideline to write a narrative reflection about the class.

- If your observee is pursuing the CCTP, you should provide them with a copy of your report. If you are observing someone else (a faculty member, for example), you should only provide feedback upon request. 

 

d. Please note that Postdocs are not required to have their own teaching observed, since many Postdocs do not teach as part of their appointment at Yale. However, if you are teaching and would like to request an observation, please do so [at this link].

 

3. Participation in Two Learning Communities

 

a. CCTP Participants are required to participate in two learning communities that focus on teaching (as opposed to research). These groups can be as small as 3-5 people, or much larger. Importantly, they should meet at least four times. 

 

b. While the Poorvu Center sponsors one or two learning communities per semester, participants are responsible for convening or identifying their own learning communities. In fact, you may already be a part of a learning community, if you are a TF or PTAI in a course with regular faculty meetings. 

 

c. Participants frequently create these communities

 i. through their department, 

ii. Through their social or professional networks (such as the Women’s Faculty Forum or learned societies), or 

iii. alongside participants they may meet in sessions.  

 

d. Potential focuses for a learning community might include

- Job market working groups, which can workshop teaching materials in preparation for applications

- Disciplinary pedagogy, focused on teaching within a given field

-Interdisciplinary pedagogy, focused on broad topics such as anti-racist teaching, accessibility, active learning, or STEM education.

 

4. Compiled Teaching Portfolio + Exit Interview with Poorvu Center staff

 

a. The portfolio is composed of materials you’ll need on the academic job market. To see a complete list of everything you’ll need, click here.

 

b. The exit interview is a 50 minute meeting with Gina Marie Hurley. You’ll spend 25 minutes offering your reflections on our programming, and in the final 25 minutes, we can offer feedback on one or two items of your choice from the portfolio.