Quarterly Academic Kickoff Events
Quarterly Academic Kickoff Events feature interactive sessions designed to facilitate graduate student and postdoc transitions to teaching roles at Northwestern University. The events are held every fall and spring.
Overview
The Quarterly Academic Kickoff events provide first-time TAs and grad student and postdoc instructors opportunities to learn about and explore institutional knowledge to prepare for the first day of classes! Participants are invited to attend a variety of interactive sessions throughout the day facilitated by campus partners and experienced graduate student instructors known as Kickoff Session Leaders. Each session is grounded in evidence-based practices and Northwestern’s Principles of Inclusive Teaching. Participants will also have plenty of opportunities to informally socialize during morning coffee, intentional breaks, and lunch.
Eligibility
All graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who will be TAing or teaching for the first time in the upcoming quarter are welcomed and encouraged to join us!
Registration
Registration for the Spring Quarter Kickoff Events on Tuesday, March 26 and Wednesday, March 27 in TGS Commons is closed.
Objectives
The Academic Kickoff Events aim to
- Introduce graduate students and postdocs to evidence-based teaching practices
- Demonstrate ways to implement Northwestern’s Principles of Inclusive Teaching
- Raise awareness of campus resources via sessions hosted by campus partners to help you to connect to key offices and learn more about our invited speakers
- Start conversations about Sparking Student Curiosity & Engagement, Fostering Inclusion & Student Belonging, Providing Constructive Student Feedback, Managing Interpersonal Dynamics in Peer-Developed and Facilitated Workshops
- Begin to build community and a network of supportive around learning and teaching
Schedule
Check out our current schedule for this year's Spring Quarter Academic Kickoff Events on Tuesday,
March 26 & Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in TGS Commons - STEM Teaching Focused |
Time |
Event |
Facilitator |
10:00 - 10:45 AM |
Sparking Curiosity & Student Engagement in the STEM Classroom
|
Clover Moisanu, Chemistry PhD Candidate
|
10:45 - 11:30 AM |
Managing Interpersonal Dynamics in STEM |
Thao P Nguyen, Biomedical Engineering PhD Candidate |
11:30 - 12:00 PM |
Lunch & CIRTL at Northwestern Info Session |
Erika Nadile, Assistant Director, Searle Center for Advancing Learning & Teaching
|
12:00 - 12:45 PM |
Providing Constructive Student Feedback in STEM |
Hendryck Gellineau, Chemistry PhD Candidate
|
12:45 - 1:30 PM |
Fostering Inclusion & Student Belonging in the STEM Classroom |
Natalie Gilbert Gonzaga-Saavedra, IBiS PhD Candidate
|
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 in TGS Commons - Social Sciences & Humanities Teaching Focus
|
Time |
Event |
Facilitator |
10:30 - 11:15 AM |
Providing Constructive Student Feedback in the Social Sciences |
Tomer Yehoshua-Sandak, Economics PhD Candidate |
11:15 - 12:00 PM |
Fostering Inclusion & Student Belonging in the Social Sciences Classroom |
Gerpha Gerlin, Anthropology PhD Candidate |
12:00 - 12:30 PM |
Lunch & Searle Center Info Session
|
Kate Flom Derrick, Assistant Director, Searle Center for Advancing Learning & Teaching
|
12:30 - 1:15 PM |
Managing Interpersonal Dynamics in the Social Sciences |
Varun Devakonda, Human Development & Social Policy, PhD Candidate
|
1:30 - 2:15 PM |
Providing Constructive Student Feedback in the Humanities |
Elizabeth Howell, History PhD Candidate
|
2:15 - 3:00 PM |
Sparking Curiosity & Student Engagement in the Humanities Classroom |
Elizabeth Winter, English PhD Candidate
|
Contact Us
Kate Flom Derrick, Assistant Director of Foundations in Learning & Teaching