The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning

Teaching Consultant Program

Breadcrumb

Teaching Consultant Program

The TC Program is a semester-long learning community for graduate students and postdocs where participants deepen their knowledge of evidence-based inclusive teaching practices and develop skills in workshop facilitation, online teaching, and providing feedback.

TCs facilitate workshops for the Sheridan Teaching Seminar, meet regularly as a community, and write and revise a teaching statement to use in portfolios and/or the job market. The skills developed in the Teaching Consultant Program are broadly applicable to a number of academic and other professional careers.

The Teaching Consultant Program is open to applicants from all disciplinary backgrounds who have completed the Sheridan Teaching Seminar (Certificate 1), will be in residence for the fall 2024 semester, and who hope to serve as leaders in the Sheridan Center. Because the program is designed as a small intensive learning community, enrollment is limited and dependent on an application process. Interested applicants should read the information on this page before applying.

TCs will receive a program certificate and a $600 award for successfully completing the program. Graduate students who complete all aspects of the program will also receive a notation on their official transcript.

Through participating in the Sheridan Center’s Teaching Consultants Program, you will:

  • Participate in an active, interdisciplinary, and collaborative community focused on inclusive pedagogy
  • Develop skills on online teaching through facilitating asynchronous discussions 
  • Build facilitation skills through leading synchronous workshops about teaching with diverse, multi-disciplinary groups
  • Articulate and model inclusive, evidence-based approaches to teaching and discussion facilitation.
  • Create and revise a teaching philosophy statement

Completion of Sheridan Teaching Seminar (Certificate I).

Program Participation for new Teaching Consultants involves:

  • Full attendance at all synchronous TC program sessions (held in-person)
  • Facilitation of a Sheridan Teaching Seminar peer workshop section in-person or via Zoom (mark your preferences on the application).
  • Attendance four facilitator pre-meetings (typically the hour before workshop sessions)
  • Participation in asynchronous TC program components & assignments
  • Writing and revising a teaching statement
  • Providing peer feedback on teaching statements
  • Completion of pre- and post-program feedback survey

If you have completed the TC Program in the past, you may apply to return as a Returning TC (RTCs; formerly called “Experienced Teaching Consultants”). Returning TCs have the opportunity to continue their professional development by facilitating workshops, supporting the Sheridan Teaching Seminar, facilitating peer feedback sessions, and serving as mentors to new TCs. In Fall 2023, RTCs will receive a $700 award for successfully completing the program. For more on this, see the “Returning TCs” section of the application.

Program Requirements for Returning Teaching Consultants:

  • Attend all synchronous TC program sessions as an experienced TC/facilitator (held in-person)
  • Facilitate workshops
  • Attend four facilitator pre-meetings (typically the hour before workshop sessions)
  • Participate in selected asynchronous TC program components & assignments
  • Provide peer feedback on teaching statements
  • Serve as peer-mentor to new TCs
  • Revise teaching statement (optional)
  • Completion of pre- and post-program feedback survey

To apply, please complete and submit this application by June 30th, 2024. We may consider applications submitted after this date only if we have additional space in the program. We may invite applicants to interview, as needed. Applicants will be notified of decisions by the beginning of June.

Graduate students who are unable to attend all of the synchronous workshops are encouraged to participate in the Sheridan Center's other programs, including Teaching Essentials for Graduate TAs. We also invite you to sign up for the Sheridan Center’s Newsletter to stay up-to-date on other relevant programs, including round-tables and workshops.

If you have questions about the Sheridan Teaching Consultant Program, please contact Dr. Sara Misgen, Assistant Director of Interdisciplinary Teaching Communities.