GTA Recognition of Achievement in Professional Development
2015-2016
What is the GTA Professional Development (PD) Series?
The GTA Recognition of Achievement in Professional Development is a program in which graduate students are
recognized for their commitment to gain knowledge and skills in teaching. This program gives students practical ways
to help them in their teaching endeavors (both now as GTAs and after graduation) as well as gives students something
tangible to add to their CV's and teaching portfolios.
In order to obtain the Recognition of Achievement in Professional Development certificate, participants MUST
attend at least 10 (approved) teaching events throughout the academic year. Every time students attend an event
they will receive a punch in a punch-card (like the one below).
Most events are worth 1 card punch; however, there are some events, such as the FETE Teaching Workshop and
SPOTLIGHT (see schedule below) that count for more than one card punch. Check out the schedule on the next
page to see a list of upcoming events and how many card punches you can earn at each event. Events include the
GTA Professional Development (PD) Series sessions offered by the Teaching & Learning Center, as well as talks,
conferences, symposiums, and roundtables related to teaching and learning that occur within the K-State community
that GTAs are strongly encouraged to attend. In this vein, the Teaching & Learning center acts as a clearing house for
GTAs to learn more about teaching and learning events occurring on campus that might be useful to them!
The second requirement for the Recognition of Achievement in Professional Development certificate is to
complete observation(s). For the observation requirement you need to schedule another GTA to observe you teach as
well as you observe another GTA teach. After the observations, you two need to discuss the positive aspects of your
teaching and ways you can improve. You will submit documentation to the Teaching & Learning Center after you
have been observed. Observation forms are located on our KSOL page.
Although this program is geared toward GTAs, post-docs, research associates, GoTeacher (Ecuadorian students) and
even some faculty attend these sessions. Upon completion of both requirements, students are given a certificate of
completion.
For more information about the GTA Professional Development program, please visit our website at: http://www.kstate.edu/tlc. Also, please do not hesitate to contact Whitney Jeter (GTA, Teaching & Learning Center) at
wjeter@ksu.edu with any questions about this program.
GTA Professional Development (PD) Series: 2015-2016 Schedule
1. The Teaching Persona
Are great teachers born or are great teachers made? Join Dr. Jana Fallin (Director, Teaching & Learning Center; University
Distinguished Teaching Scholar) as we engage in an interactive discussion about four properties (personality; presence;
preparation; passion) that all effective teachers possess and why we should emulate these qualities in our classroom.
Wednesday, August 26th from 3:30-4:30pm in the Hemisphere room of Hale Library. (Worth 1 card punch)
2. Teaching Students to Write Well
Dr. Kristin Mulready-Stone (Associate Professor, History) will discuss the importance of out-of-class writing assignments,
how to structure and word the assignments, and how to give undergraduates the basic tools they need to write clear
and effective papers. Monday, September 14th from 3:00-4:00pm in the Hemisphere room of Hale Library. (Worth 1
card punch)
3. Finding Joy in Teaching Students of Diverse Backgrounds: Culturally Responsive & Socially Just Practices
in U.S. Classrooms
Dr. Sonia Nieto will discuss culturally responsive teaching within the context of higher education and the role of
universities in preparing and supporting educators at all levels. Friday, September 18 at 9:30am in Forum Hall of the
Student Union. (Worth 1 card punch)
4. Taking the Plunge: Conducting Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL)
Dr. Kim Williams (Professor, Horticulture; University Distinguished Teaching Scholar) and Dr. Heath Ritter (Program Director, University
Compliance Office) will lay out a step-by-step process to help you dive into designing and implementing your own SoTL
project with students in your classroom, focusing on how to navigate common pitfalls along the way. Friday,
September 18th from 1:00-2:30pm in the Hemisphere Room of Hale Library. (Worth 1 card punch)
5. Teaching Success with 1st Generation Students
Did you know that over 40% of our student population at K-State are 1st Generation? In addition, an amazing number
of our K-State faculty are also 1st Generation. Join Dr. Lee Ward and Judge Webb for a workshop focused on how to
support, empower, and build relationships with 1st Generation Students on our campus. Tuesday, October 13th from
8:00am - 3:00pm in the Alumni Center Ballroom. (Worth 2 card punches for attending entire event; 1 card punch for attending half
of the event)
6. Reading, Writing, & Relationships
Dr. Kevin Sauer (Associate Professor, Dietetics) will share strategies for enhancing student engagement, learning, and
developing professional life skills through reciprocal student relationships and classroom decision-making strategies.
Thursday, October 22nd from 1:30-2:30pm in the Hemisphere Room of Hale Library. (Worth 1 card punch)
7. STEM Teaching Event
Dr. Eric Fitzsimmons and Dr. Stacey Kulesza (Engineering) will discuss their research that uniquely investigates ways
(e.g., supplemental videos and note-taking strategies) to engage and retain students in the STEM fields. Friday,
November 6th from 2:00-4:00pm in the Phase IV Engineering Complex Atrium. (Worth 1 card punch)
8. “We Have Ways of Making You Talk…”
Dr. Sara Kearns (Associate Professor, Hale Library) will demonstrate the Cephalonian Method and other techniques to
encourage conversation and questions in classes. Friday, November 13th from 1:30-2:30pm in the Hemisphere Room
of Hale Library. (Worth 1 card punch)
9. “T’was the Night before Finals”
Join us at the Teaching & Learning Center for some hot chocolate, holiday treats, and a great informal discussion of
upcoming final exam/grading issues that you may experience as a GTA. This event is come-and-go as needed.
Wednesday, December 9th from 3:00-5:00pm at the Teaching & Learning Center (1800 Claflin Rd., Suite 200). (Worth
1 card punch)
10. Creating Personal Connections in the Classroom: How to Involve more Students in the Learning Process
Large lecture classes can be engaging and interactive! Join Dr. Kuester (Director of Undergraduate Studies, Economics) as he
shares several active learning techniques that get students involved in their learning and how you might tailor these
strategies to fit within your classroom. Thursday, January 21st from 12:30-1:30pm in the Hemisphere Room of Hale
Library. (Worth 1 card punch)
11. Faculty Exchange for Teaching Excellence (FETE): Spring Teaching Workshop
Dr. Jean Twinge (Keynote Speaker and author of “Generation Me”) will present on working with Millennials. This
workshop will include small-group discussions and tips/teaching strategies that are effective for “Generation Me”
students. Friday, February 5th (time TBD) in the Alumni Center Ballroom.
12. Put Your Critical Thinking Skills to the Test
Join Dr. Cathie Lavis (Associate Professor, Horticulture, Forestry & Recreation Resources) for an interactive session on the importance
of developing and fostering critical thinking skills. During this session, you will test your own critical thinking skills
by completing a portion of the CAT (Critical Thinking Assessment Test) as well as discuss ways you can help
students to practice critical thinking, both inside and outside of the classroom. Tuesday, February 23rd from 2:303:30pm in the Hemisphere Room of Hale Library. (Worth 1 card punch)
13. SPOTLIGHT K-State
SPOTLIGHT is a showcase event highlighting excellence in innovative, creative, unique teaching on our campus.
The event is a fast-paced informative format with 10 speakers who are each introduced by one of their students. The
presenters are selected from teaching faculty across our university representing many colleges, teaching ranks, and
curricula. Each presenter provides a visual portrayal illustrating their topic which is presented in a very short time
frame, around 6 minutes. Often they begin with a problem encountered in their teaching followed by an inventive
successful solution. Tuesday, March 1st time and location TBD. (Worth 1 card punch for attending the event & 1 card punch for
writing a brief summary about what you learned from the presenters at the event)
14. Working with Students in Distress
Dean Scott Jones (Office of Student Life; Director of the Non-Violence Campaign) will present on recognizing and supporting
students who are struggling in the classroom. Wednesday, March 23rd from 1:30-2:30pm in the Hemisphere Room of
Hale Library. (Worth 1 card punch).
15. Engage the Sage (and the Students Will Follow)
Dr. Don Saucier (Associate Professor, Psychological Sciences; Coffman Chair for University Distinguished Teaching Scholars) will discuss
simple and practical tweaks you can use in your classes to enhance both your and your students’ engagement in the
course content. Tuesday, April 19th from 1-2pm in the Hemisphere Room of Hale Library. (Worth 1 card punch)
16. Certificate of Completion Ceremony
Join us for some pizza as we wrap-up an incredible year of professional development! We will have a discussion of
what worked and what did not in your teaching experiences this year and address any remaining questions that you
would like answered. You will also receive your certificate for completing the GTA PD Series. Wednesday, May 4th
from 2:30-3:30pm in the Hemisphere Room of Hale Library. (Worth 1 card punch)
Registration for these events
can be found on the
Teaching & Learning
Center’s Website
under the
“Upcoming Events” tab
(www.ksu.edu/tlc) OR
on our KSOL page.