Concentration Overview
The Concentration in Teaching & Mentoring experience comprises learning activities and assignments that support development of competency in independent teaching and mentoring. Participants may earn electronic badges that evidence progress and competency in the badge topics. Participants may complete all of the badges to earn the CNS Concentration in Teaching & Mentoring or choose individual topics that best support their personal professional growth.
The concentration can be completed asynchronously - guided by the materials found in two Canvas sites. However, most graduate students and postdoctoral fellows enroll in two workshop-style courses to complete most of the concentration with communities of peers.
The concentration is designed to support career development. The assignments prompt participants to reflect on teaching & mentoring, and create artifacts that can be used in university job application materials (e.g., teaching statements and mentoring plans). After a participant demonstrates competency in all five concentration focus areas, they receive a certificate to include in job applications or employment review dossiers.
Five focus areas:
- Course Design
- Reflective Teaching
- Concepts in Effective Mentoring
- Mentoring Up
- Reflective Mentoring in Action
Reasons to Engage
- To become an Assistant Instructor (AI) – the Course Design badge is aligned with the requirements for AI preparation.
- To prepare for the job market – Reflect on teaching and mentoring, and create artifacts needed for university job applications, such as teaching & mentoring statements and portfolios. Demonstrate your expertise through badge metadata.
- To advance your career – Provide evidence of advanced PD in pedagogy for annual review, P&T, and teaching awards.
- To support your trainees – For example, faculty may include this professional development opportunity as a resource for grad students and postdocs in grant proposals, such as NSF CAREER awards.