Graduate student instructors and postdoctoral scholars are important members of the University of Iowa teaching community.

Graduate student instructors fulfill a variety of important teaching roles at Iowa, including acting as teaching assistants, instructors of record, graders, mentors in tutoring centers, and more. Regardless of your teaching role, the Center for Teaching provides resources and services to meet your needs. 

Our staff is here to help you create connections on campus, establish and work toward goals, and develop your teaching skills and portfolio. We provide support on many topics, including developing statements of teaching philosophy.

Programs for Graduate Students

Consultations

Graduate student instructors and postdoctoral scholars can request consultations on any teaching topic; some common topics include student feedback, classroom observation, course design, and student engagement.

Graduate Teaching Fellows

The Graduate Teaching Fellows program allows successful applicants to deepen their knowledge of the scholarship of teaching and learning through designing a campus-wide interactive workshop or another pedagogical project of their choice. 

New TA Orientation

The Center for Teaching coordinates an introduction to being a graduate student instructor at the University of Iowa. This orientation takes place every year on the Thursday before classes begin. Participants will learn about being instructors at Iowa, discuss teaching strategies with peers, and prepare for the first day of class. 

Teaching Related Career Development

The Center for Teaching assists graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with developing teaching-related materials for the academic job market, even if you do not have teaching experience. We consult on the development of teaching philosophies or portfolios, teaching demos, and DEI statements. If you don’t plan to continue in academia, the Center for Teaching can help you articulate the skills you developed in teaching roles. 

TYRIT Workshop Series

Transforming Your Research into Teaching (TYRIT) is a summer workshop series that takes place over three weeks and introduces participants to the basic elements of course design; by the end, they will design a course based on current area of research interest or teaching need. This workshop series is open to all graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Registration opens each year in mid-April. This experiences qualifies graduate students for the Associate Level of CIRTL @ Iowa.  

Instructional Teams

The Center for Teaching is happy to consult with colleges, departments, or individual instructors regarding the creation of effective teaching team environments.

Certificate in College Teaching

The Graduate Certificate in College Teaching combines coursework and practical experiences to prepare graduate students for future careers in postsecondary education. The certificate is available to all University of Iowa graduate students. A minimum of 12 semester hours is required for the Graduate Certificate in College Teaching.