The Graduate Teaching Mentors (GTMs) gain a unique context to further their pedagogical development by mentoring their peers in the Teaching Certificate Program (TCP).
Mentors oversee about three groups of TCP participants. Over the course of the program, they guide mentees in their growth as reflective practitioners, providing both written and oral feedback on participants' teaching statements and course design projects. Each project group meets two times per quarter, where they discuss and apply discipline-specific teaching and learning techniques and relevant literature. All of the GTMs attend mentor development meetings twice a quarter to discuss facilitation and feedback strategies.
Throughout the year, Graduate Teaching Mentors are expected to:
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Give thoughtful feedback on all mentees' course design project assignments and teaching statement drafts.
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Schedule, plan, and facilitate two project group meetings per quarter for each group.
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Attend mentor development meetings 1-2 times per quarter with Searle staff and other GTMs to address strategies for giving feedback, structuring project group meetings, and developing peer mentor skills.
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Provide 2-3 teaching observations for mentees and other requests that come to the Searle Center.
Mentors are selected each spring via a competitive application process. The mentorship carries a $3,000 stipend. They are appointed for a full academic year, with the possibility of reappointment for a second year. Contact Nancy Ruggeri, Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, with questions.
Eligibility
Ph.D. students from any program at Northwestern may apply, provided they meet the following criteria:
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Previous completion of the Teaching Certificate Program at Northwestern University
*Please know that the available GTM positions are contingent on the disciplinary and departmental distribution of TCP participants.
Application
Applications are now closed. Please check back in March 2019 to apply for the 2019-2020 academic year.
The application consists of a completed online application, including the following documents attached as a single PDF*:
- Cover Letter
- Teaching Statement
- Course Design Project or Teaching portfolio**
*Returning GTMs are not required to re-submit supporting materials but should complete the online application.
**If you have not yet completed a Course Design Project or have not developed a Teaching Portfolio, please provide one assignment that is exemplary of your work in the Teaching Certificate Program. Make sure to include a reflective paragraph detailing the pedagogical significance evidenced.
