Workshop Program

Please note that this workshop has already taken place.

Communication: 10-NOON


Introducing yourself.

Throughout an academic career there are key opportunities to introduce yourself and your research. These are opportunities not to be missed. They might be in a short conversation at a conference in front of a poster, at the start of a job interview, to a class of students, to a college or university administrator, to an NSF program officer, or (to the world) on a web page. The goal is to have a brief introduction that conveys what one does and why it is significant.
Introducing Yourself Handout (Acrobat (PDF) 21kB Mar31 09)

Promoting yourself through research statements and teaching statements.

Research and teaching statements often are required as part of an application for an academic position, and usually are included as part of a package for promotion (tenure) as well. We will examine successful research statements, discuss components of effective research and teaching statements, and allow time for you to begin (or revise) your statements.
Research Statements Handout (Acrobat (PDF) 25kB Mar31 09)
Teaching Statements Handout (Acrobat (PDF) 24kB Mar31 09)

Lunch 12-12:30pm (box lunch provided)

During lunch we will discuss questions you have about academic careers.

Building a course: 12:30-3pm


Setting your course goals.

Establishing clear student-focused course goals is key to successful course design. We will review ways to set goals that support students' educational growth, and discuss how skill and content goals may support the overarching goals of a course.
Course Goals Handout (Acrobat (PDF) 52kB Mar31 09)

Reviewing your class activities.

Sharing and reviewing teaching activities and assignments is a great way to grow and learn as an educator. During this portion of the workshop, you will give each other feedback on the class activities and assignments that you submitted before the workshop.
Activity and Assignment Review Form (Acrobat (PDF) 17kB Mar31 09)

Pulling it together: 3-4pm


Revisiting your teaching statement.

We will apply ideas from the "Building a course" portion of the workshop to writing effective teaching statements.
Teaching Statements - Part II Handout (Acrobat (PDF) 19kB Mar31 09)

You're not alone - resources and finding help.

Former advisors, current colleagues, and friends from graduate school may offer much needed support when starting an academic career. National and regional meetings may provide additional ideas and connections. And, there are several online resources, such as:
  • Assembling Your Application: Resources for the Cover Letter, C.V., Teaching Statement, Research Statement, and Letters of Reference
  • Course Design: An online tutorial for creating - or rethinking - a course with ideas for setting course goals and writing an effective syllabus.
  • DLESE:The Digital Library of Earth System Education is an online collection of educational resources that includes maps, images, data sets, and lesson plans.
  • 1st Day of Class: Ideas for how to engage students with course content, motivate their learning, and establish a positive classroom climate, right from the start!
  • What to do when your teaching isn't going well: A discussion of options we have when our teaching does not meet our - or our institutions - expectations.
    • Handout with additional web resources (Acrobat (PDF) 23kB Mar31 09)

End of workshop wrap-up.