Fundamentals Workshops

Every term, the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) offers workshops on a variety of university teaching topics including lesson plans, interactive teaching methods, classroom delivery skills, assessment, professional development, and much more!

How it works

As part of the Fundamentals of University Teaching program, participants must attend 6 workshops, including:

Effective Lesson Plans (CTE202) (required) and
5 elective workshops which can be taken on-campus and/or online (see below for specific details)

To view the workshop schedule for the current term, visit Fundamentals Events.

Requirements

Elective Workshop Requirements (on-campus)

Only CTE workshops numbered CTE 490 or lower qualify.
Participants must arrive on time and stay for the entire workshop to obtain credit.
A maximum of one workshop credit can be obtained by attending Special Topics (CTE219) workshops.

Elective Workshop Requirements (online)

Elective workshop credit is awarded for completing the following online modules at MyGradSkills.ca, a professional development program for graduate (Master’s and PhD) students in Ontario.

You can use a maximum of two of the online courses towards Fundamentals workshop credit.

Teaching Online - Basic Skills for TAs: This module provides introductory preparation for graduate students wishing to be teaching assistants in fully online courses or blended courses with significant online activities. This module was created by the Centre for Extended Learning, University of Waterloo.
Teaching Online - Advanced Skills for Graduate Students: This module teaches strategies for facilitating online learning effectively.
Intercultural Competency: This module provides an introduction to the key concepts of identity, bias, privilege, and intercultural competence.

To receive credit, register at mygradskills.ca using your university email account, or login with your existing account.

Select one of the eligible courses above and click "Enrol Me."
Complete the full module at your own pace.
Once you successfully complete the course you will be able to access your “Certificate of Achievement.” Download this PDF file.
Send your “Certificate of Achievement” PDF file to cte-grad@uwaterloo.ca and include your full name and student ID number in the email.
Within 7 business days you will receive a confirmation email that 1 credit towards the Fundamentals certificate has been added to your record.

Prior Learning Recognition

Participants with related prior learning may be eligible to receive credit in the Fundamentals program. To be considered for prior credit, please contact cte-grad@uwaterloo.ca with an electronic copy of your degree certificate or transcript.

B.Ed. or TESOL: Participants who have completed one of these programs will receive credit for the equivalent of 3 Fundamentals workshop credits. Participants must complete Effective Lesson Plans (CTE202) as one of their 3 required workshops.
Instructional Skills Workshops (ISW): Participants who have completed an ISW series through CTE or a similar program will receive prior credit recognition for Effective Lesson Plans (CTE202), Classroom Delivery Skills (CTE226), and one Micoteaching Session (CTE499).
Online Teaching Assistant/Preceptor (OTAP) program:
Participants who have completed this program offered by the Center for Extended Learning will receive credit for the equivalent of 5 Fundamentals workshop credits (CTE401 to CTE405). Participants must complete Effective Lesson Plans (CTE202) and 3 Microteaching Sessions as their remaining requirements.
University teaching certificate from a different institution: Participants with prior certificates can inquire about eligibility by providing a detailed outline of the program they have previously completed.