New Instructor Foundations Program (Day 2)
The New Instructor Foundations program helps prepare graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who will be teaching or co-teaching their own course as first-time instructors. Eligible participants attend three half-day training sessions on a variety of teaching topics and have the opportunity to connect with other graduate and postdoctoral instructors and support unit staff. The program was approved by the Alternative Credentials Approval Committee (ACAC) at the University of Waterloo.
Upon completion of the program, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Who can register
The program is open to any graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who will be teaching a course as an instructor (e.g., graduate instructor, sessional instructor, or co-instructor) at the University of Waterloo in the two terms following the training session (i.e., Fall 2026 and Winter 2027).
The program is designed to help those who already know what course they’re teaching to (re-)design the course, including preparing the syllabus, assessments, and teaching and learning activities. We also want to build a community of instructors who will be teaching in the same term. Only those who have been assigned a course to teach may take part in the program.
Program schedule
The program is held fully in-person at the main university campus.
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 9 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | Introduction, Welcome and Community Building |
| 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. | Session 1: Creating a Positive Climate for Learning |
| 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. | Session 2: From TA to Course Instructor (Graduate Instructor Panel) |
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Session 3: Student-Centered Course Design |
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. | Session 4: Learner-Centered Feedback and Assessment |
| 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. | Session 5: Developing a Learner-Centered Syllabus |
| 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. | Session 6: Starting and Ending Well (Support Unit Panel) |
Program goals and outcomes
By the end of the program, participants will:
- Build community with other graduate student and postdoctoral instructors
- Identify strategies that can be used to foster an inclusive learning environment and build classroom community
- Plan how they'll adopt and/or adapt ideas shared by experienced graduate student instructors into their own course
- Align intended learning outcomes, assessments, and learning activities in their course
- Refine or design assessment methods and reflect on their rationale for selecting these assessment methods
- Start drafting or enhancing the syllabus for their course
- Identify University of Waterloo resources and people to support them in their work as an instructor
How to register:
Email cte-grad@uwaterloo.ca with the following information:
- The number and title of the course you’re teaching (e.g., HLTH 101: Introduction to Health)
- The term you’re teaching the course in (e.g., Fall 2026)
- The modality of the course (e.g., online or in-person)