Information Technology Professional Development (ITPD) for new instructors

Please note: Updated instructor procedures and tips for online course delivery have been added to the main instructor resource page.

Welcome to the ITPD program!

You have decided to teach an ITPD course or have a new topic that you want to create into a course. The only question is, now what? Below is a guide for new instructors/courses that covers information and requirements, preparing to lead a course, scheduling a course run-through, and final steps before your presentation.

Information and requirements

  • We offer two different classroom styles for ITPD courses. These include lecture style and labs. 
    • Lecture style locations:
      • Mathematics and Computing (MC), room 2009.
      • East Campus 5 (EC5), room 1111.
      • East Campus 2 (EC2), room 1021.
    • Lab locations: Mathematics and Computing (MC), rooms 1078 and 2060.
  • MC rooms: if you do not have keys, please arrange to borrow the spare key from Liz Doede.
  • EC5: a key fob is required, therefore the ITPD coordinator will bring it to the room 20 minutes before class.
  • Courses must have a minimum of five registrants. Two days before the course, if there are less than five registrants, the course will be cancelled. A notification will be sent to the instructor and registrants.

Preparing to lead a course

  • Create course notes.
    • Need help creating course notes? Review our Resources and templates for additional information including a ready-to-use ITPD course notes template.
  • Once you have finished updating your course notes, send a copy to the ITPD coordinator at istsew@uwaterloo.ca so they can be uploaded to the ITPD Training SharePoint site. Anytime these notes are updated, resend to the ITPD coordinator.
    • Handouts for presentation-style courses will be emailed to participants by the ITPD coordinatortwo business days ahead of time, meaning that it is optional to provide printed copies.
  • Instructors may arrange to have an assistant help with the hands-on portion of the course, answer any questions, etc.

  • If you are using a training lab (MC 1078 or 2060), you will require instructor and student (registrant) sign-on lab accounts.

    • To set up sign-on lab accounts, email request@uwaterloo.ca.

    • Please note, there are 20 computers available. We recommend class sizes of 18 just in case there are technical difficulties. You can accept participants to 20, however this should be under the condition that if any computer breaks, they will need to complete the course at a later date (as their spot will be given to the participant with the broken computer).

  • Review our Frequently asked questions (FAQ) to learn about obtaining class lists from Workday, prerequisites and more!

  • Review your course presentation and/or handout(s).

Course run through

New instructors and/or courses will require an official run-through in their classroom with the ITPD coordinator. It is recommended to schedule this a month before teaching in order to review feedback and make adjustments.

Review our Checklists to prepare for this run through as if you were teaching a real course.

Once you are ready for a run-through, contact the ITPD coordinator at istsew@uwaterloo.ca to schedule.

What's next?

After completing the run-through, update your course notes and/or teaching notes with the feedback received. We recommend completing a few more practice runs (on your own or with your department) to incorporate the feedback.

Here are some final points to include before your first course:

  • Two business days before teaching, check the instructor and one student account in the lab to make sure they are working.
  • Print the class list a day before/day of to ensure you have the most recent information. Reference the accessing/printing the class list help document to create your class list.
  • Print the ITPD checklist to have for your first course and to review that everything has been covered.

Teaching tips

Need some help teaching? Review our teaching tips to see what has helped our past instructors.

Practice, practice, practice!

Practicing in front of coworkers can be a great way to prepare for a course. You might feel prepared after practicing on your own however the feedback of others can really make the difference from a good course to a great one.

Reflect on previous courses taught

Sometimes questions are asked in previous course offerings that can be incorporated into your course content. This can be a reflection on your previous courses, or courses that you have attended.

Be mindful of filler words/sounds

"Um", "uh", and "like", if you need a moment to gather your thoughts, take it. Using filler words/sounds distracts learners and can impact your credibility. Sometimes you will not hear these filler words which is why it is important to practice in front of a group.

Avoid rambling and run-on sentences

Similar to filler words/sounds, run-on sentences can impact learners as they will have a hard time identifying key points or may be overwhelmed with the amount of content. Try keeping sentences short and simple.

Pause/take a breath

Although pausing for a sip of water, or taking a moment to gather your thoughts may seem awkward, participants are also given a moment to reflect on what's just been said.

Note: you can always take this time before sipping some water to ask if anyone has any questions.

Pause before taking participant screens back

If you're sharing your instructor screen with the class, ensure there is a one-second pause before so that participants have a chance to quickly finish up.

Ask "What questions can I answer?"

Include question prompts throughout the class to help clarify concepts, and to create a comfortable learning environment for everyone. We typically recommend ending each section with asking if there are any questions.

It's okay to not have all the answers

Don't know the answer? That's okay! Take note of it, and follow up with that individual (and even the class) so it can be a learning opportunity for everyone.

Have the answer, but not enough time?

Sometimes participants may ask an in-depth question that you do not have the time to answer, or the question is unrelated to the course. A great way to cover this is to advise that person they can speak with you at break or after the course where you can spend the time to fully answer their question.

Have a class with "question-askers"?

Although each participant/class will vary, you can: note the question for follow-up, mention it will be addressed later on in the course, or speak to that person during the break/after the class since it doesn't quite apply to everyone in the room etc.

You are now ready to teach. Good luck!