Emerging Educators Symposium
August 19, 2025 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
In person at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning
The Emerging Educators Symposium offers a focused opportunity for early career educators to enhance their teaching practice, connect with peers, and prepare for the academic year ahead through practical, hands-on workshops.
Who should attend: Graduate Students, Teaching Assistants, Postdoctoral Scholars, Sessional Instructors
This event will be held in person at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.
Have questions?
Contact the event team for more information.
Schedule overview
This event will take place at The Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning (434 Collegiate Blvd NW).
| Time | Session |
| 9 – 9:50 a.m. | Panel - How to Prepare for a Teaching-Focused Career |
| 10 – 10:50 a.m. | Session A – Teaching with Neurodiversity in Mind |
| 10 – 10:50 a.m. | Session B – Preparing for Teaching Demonstrations |
| 10 – 10:50 a.m. | Session C – Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness |
| 11 – 11:50 a.m. | Session D – Feedback Practices |
| 11 – 11:50 a.m. | Session E – Scholarship of Teaching and Learning |
9 - 9:50 a.m. | Panel discussion
How to Prepare for a Teaching-Focused Career
Panellists: Dr. Dawn Johnston; Dr. Kyla Flannagan, Dr. Ayesha Mian Akram, Dr. Annette Tezli
How to Prepare for a Teaching-Focused Career- This workshop/panel will provide an overview of things to consider when preparing for a teaching-focused academic career. The workshop will also cover tips and tricks for those interested in a research stream position but would like to know more about creating their teaching profile.
Related resources
Combining the Developmental Framework for Teaching Expertise (Kenny et al., 2017) and the Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness guide (Kenny et al., 2018), this Continuum summarizes the key elements and priorities of the Developmental Framework. For those new to the teaching profession, this resource charts the development of teaching expertise across four domains: Teaching and Supporting Learning; Professional Learning and Development; Mentorship; and Research, Scholarship and Inquiry.
This resource explores teaching expertise as an iterative journey of practice, reflection, and forward movement. It offers several principles, adapted from a number of expert sources from 1987 to 2022, that are meant to inspire further reflection and dialogue on teaching in post-COVID higher education.
See: Chapter 15, “Professional Teaching Development & SoTL Engagement”
This chapter of the Guide encourages ongoing professional development for graduate students as a component of teaching development and explores many helpful resources that can be helpful for graduate student teachers.
10 – 10:50 a.m. | Session A
Teaching with Neurodiversity in Mind
Facilitator: Dr. Alex Paquette
Neurodivergent students, those who think, learn, or process information differently, are part of every classroom. As a teaching assistant or future course instructor, you can play a decisive role in helping neurodivergent students feel supported, included, and able to thrive. This interactive workshop introduces the concept of neurodiversity and explores how common teaching practices may unintentionally create barriers for neurodivergent students. Participants will reflect on their own teaching experiences and leave with practical, flexible strategies they can apply in labs, tutorials, lectures, and assessments. We’ll focus on low-effort, high-impact ways to make learning environments more accessible, such as offering clear instructions, providing multiple ways to participate, and responding supportively to student disclosure. We’ll also touch on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a tool for inclusive course design. Whether you’re new to teaching or planning your first course, this workshop will help you build a more inclusive teaching practice that recognizes and values the diversity of minds in higher education.
Related resources
This lesson, from the online learning module Universal Design for Learning, provides an overview of neurodiversity and inclusion; offers strategies for creating positive, welcoming and inclusive learning spaces for neurodivergent students, and encourages instructors to set priorities for emotional, social, physical/sensory and cognitive inclusion in their courses.
This article in UToday summarizes the “6 Principles to Inform Inclusive Campuses for Autistic and Neurodivergent People”—a 2024 UFlourish webinar led by Jay Haukenfrers and Dr. Shane Lynch.
10 – 10:50 a.m. | Session B
Preparing for Teaching Demonstrations
Facilitator: Dr. Amber Porter
This interactive session will introduce learners to the BOPPPS framework for teaching and lesson planning, which is especially suited to singular instructional opportunities, such as teaching demonstrations and guest lectures. Participants will learn the elements of the model, the basics of lesson planning, and have opportunities to consider how they might adapt and apply such an approach to their own teaching.
Related resources
See: Chapter 8, “Lecturing” | 4 pages
This chapter offers several strategies for preparing well to lead lectures, including guiding principles of effective lecturing, organization of lecture materials, different lecture structures, and tips for lecture delivery that support learner engagement.
This resource offers a variety of teaching and learning activities that require minimal or no technology. These activities can help instructors engage students in effective discussions and other interactive learning activities.
This resource offers several strategies for executing group work in the classroom, including common challenges and how to address them.
11 – 11:50 a.m. | Session D
Managing and Providing Evidence of Feedback Practices
Facilitator: Kath Blair
In this workshop, participants will learn about receiving and providing feedback as a TA in their courses, as well as how to document their feedback approach in a teaching dossier as evidence of their teaching practice. This will be a hands-on workshop where participants reflect on their teaching, how they have dealt with feedback, and how they might make their feedback practice more reflective as well as how they can leverage it to further their career. Please bring examples of your feedback approach in courses and feedback you’ve given or received from students that you can refer to.
Related resources
See: Chapter 11, “Assessing Student Learning”
This chapter explores several strategies for effective classroom assessment, which are designed to encourage student focus, generate quality learning, provide feedback, and internalize disciplinary notions of quality. Many of the strategies offered can be used as evidence of teaching effectiveness in your teaching dossier.
See: Teaching focus resource | 2 pages
This resource outlines a method for collecting formative feedback that utilizes classroom representatives, which can be especially helpful in larger classes.
See: Teaching focus resource
This resource outlines the Teaching Squares initiative—designed to enhance teaching and learning and to build community through a process of reciprocal peer observation, self-reflection, and group discussion.
11 - 11:50 a.m. | Session E
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Facilitators: Austin Ashbaugh, Dr. Erika Smith
In this workshop, participants will consider a teaching and learning theory-practice spectrum, and discuss different ways to engage in good teaching, scholarly teaching, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Activities will include an exploration of the different kinds of evidence and artifacts that can represent these aspects that connect your teaching practice and scholarly work in your dossier or for potential academic job applications.
Related resources
Participants in this program will learn about scholarly, evidence-based approaches to student learning and teaching, and will have the opportunity to reflect and build upon their own teaching and learning practices.
Elon University Centre for Engaged Learning
This resource distinguishes between the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and scholarly teaching—a helpful distinction for graduate students new to SoTL and role in their teaching development.