Are you interested in exploring a teaching-focused career? Do you want to discuss pedagogical strategies, strengthen job application materials, or socialize with our Teaching Assistant Development Team? Then you’re in luck! There’s still time to register for Teaching Careers Week 2020, a full program of virtual events to support your professional goals with a specific focus on pedagogical development, skill-building, and career exploration.

[Image Description: With a worried look on her face, Lisa Simpson rides a bike and says, “Gotta pick a career.”]

Pictured: You, rushing to log onto some career-building Zoom sessions

This week will feature social opportunities to meet teaching professionals from UCR and other institutions. Our informal virtual coffee social will be sponsored by the Teaching Assistant Development Team on Wednesday, May 13th at 4 pm. Bring your own cup of coffee (or tea!), hop onto zoom, and learn about existing UCR resources to support your growth as a teaching assistant. This event will also include a Kahoot trivia game and an opportunity to win a $30 gift card. On Thursday, May 14th, at 10:30 am, we will hold a virtual panel with faculty from Community Colleges and California State Universities (CSUs). Join us to learn about our panelist’s career development and professional experiences while also getting your questions answered about the application process and job responsibilities.

[Image Description: A cartoon image of a hand lightly tapping a pencil against a blank notebook page.]

Pictured: You, about to sketch out your future teaching career goals

Are you more interested in developing applied skills around application material writing and interview preparation? The Graduate Writing Center will hold a two-part event on Writing an Effective Diversity Statement. The first part (Monday, May 11th at 3 pm) will share on strategies for drafting a strong document as well as highlight the best way to frame your statement for different contexts and criteria. The second part (Wednesday, May 13th at 10 am) will be a hands-on clinic that will give participants the opportunity to work on statement drafts directly with Graduate Writing Center Consultants. GradSuccess will also hold a discussion titled, “Talking about Online Teaching in Job Documents & Interviews” with Dr. Annemarie Perez (CSU Dominguez Hills) on Tuesday, May 12th (Time TBD). This conversation is increasingly important as online teaching becomes a more present part of our current instructional landscape.

To end the week, we will feature the Teaching Development Track on Friday, May 15th, a daylong series of webinars on student-centered pedagogy presented by participants of the 2019-2020 University Teaching Certificate (UTC) Program. Topics will include active learning techniques in the science classroom, technology use, promoting inclusivity, and more. If you’re interested in applying for the UTC Program next year, you must register and attend for the full day of sessions.

Teaching Careers Week 2020 events will run from May 11-15. Registration now open on our website! Have questions? Email gradsuccess@ucr.edu or gsrc@ucr.edu.