COLLEGE TEACHING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Overview

Are you a graduate student or postdoc who is interested in teaching and learning? The College Teaching Certificate Program (CTC) is a yearlong, application-based learning cohort that is open to graduate students and postdocs who are interested in developing their teaching practice within the contexts of higher education. The program consists of monthly workshops, readings, and asynchronous deliverables that build toward a summative teaching portfolio. You will leave the program with hands-on teaching experience and a diverse portfolio that includes a teaching statement, statement of inclusion and equity, a lesson plan, an original course syllabus, and a classroom observation (if applicable). With an emphasis on peer learning and review, the CTC program is specifically designed to foster community and mentorship among graduate students and to provide you with well-rounded professional development for a future teaching career in higher education.

Applications for the ’23-24 Academic Year are now Closed.

OUTCOMES 

Upon completion of the College Teaching Certificate Program, participants will be able to: 

  • Design a learner-centered syllabus that includes an original course description, learning outcomes, assessments, and policies. 
  • Integrate inclusive teaching approaches in order to promote the learning and well-being of all students.  
  • Facilitate an original lesson plan that includes two learning outcomes and one assessment. 
  • Develop written statements (Teaching Statement and Statement of Inclusion and Equity) that reflect your unique perspectives, experiences, values, and skills as they relate to teaching and learning.  
  • Apply feedback from peers, facilitators, and mentors to improve your teaching portfolio materials. 
  • Build community with your peers to support the culture of teaching and learning at Mines and beyond. 

Deliverables  

You will leave the CTC program with a diverse teaching portfolio designed specifically to support graduate students transitioning to the academic job market. The portfolio includes: 

  • An original course syllabus 
  • An original lesson plan  
  • A Teaching Statement 
  • A Statement of Inclusion and Equity 
  • A classroom observation (if applicable)

Participants who successfully complete the program will receive a College Teaching Certificate that can be included in future job application materials!

ELIGIBILITY 

Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from any program at Mines may apply to the CTC program, with the following criteria strongly encouraged: 

  • Be at Mines full-time in the year you will participate.
  • Be advanced to candidacy OR provide in your application a clear explanation of why you are pursuing the CTC at this time. 
  • Engage in a teaching experience at some point during or soon after your participation in the program.

EXPECTATIONS

In order to successfully complete the CTC Program, participants are expected to: 

  • Attend an orientation and end-of-the-year celebration event. 
  • Attend five two-hour workshops, held monthly. 
  • Complete readings, tasks, and deliverables in advance of each workshop. 
  • Facilitate an original lesson plan during a microteaching experience. 
  • Develop a Teaching Statement and a Statement of Inclusion and Equity.
  • Provide peer feedback and revise portfolio materials based on the feedback they receive. 
  • Conduct/receive a classroom observation (if applicable).

CTC Participants should plan to commit roughly between 1-2 hours per week throughout the program.

SCHEDULE

Below is an approximate overview of the program schedule.

Term 
Month 
Workshop Topic (2-hour) 
Deliverable 
Fall 
September 
Orientation  
Syllabus Course Description 
October 
Inclusive Pedagogy 
Inclusive Teaching Statement & Course Policies  
November 
Learner-Centered Course Design 
Learning Outcomes & Assessment Plan 
December 
– 
Teaching Statement Draft; Revised Course Syllabus 
Spring 
January 
Methods for Facilitating Learning 
Lesson Plan Draft 
February 
Microteaching Sessions
Revised Lesson Plan & Reflection
March 
Reflecting On Our Teaching 
Revised Teaching Statement & Statement of Inclusion and Equity 
April / May
End of Year Celebration 
Showcase; Revised Teaching Portfolio 

TREFNY GRADUATE TEACHING FELLOWS

Throughout the CTC program, participants receive feedback, mentorship, and support from Trefny Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTFs), a team of graduate students and postdocs who have previous experiences in educational design, teaching, and mentorship. During their one-year fellowship, GTFs also engage in professional development opportunities and can pursue projects based on their own needs and interests. Fellows are selected each spring through a competitive application process.

Emily Sabo
(she/her)
PhD Candidate, Applied Chemistry
Aram Bingham
(he/him)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Applied Mathematics & Statistics

Alexa Bejarano

(she/her)
PhD Student, Computer Science

APPLICATION 

Participants in the CTC Program are selected each spring via a competitive application process. Notifications will be sent out to applicants in early May.  Please direct any questions about the CTC application to cartermoulton@mines.edu.

Applications for the ’23-24 academic year are now closed.

FAQ

Is the College Teaching Certificate licensed by the state of Colorado?

No, the Trefny College Teaching Certificate is not a teaching license or credential for K-12 instruction from the State of Colorado. If you are interested in licensure or K-12 instruction, please see Teach@Mines for more information. The College Teaching Certificate can be listed on your resume or CV and included in job applications, verifying your completion of the program. It is signed by the Director of the Trefny Center, Deb Jordan. Upon successful completion of the CTC Program, you will be contacted when to pick up your certificate and a .pdf version will be sent to your inbox. 

Is the CTC Program credit-bearing?

No, the College Teaching Certificate Program is not a credit-bearing course. It is a voluntary, application-based learning experience that takes place over the course of the academic year.