Interested participants should register using the links below. Both workshops count towards the CTL Teaching Certificate. 

The Academic Tightrope: Balancing Teaching, Mentoring, and Research in STEM Fields

September 21st, 2021: 5:00 pm to 6:15 pm
Johnson Pavilion Room 209
https://www.ctl.upenn.edu/event/academic-tightrope-balancing-teaching-mentoring-and-research-stem-fields
Hosted by Marisa Egan, CTL Graduate Fellow, Cell & Molecular Biology

A panel of the following experienced graduate student and post-doc teachers will discuss how they manage varying time commitments in academia and will engage in a Q&A discussion with the audience.  

Jasmine Alexander, PhD: NIH/IRACDA (PennPORT) Postdoctoral Fellow in Sunny Shin’s lab 
Rebecca Glynn: Cancer Biology PhD Candidate in Craig Bassing’s lab 
Heather Schiller: Biology PhD Candidate in Mecky Pohlschröder’s lab 
Vincent Wu: Microbiology PhD Candidate in Mike Betts’ lab 

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Preparing Students for Midterms and Exams in STEM Fields
October 6th, 2021: 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
CTL Seminar Room, Van Pelt 134
https://www.ctl.upenn.edu/event/preparing-students-midterms-and-exams-stem-fields
Hosted by Marisa Egan, CTL Graduate Fellow, Cell & Molecular Biology

STEM classes often move at a rapid pace, such that the course material accumulates quickly and can make preparing for exams a daunting task. Students need to stay on the top of the material so they do not fall behind and resort to last-minute “cramming” before exams. As teachers, we must help our students devise effective and efficient study strategies that allow them to synthesize the concepts they are learning. It is also essential that we help our students develop ways to retain the material for long-term understanding rather than short-term memorization merely for the exam. In this workshop, we will address how instructors can promote good study habits in their STEM classrooms through teaching practices that foster long-term learning and building connections among different parts of the material. We will also discuss the use of practice exam questions to help students gauge how they will be assessed. Finally, we will consider how instructors can use individualized approaches to engage certain students who are struggling with specific areas of exam preparation.