The Teaching Development Fellows Network (TDFN) is a professional development and leadership opportunity for graduate students who are interested in improving their teaching while promoting pedagogical development and discussion among their peers. Fellows organize and direct department-based events. They also develop resources aimed at developing TA’s teaching skills in their home department with support from TLL and an interdisciplinary network of fellows.
The program is an opportunity to improve your teaching practice, demonstrate your commitment to teaching, and help elevate the quality of teaching in your department.
2024-2025 Teaching Development Fellows
| Fellow | Department |
|---|---|
| Gabriel Andrade | Architecture (Course 4) |
| Katie Blackwell | Biology (Course 7) |
| Zoë de Beurs | Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (Course 12) |
| Bennett Eckert | Linguistics and Philosophy (Course 24) |
| Andrew Fishberg | Aeronautics and Astronautics (Course 16) |
| Megan Gillen | MIT-WHOI Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering |
| Olivia Houck | Architecture (Course 4) |
| Sandra Huffman | Mechanical Engineering (Course 2) |
| Rustam Khan | History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society (Course 21/STS) |
| Chenab Navalkha | Urban Studies and Planning (Course 11) |
| Mrinalini Penumaka | Urban Studies and Planning (Course 11) |
| Prerna Ravi | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Course 6) |
| Alex Rewegan | History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society (Course 21/STS) |
| Jocelyn Shen | Media Arts and Sciences (MAS) |
| Wright Smith | Political Science (Course 17) |
| Laurel White | Physics (Course 8) |
| Scott Wieman | MIT-WHOI Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering |
Fellows’ activities
Teaching Development Fellows focus their activities on addressing the teaching needs in their departments. Since the needs and teaching experience of each department varies, fellows take the lead in identifying and designing programming that would be most appropriate for their peers.
Each semester, fellows design and complete 2 departmental projects:
- Fellows may design an event that either presents a pedagogical concept or teaching practice in a disciplinary context or provides training for new TAs in their department (e.g, a workshop, training session, or faculty panel).
- Fellows may design a project or event that fosters a collaborative culture of teaching in their department, such as organizing microteaching or peer observation, leading a learning community or reading group, hosting a luncheon, or developing departmental resources. This may be an existing program that the fellow maintains or enhances.
Fellows receive additional training from TLL on workshop design and the scholarship of teaching and learning by enrolling in a 2-credit subject in the fall and spring. In addition to departmental projects, fellows have the opportunity to:
- Collaborate with peers across the Institute and assist in TA Days programming
- Meet regularly as a cohort to share ideas and discuss teaching topics
- Observe at least one other fellow’s programs
Fellows should plan to commit approximately 8-10 hours per month from August to May to achieve the work associated with this program. Their work is supported by each fellow’s department with a total stipend of $2,100. There are also a number of at-large positions available, supported directly by the TLL.
Aims and impact
The Teaching Development Fellows Network is designed to improve TA teaching, benefiting the Institute on several levels.
- Fellows benefit departments by providing specialized training for TAs with oversight from TLL.
- Fellows benefit the graduate student community by acting as teaching mentors, organizing collaborative learning communities, and providing a connection to other programs.
- Fellows benefit undergraduates by providing resources and training to new TAs, improving their ability to help undergraduates succeed.
- Fellows benefit themselves through academic and pedagogical professional development by continuing a reflective teaching practice, designing original workshops, and working in a collaborative and interdisciplinary network.