Teaching + Learning Lab

Application Period for the Spring 2026 Lesson Planning Track
2026-04-06 12:00 - 2026-04-12 23:59 (America/New_York)
About the Program

The Lesson Planning Track is a sequence of three workshops focused on preparing an effective lesson plan for a class session or recitation, developing skills for classroom presentation and effective classroom activities, and giving formative feedback to students. Over the course of the workshop track, participants develop a detailed lesson plan on a topic of their choice with feedback from the instructor.

Workshop Schedule

Facilitating Learning

Tuesday, April 28, 10:00-12:00 pm

Intended Learning Outcomes:

Describe the benefits of implementing ILO-aligned active learning strategies in the classroom.

Identify the specific benefits and challenges of implementing a particular active learning strategy

Design opportunities for practice that engage students cognitively and align with desired ILOs through the use of active learning strategies.

Reduce barriers to inclusion by intentionally using a variety of active learning techniques with attentiveness to implementation details.

Planning for Learning

Thursday, April 30, 10:00-12:00 pm

Intended Learning Outcomes:

Describe the impact that prior content knowledge, previously mastered skills, and beliefs about learning have on how students learn

List some strategies to ascertain students’ prior knowledge, skills, and beliefs.

Use scaffolding and an understanding of prior knowledge and skills to sketch an outline of a class session that includes active learning.

Effective Feedback

Tuesday, May 5, 10:00-12:00 pm

Intended Learning Outcomes:

Describe the characteristics of effective feedback.

Explain how cultivating a growth mindset in your students can foster resilience and increase academic performance.

Provide targeted and growth-oriented feedback.

To complete the track and receive a letter of completion, participants must attend all three workshops and complete the required out-of-class work.

How to Apply

Any graduate student is welcome to apply. Participants from previous workshop tracks have priority. After that, applicants are selected on a first-come, first-served basis, so please apply early. Applications must be received by 11:59 pm Sunday, April 12, to be considered.

2026-2027 Teaching Development Fellows Network-Deadline Extended!
2026-04-13 12:00 - 2026-05-10 23:59
Deadline extended through May 10!

Apply

F-1 International students are eligible to apply

Recording from 11/24 info session:

What are TDFs?

Teaching Development Fellows work within an interdisciplinary network of peers dedicated to teaching and learning. They receive training and mentorship in teaching from TLL and design and lead independent, department-based workshops and events (in person or remote) aimed at improving grad students’ teaching skills.

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 TLL.

What do TDFs do?

We encourage TDFs to pursue events and activities that interest them and that they believe will be valuable to their graduate-student peers in their departments. A key value of the program is promoting graduate student leadership. But some examples of recent successful TDF activities are listed below to give you a better sense of what you might do as a TDF

TA Check-inMost fellows, small-scale project
An informal meeting with current TAs to find out what challenges they are facing and, if possible, answer their teaching questions. These check-in’s are a opportunity for the fellow to introduce themselves to the TAs and figure out what kinds of events or projects they might be interested in for the future. Some TDFs host multiple check-ins over the semester.The basic objective of Unified is to give a solid understanding of the fundamental disciplines of aerospace engineering, as well as their interrelationships and applications. […]

Leading a Teaching Careers Alumni Teaching PanelPrerna Ravi (24-25 TDF for EECS), small to mid-scale project.
An in-person, one-hour panel discussion with recent graduates from EECS discussing their career path so far, how much of their time is devoted to teaching and research at different types of institutions, and how they approach teaching. Panelists also answered questions about the transition from TA to instructor-of-record and what resources they might take advantage of in graduate school to prepare to teach as a future-faculty member.

Graduate Teach-off CompetitionHalie Olson (21-22 TDF for BCS) small- to mid-scale project
A friendly competition where graduate students design and present 10-minute micro-lessons with scoring and feedback from department and TLL staff. This style of event may be conducted as a one-off event, but in this iteration there was a pre-competition round in which participants presented their lessons to the TDF and received feedback in advance.

Feature Film as a Teaching Tool workshopWright Smith (24-25 TDF for Political Science)
An interactive workshop on a topic of special interest to the facilitator and graduate students in the department. The TDF led active learning strategies focused on using feature films as a tool in the classroom and led participants in an activity to brainstorm how to apply this technique in their own teaching.

Conducting a TA Experience SurveyLaurel White (24-25 TDF for Physics), mid- to large-scale project
An exit survey for fall-semester TAs collecting anonymized information on time spent as a TA, primary duties, and support from department and subject instructor. Data from these surveys is synthesized and shared with appropriate department stakeholders to recommend systemic departmental changes where possible.

Developing TA Resource DocumentsEllan Kan (22-23 TDF for BE) and Kasey Love (23-24 TDF for BE), large-scale project
A collection of resources developed over the course of two years by two TDFs from the same department. These documents focused on helping improve communication across teaching teams and set clear expectations for TA activities. Fellows used their own experience, feedback from peers, and input from their department to develop the collection of resources.

Designing a Special Seminar on TeachingScott Weimann (24-25 TDF for WHOI), large-scale project
A credit-bearing (2-unit) subject co-taught with department faculty. The subject was conducted as a scaled-down version of TLL certificate programs for students who would not have the opportunity to take them, including lesson plan and course development, and microteaching.

Who can be a TDF?

Applicants must be graduate students in good academic standing with at least one semester of teaching or TA experience. Priority will be given to applicants who demonstrate a commitment to developing a community of evidence-based and reflective teaching in their departments, have additional teaching experience, and/or have already completed the Kaufman Teaching Certificate Program (KTCP), Grad Teaching Development Tracks, or equivalent training.*

Selected applicants who have not previously completed KTCP or a similar program will receive additional training during summer 2026 before beginning the program.

*Examples of equivalent training are achieving an undergraduate or graduate degree in education, or completing the CIRTL MOOC, NSF GK12 program, or MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program.

How do I apply?

The online application includes the following:

Contact and department information

Previous participation in teaching development programming

Short answer questions on the following topics:

Challenges to developing teaching skills for graduate students in your department and proposals for how to address these challenges

Description of teaching philosophy and teaching methods currently in use or planned

Description and explanation of how you would approach a short TA check-in in your department.

Explanation of teaching philosophy and experience

Description of prior leadership experience

If interested in an at-large position, a short description of what kind of project you would like to be involved in.

Applicants must also upload a current C.V., including teaching experience

A strong application should include:

A specific description of the challenges to developing teaching skills within your department and a specific plan to address these challenges.

An evidence-based understanding of what makes for effective teaching

At least one semester of TAing or similar teaching experience

Upon completion of the application, your advisor or graduate officer (identified in the application) will be contacted to confirm good academic standing and acknowledge your prospective participation. A letter of reference is not required.

Fellows are selected by a committee of TLL staff and former fellows in consultation with their departments. All materials must be received no later than May 10, 2026.

Panel Discussion– How AI is Changing Student Learning: Perspectives from MIT Students
2026-04-28 13:00 - 14:00
Moderated by Dr. Lourdes Alemán, in collaboration with MIT Radius

Description

As AI transforms our teaching and learning, it is important to recognize that students’ experiences and attitudes towards AI are not homogeneous. In this panel of MIT students, we will discuss how they use AI tools, the impact of these tools on their learning, and the ethical frameworks and concerns that they bring to their work. This conversation will allow educators to understand students’ perspectives on the motivations, challenges, and expectations shaping AI use today as they navigate these tools in real time.

Student Panel

Felicity Zhou is a 3rd year student with a double major in mathematics with computer science (Course 18-C) and physics (Course 8)

Anne Reidenbach is a 2nd year student with a major in artificial intelligence and decision making (Course 6-4)

Olivia Honeycutt is a senior with a double major in computation and cognition (Course 6-9) and linguistics (Course 24-2)

John Zhang is a graduate student in mechanical engineering

About Radius

Radius partners with students, staff, faculty, and community members who desire to engage effectively in making the world a better place. Our programming sparks lively intellectual conversations, with the commitment go deeper than merely the exchange of ideas. We strive to inspire people to look at the world in a new way, to consider the deeper ethical implications of their actions, and take action to promote justice, dignity and peace.

Application Period for the Summer 2026 Microteaching Track
2026-05-04 12:00 - 2026-05-10 23:59
Any graduate student is welcome to apply

About the Program

The Microteaching Track consists of two microteaching workshops. In the first workshop, a small group of students each presents a brief teaching demo and receives feedback from peers and TLL staff. After the first workshop, participants incorporate the feedback they received into their teaching demo and present the improved version in the second session.

Workshop Schedule

To be determined by participant availability:

Microteaching 1: Weeks of May 25 & June 1

Microteaching 2: Weeks of June 8 & 15

How to Apply

Any graduate student is welcome to apply

Prerequisite: Applicants must have already completed the Lesson Planning Track to be considered. Priority is given to those who anticipate a teaching or TA appointment within the next two semesters. The remaining applications will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applications must be received by 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, May 10. If you have additional questions or encounter difficulty with the application, please contact Ben Hansberry

Please note that the application button will not work until the application is open.
