CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LANGUAGES TRAINING
In addition to the monthly meetings with my supervising French language director, the Rice University French Studies Department provided a semester-long pedagogical training course co-taught by three professors from the Center for the Study of Languages at Rice. This training dealt with everyday language teaching practice, and helped me as future Teaching Assistants to understand the methods and the assignments that characterize language instruction at Rice. This training also prepared me to deal with issues that could arise when teaching, and informed me on what to do if such problems occurred.
Evelyn Datta, the French language coordinator in my department, regularly sat in my class, and provided me with extensive help regarding details of my teaching practice. I myself have attended the language classes of other instructors or teaching assistants, which have provided me with great insight and materials to reflect upon my own teaching practice.
PEDAGOGY CLASSES AND TEACHING CERTIFICATES
Teaching Certificate: Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies
Theories and Methods of Foreign Language Teaching (Fall 2008)
This class was a semester long course designed for incoming graduate students and teaching assistants. The course provided students with materials and theoretical sources about communicative teaching, and about the many approaches to teaching language in general.
WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS
Dartmouth French Cultural Studies Institute (Summer 2009)
Four-week, advanced graduate student institute of French Studies where prominent invited speakers, representing every century concentration, addressed pedagogical approaches to teaching texts. As a final group project, we designed and proposed to other participants a syllabus to teach a course on Literature and Religion in French Studies.
“How to Develop an Effective Syllabus” (Jan. 2012)
Lunch-hour seminar on how to craft a working syllabus led by Prof. Michelle “Mikki” Hebl, Professor of Psychology.
“What I’ve Learned by Teaching” (Dec. 2011)
Lunch-hour seminar on integrating research and teaching led by Richard Baraniuk, Victor E. Cameron Professor in Engineering
“Playful Learning” (Oct. 2011)
A lunch-hour seminar on methods to bring fun into your teaching led by Dr. J. Bernardo Pérez, Associate Professor of Spanish.
“Classroom Management 101 or Saving Your Sanity As a Teacher” (Aug. 2011)
A lunch-hour seminar on how to manage your classroom, research and stress level in academia led by Dr. Paula Sanders, Dean of Graduate Studies.
“Crisis in the Classroom” (Nov. 2010)
Lunch-hour seminar on how to handle conflict with students led by Dr. Carl Caldwell, Prof. of History.
“A Conversation on Balancing Research and Teaching as a Graduate Student or New Faculty Member” (Sept 2010)
A lunch-time seminar on how to organize time for research and course preparation led by Dr. Fred Oswald, Assoc. Prof. of Psychology.
“Conceptual Development and Active Learning” (Sept. 2010)
Lunch-hour seminar on how to identify objectives vs. topics during course preparation in order promote active learning led by Dr. John Hutchinson, Dean of Undergraduates and Prof. of Chemistry.
