Approximately 1/3 of UNT courses are taught by Graduate Student Teaching Fellows and even more classes utilize Graduate Teaching Assistants who impact the undergraduate education of thousands of students.   Further, many of our graduate students consider teaching experience to be a valuable professional development opportunity.   

In light of UNT's commitment to Teaching Excellence, we are launching a new graduate student teaching excellence program, G*STEP. In partnership with academic units, this program will provide:

• teaching/learning workshops
• mentoring
• teaching experience
• a supportive community of practice
• an opportunity to develop a teaching philosophy and teaching portfolio
• a certificate of teaching excellence and letter of reference

Program Purpose

Upon completion of the G*STEP Program, participants will be able to effectively teach or support those who teach a university course; i.e. articulating their role and resources, organizing and explaining materials, establishing and maintaining an effective learning environment, and promoting self-regulated learning. It is the purpose of this certification program to provide essential materials and experiences to promote this outcome.

Expectations of Pilot Program Participants

For this pilot, we are looking for TA's and TF's and graduate students recommended by their advisor, faculty, or chair who have completed at least one year of a UNT Doctoral or Masters degree program, are actively enrolled during G*STEP participation, and meet one or more of these three additional criteria.

• Interested in teaching in higher education upon graduation.
• Have participated in online learning
• Currently working as a TA or TF
• Planning to apply to be a TA or TF

• Gaining peer, institution, and industry recognition for your accomplishments and participation in the program  
• Learning course design best practices to improve the engagement, collaboration, assessment and learner support within your own courses or courses you help develop

Important Dates:

• December 1: program is Open for Submissions - all categories
• February 29: Submission Deadline
• March 19 - April 6: Review Period
• Early May: Winners selected for all categories
• July: Winner Recognition at the Catalyst Awards Luncheon at BbWorld2012 in New Orleans 

In order to provide UNT students a way to express their appreciation to teachers who have had a positive impact upon their lives, CLEAR has launched an exciting "Thank a Teacher" program. This program began this fall semester and will continue every semester thereafter.  

This "Thank a Teacher" Program provides an opportunity for our students to send thank you notes to their teachers who have made a difference in their academic lives at UNT. These notes are generated online through a "Thank a Teacher" website. The notes then become part of an appreciation letter signed by the Provost and sent to each recognized teacher and their Deans and Department Chairs. This fall, we had a wonderful response and are in the process of sending over 900 thank-you notes to faculty.   

The Thank A Teacher program will begin the process for the Spring semester in March 2012.