Fundamentals of Teaching is a yearlong cohort program designed to support new and early-career instructors as they build confidence, strengthen their teaching practice, and connect with colleagues across disciplines. Faculty, lecturers, professors of practice, and other instructors who are new to teaching or new to teaching at Nebraska are welcome and encouraged to join.
Join Our Community
Fundamentals of Teaching is a discussion-based learning community where participants can explore practical teaching questions with peers and instructional designers from the Center for Transformative Teaching. The program focuses on course design, Canvas organization, assessment and grading, student feedback, accessibility and accommodations, student engagement, course evaluation feedback, and managing teaching workload.
Participants will meet monthly throughout the academic year. Sessions will include brief facilitator framing, peer conversation, practical activities, and opportunities to apply ideas directly to participants’ own courses. The program also includes light-touch peer mentoring and a formative, non-evaluative classroom peer review process.
Program Objectives and Expectations
Learning Objectives
Fundamentals of Teaching will help participants to better:
- Design organized, student-centered courses.
- Use Canvas and academic technology strategically.
- Create assessments that are meaningful, rigorous, and manageable to grade.
- Provide feedback students can understand and use.
- Manage teaching workload effectively.
- Understand UNL students and how disciplinary context shapes teaching.
- Respond productively to course feedback and student learning needs.
- Navigate basic accessibility and accommodation processes.
- Make practical decisions about AI in assessment, feedback, and course design.
- Build a peer teaching network across colleges.
Program Expectations
Participants are expected to:
- Attend monthly cohort meetings.
- Participate in discussion and peer activities.
- Bring course materials or teaching questions to selected sessions.
- Complete a formative, non-evaluative classroom peer review cycle.
- Reflect on teaching goals and identify manageable changes throughout the year.
Fundamentals of Teaching Tentative Schedule
| Session | Date/Time | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Cohort Launch: Teaching at UNL |
| 2 | Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Designing a Course Students Can Navigate |
| 3 | Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Canvas for Student Success |
| 4 | Tuesday, December 8, 2026, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Assessment That Does Not Take Over Your Life |
| 5 | Tuesday, January 12, 2027, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Teaching Load and Midyear Course Adjustments |
| 6 | Tuesday, February 9, 2027, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Making Sense of Course Feedback |
| 7 | Tuesday, March 9, 2027, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Feedback Students Will Actually Use |
| 8 | Tuesday, April 13, 2027, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Beyond Lecture: Practical Engagement Strategies |
| 9 | Tuesday, May 11, 2027, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Cohort Reflection and Year-Two Planning |