Preparing to Teach

Small Things, Big Impact: Setting the Stage for the Semester

Assistant Professor Seth Polsley holds class outdoors of the Kauffman Academic Residential Center.

May 3 | Learn pedagogical strategies and Canvas design features which can be implemented by instructors before and during the first week of class.

Developing an Inclusive Syllabus

Class preparation materials on a desk

Apr 19 | Engage in peer review to revise the tone of your syllabus and you will revise a policy to include more equity considerations.

Introduction to Inclusive Teaching

Brian Couch is pictured in a lecture hall teaching a class.

Feb. 9 | Learn how to use reflective practice to develop more inclusive course policies, interactions, and assessments.

Canvas Scavenger Hunt

This scavenger hunt is designed to get you thinking about the challenges that students may face when navigating your Canvas course.

Syllabus and Course Policies for Inclusive Teaching

The information that we include, the language we choose to use, and the expectations we set all send implicit signals to our students about our values as instructors.

2022-2023 Teaching Planner

In this planner, you can organize some of your teaching-related responsibilities, debrief on classroom experiences with an eye toward iteration, journal on your own professional development experiences, and note any questions you might have about teaching throughout the year.

Canvas Commons: Modules for Instructors

Use high-quality instructional modules to supplement student support information in your course.

Backward Design Self-Guided Mini-Course

An asynchronous, self-paced introduction to the Backward Design model of course planning.

Accessibility and UDL Instructor Resource

Curated by several university departments and experts, the Accessibility and UDL Instructor Resource is available through Canvas.

Syllabus Review Guide for Equity-Minded Practice

In order to develop a course mindful of equity, consider revamping the course syllabus.

Cultivating an inclusive classroom environment

This tipsheet is the first of a series designed to provide simple, generally applicable, tips on specific topics to enhance the inclusiveness of your courses

Planning for the first week of classes

This resource page aims to help faculty prepare for the first week of classes.

Teaching@UNL: A Comprehensive Resource

The Teaching@UNL course in Canvas is designed as a resource for all instructors with teaching resources and updates

Preparing to Teach Essentials

The following resources will help get the semester off to a good start. 

Accessibility Essentials Checklist

Use this checklist to address essentials and learn more about accessibility and universal design for learning (UDL) with the Accessibility and UDL Instructor Resource developed by the CTT in collaboration with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), Instructional Technology Services (ITS), and Institutional Equity and Compliance (IEC).

Creating a Syllabus

Learn some essential points of your syllabus should include to ensure effective communication to students from the start