Are you a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow who is teaching or who has an interest in teaching? The Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning supports the newly created Graduate Student Teaching Community of Practice (CoP) and invites all interested student-educators to join.

What is a community of practice?

A Community of Practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a common concern, a set of problems or an interest in a topic, and who come together to fulfill both individual and group goals¹. The Graduate Student Teaching CoP is an interdisciplinary group of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are currently teaching or who have an interest in teaching.

What is involved?

In a supportive environment, share and explore ideas, expertise, challenges and resources on effective teaching practices with your fellow graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Members can attend regular synchronous meetings or participate in the online learning space.

Note: Meetings will primarily take place remotely to accommodate members from all Memorial campuses; however, there may also be opportunities for in-person meetings or campus-specific subgroups based on member interest.

Within the CoP, freely discuss active learning strategies, participation in large classes, reflective teaching practices and any other high-interest topics related to teaching in higher education. Group activities will vary, but may include:

• Sharing teaching strategies and resources.
• Engaging in professional development.
• Developing resources.
• Addressing specific challenges or issues.
• Learning from interdisciplinary experts and CITL experts.

Why should I join?

If you are a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow who is teaching or is interested in teaching, there are many benefits to joining. These include:

• Generating new knowledge to help transform your teaching practice.
• Networking and developing relationships with your peers from a variety of disciplines.
• Troubleshooting common problems, identifying solutions and sharing best practices.
• Participating in professional development and boosting your CV and teaching dossier.

How do I join?

If you have any questions or are interested in joining the Graduate Student Teaching CoP, please contact educatordev@mun.ca.

(1) Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, & William Snyder, Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge, Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2002