Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning

Start your new journey in teaching with the enhanced and flexible Graduate Teaching Program

The refreshed program built to meet the needs graduate students new to teaching and new to teaching in Canada.

Group of adults listening the male speaker in small classroom.
Estimated Read Time:
1 minute
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash.
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash.
Estimated Read Time:
1 minute

Are you ready start your journey in teaching? Learn the foundations of post-secondary teaching and learning in Canada with the Graduate Teaching Program (GTP). The program is grounded in principles of inclusivity, Indigenous knowledge and teachings. It brings greater flexibility and choice to students while creating comprehensive journey for aspiring educators. 

Learn about teaching at your own pace by combining foundational modules, elective modules and an optional capstone to build your own path to success. Students can select to pursue individual courses (with digital badges) or complete the program with a capstone project. The modules are fully online in UM Learn. 

Renato Bezerra, a PhD candidate in Engineering Education, participated in the 2024 pilot and found the experience to be unique compared to others. Bezerra described it as “more relaxed, welcoming, and meaningful."

...it was self-paced with enough time to complete it; welcoming because of the friendly tone and relatable nature of the content; and more meaningful because the assessment allowed me to connect the learnings from the GTP with my previous experiences and knowledge.

Renato Bezerra

[The GTP program] positioned me to take on more leadership roles in academia and contribute meaningfully to creating inclusive, student-centered learning environments.

Dr. Ruchira Nandasiri

The GTP program not only helps build classroom skills but also equips participants with a broad set of abilities that can be applied to further their career in other ways. Dr. Ruchira Nandasiri, a Post Doctoral Fellow in Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, used skills developed in the GTP program to apply for the McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Fellows Teaching & Leadership Program at McMaster University. 

Nandasiri explains “The GTP program, particularly its emphasis on inclusive teaching practices and cultural awareness, has helped me refine my application and better articulate my approach to teaching and research. The McCall McBain Fellowship places a strong emphasis on teaching excellence and the ability to engage postdoctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds, both of which are areas I have worked to strengthen through the GTP program.”  

Nandasiri is one of only twenty fellows selected for the McMaster program this term.

The GTP program was revamped to improve access, recognize the diverse needs of graduate students, and foster their success as part of The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning’s continued commitment to empowering learners. Strengthening graduate student teaching skills is one way The Centre is helping build an exceptional student experience at UM.

Learn more about the graduate teaching program, please visit the GTP website. 

By

The Centre for Advancement for Teaching and Learning