Spark+

Spark+ is a program for schools wishing to support faculty within their first year of teaching at UVA in developing effective approaches to teaching. Building on the CTE’s two-day introduction to teaching, Spark, Spark+ offers just-in-time, customized support to new faculty as they are navigating the intense—and often trying—first semesters. Experienced CTE team members will meet with school leaders to discuss the goals and disciplinary context and then co-develop sessions responsive to faculty needs, balancing tried and true teaching strategies with each cohort’s unique circumstances.

How might it look?

Scenario 1: Your school is interested in offering a stand alone series of 3-4 teaching workshops to support your new hires during their first semesters of teaching at UVA with the goals of building a supportive community and enhancing teaching effectiveness. You contact CTE and commission a pre-packaged sequence of just-in-time teaching workshops for new faculty.

Scenario 2: Your department has an existing series of meetings for new faculty to foster community and connect them with the resources and/or provide mentoring/onboarding (e.g., research support, onboarding advising procedures, etc.). You reach out to CTE to incorporate facilitated conversations about relevant teaching topics into several of the standing meetings at key points throughout the semester.

Scenario 3: Your school is interested in building a new professional development program for new faculty. You reach out to CTE to discuss how short workshops on timely teaching topics might be integrated into your program.

Ideas for sample sessions

• Teaching the first day(s) of class: tone-setting, fostering students’ sense of belonging, and managing mechanics

• Developing healthy habits for collecting and addressing mid-semester feedback

• Creating engaging assignments and providing effective feedback

• Transparency, structure, and boundaries in communication