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Teaching Opportunities

The Biology department prides itself on our teaching, and we provide many types of opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, and post-docs to gain mentored experiences in education. Such experiences range from merely grading, to running discussion sections, to teaching your own course, depending on your qualifications as outlined below, and compensation is commensurate with time engaged.

  • If you have taken the course and performed well, contact the professor teaching the course at least a month before it’s offered and let them know of your interest.
  • If interested in being a Learning Assistant for intro biology labs (120L, 141L, or 142L) please contact Dr. Megan Cole for an application.
  • Receive either course credit or, in certain cases with experience, payment.

  • Can fulfill your TATTO teaching requirement; contact the professor teaching the course at least a month prior to the start of the semester.
  • There are many opportunities to teach a section of our intro biology lab courses (120L, 141L, and 142L) and we highly recommend these TA positions to students interested in gaining teaching experience. To learn more about these positions please see section below* on Introductory Biology Lab Instructor positions.
  • Many students are interested in academic careers and want additional rigorous teaching experiences.  These are paid and are obtained by contacting professors at least a month prior to the course starting.

  • These opportunities range from the kind of activities discussed above (including the introductory biology lab courses), for which those with PhDs should pursue as described, to courses for which the post-doc is the teacher of record.  The latter should build on current or previous teaching experience and involves monetary compensation for a full course.  If interested, please contact Dr. Andreas Fritz.

  • Intro biology lab Instructor positions are open to graduate students, postdocs and research staff and are a great way to gain teaching experience while pursuing your research. Lab instructors teach one 3-hour lab and also attend a 75-min prep session each week of the semester (approximately 12 lab periods and 14 meetings each semester). 
  • Instructors are in charge of a section of 24 students – from teaching the material, to facilitating experiments, to grading assignments. 
  • We provide significant support, including preparing the syllabus, experiments, materials, protocols, PowerPoint slides, assignments, lab outlines, and grading rubrics. 
  • Each Lab Instructor has an experienced undergraduate Learning Assistant to help during lab. Instructors gain several things to add to their portfolios: student evaluations, teaching material they create and experience with a variety of pedagogical techniques. 
  • Labs consist of 2-3 multi-week modules each semester that focus on experimental design concepts and research skills. 
  • We review protocols in our prep meetings, so no prior experience with the techniques is needed.  
  • Lab Instructors receive a stipend or, in the case of PhD students who have not yet fulfilled their teaching requirement, TATTO credit. 
  • If you would like more information or are interested in applying for a lab instructor position, please contact the Lab Director Dr. Megan Cole.