The Costanzo Teaching Fellowship
The Costanzo Teaching Fellowship is a unique, year-long opportunity for rising juniors and seniors to develop leadership skills as part of the teaching team for Introductory Psychology (PSY 101). The Costanzo Teaching Fellows are paid and receive substantial training, including enrollment in a 1-credit Psychology Teaching Seminar (PSY 601S, which counts toward the Psychology major and minor) during the fall term.
Applications for the 2024-25 Academic Year are due March 8th, 2024
Top Row (from left): Alissa Rivero, Jeslyn Brouers, Carley Genser, Claire Heyne, Connor Fogelman, Dev Shah, Elliot Smith, Taylor Donovan, Mary Lauren Veazey
Middle Row (from left): Ana Herndon, Ivy Morin, Jackson Streit, Kaelin Main, Lauren Norman, Rani Jones, Santiago Garcia, Serena Raj, Sarah WIlliams
Bottom Row (from left): Dr. Emma Grisham (Instructor), Dr. Bridgette Hard (Instructor), Margaret Maples (course coordinator), Patrick Reyes (course coordinator)
Costanzo Teaching Fellows learn to:
Design lesson plans to achieve a range of goals.
Evaluate student work and offer helpful and motivating feedback.
Develop strategies for solving common problems that arise in a teaching context.
Communicate more clearly through speaking, writing, and listening.
Collaborate effectively, including planning, execution, and problem solving.
Refine their approach to teaching, utilizing both self-reflection and feedback in that process.
The Costanzo Teaching Fellowship Teaching Cycle
SPRING SEMESTER
The Teaching Fellow application cycle begins early spring semester, with applications for the following academic year opening in January.
Applications are typically due just before Spring Break and are reviewed in March and interviews are usually scheduled in March and April.
Final selections for the fellowship are made by the end of April.
A luncheon welcoming new Teaching Fellows typically takes place during the last week of class.
SUMMER
The TFs receive access to the textbook and teaching Wiki over the summer and are encouraged to get acquainted with course materials.
FALL
A training orientation is held the Saturday before classes begin.
TFs begin their Psychology Teaching Seminar (PSY 601S) and begin their responsibilities, co-teaching one section each week and solo teaching another.
SPRING
TFs attend weekly check-in meetings and continue to teach 1-2 solo sections a week.
An end-of-year celebration marks the end of the Fellowship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What would my paid responsibilities be?
Costanzo Teaching Fellows (TFs) are paid for 10-15 hours of teaching responsibilities per week, on average. Work fluctuates from week to week with more hours during heavy grading weeks and in in the Fall semester. Paid teaching responsibilities include:
Teach 2 sections per week in the Fall (one co-taught with another TF, one taught solo), and 1 or 2 solo sections per week in the Spring. All TFs teach in the Fall and Spring. In the fall, co-taught sections will be held Tuesday afternoons. Solo sections will be held on Wednesdays.
Attend every lecture Fall semester (expected to be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:45 to 1:00)
Attend their own 2 office hours (you would determine these).
Proctor exams: Exams are held during the regular lecture timeslot.
Grade papers and participation: TFs are responsible for grading four phases of the Research and Writing project for the students in their solo section and half the students in their co-taught section. They also assign participation grades. It is important that they keep accurate records of all of their grades.
Grade exams: The teaching team grades short answers/essays as a group following each exam (Thursdays from 1:30 to 5). All TFs are expected to help grade all 3 exams unless they have a class or final exam during that time.
What kind of training would I receive?
A mandatory, paid orientation will be held on the Saturday before the start of Fall classes and will cover the fundamentals of lesson planning and mentoring students.
The weekly teaching seminar (601S) held fall semester (taken for credit) provides ongoing training and support as the TFs teach for the first time. The seminar will be held on Mondays from 10:05-12:35) This seminar focuses on issues such as teaching strategies, classroom management, and ethical issues relevant to teaching. In the seminar, the Teaching Fellows:
Read 1-2 articles/essays on teaching each week and participate in a weekly discussion.
Write a weekly, 1-page teaching journal.
Observe themselves on video and writing a self-evaluation of their teaching.
Observe another TF teach and write an evaluation of their teaching.
Demonstrate an existing sample lesson plan to their peers to prepare them for upcoming teaching.
Design their own new lesson plan with feedback from their peers.
Write a final reflection on what they’ve learned from teaching that serves their future goals.
How do TFs know what to teach in discussion section?
The course instructor designates particular topics to be covered in discussion sections each week. The Psych 101 teaching team has a Wiki that contains numerous teaching resources, including sample lesson plans for each week, activities, video clips, discussion questions, and articles on teaching. TFs receive a lot of resources but have flexibility to tailor lesson plans to their strengths and students’ needs.
What are you looking for in a Teaching Fellow?
Applicants with the following characteristics are preferred:
Rising senior or junior status (*seniors receive priority).
A strong interest in developing teaching, leadership, or mentorship abilities.
Significant psychology coursework (being a psychology major is not required, but non psychology majors should have taken PSY 101 as well as at least two other psychology courses).
Strong knowledge of research methods.
Demonstrated ability to manage responsibility.
Strong interpersonal skills.