Teaching FAQs

How much teaching is required?

Short answer: at least 2 sections. Typically, you can begin teaching in your G2 year. For more details, see Teaching Requirements.

How does teaching affect my funding?

For the first two sections you teach, you will not see any change in your paycheck. Following the first two sections, teaching may provide additional funding.

What kinds of classes can I teach?

EPS grad students can be teaching fellows (TFs) for classes offered by EPS, SEAS, SPU (Gen Ed) or other departments with prior approval from the Graduate Coordinator.

What are the different teaching roles and TF expectations?

Most teaching assignments are 0.25 FTE (approximately 10-15 hours per week). You may be asked to teach a lab or section, attend lectures, and write and grade exams, papers, and assignments. You are also expected to help plan, attend, and lead out any field trip associated with the course for which you are the TF.

What training is required?

All EPS graduate students teaching for the first time are required to attend a half-day seminar (including a microteaching session) offered by the EPS preceptors just prior to the term in which they will be teaching. If TFs cannot attend the EPS First-Time TF training, they may attend selected sessions of the Bok Center Fall Teaching Conference or Winter Teaching Week (see preceptors for details).

What training is optional?

All EPS graduate students are encouraged to attend the EPS G1 Teaching Workshops in the spring of their G1 year. There are numerous additional opportunities for TFs to prepare, practice, and learn best teaching practices through seminars, workshops, and certificates offered by the EPS preceptors and Harvard's Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. For details, see the Training page.

How do I become a TF?

All TF appointments are made with the approval of the graduate students, their advisor, and the course head for the class. You should start thinking about TF assignments a few months before the semester you'd like to teach. At least two months before the term that you plan to teach, submit the TF/TA Application Form, available under Becoming a TF.

How am I evaluated as a TF?

All teaching faculty and staff at Harvard are evaluated by students at the end of the semester. These scores are reported in the Q Guide. Additionally, EPS TFs and TFs teaching in EPS courses have access to mid-semester surveys and/or observations that allow them to understand their strengths and weaknesses and make improvements. See Evaluation and Recognition.

I enjoy teaching and mentoring. How can I get more experience?

If you have some teaching experience and want to delve deeper into pedagogy and learning, you can consider applying for the Departmental Pedagogy Fellow position. The Dept. Pedagogy Fellow is hired through the Bok Center and works within EPS to help the preceptors with seminars, workshops and teaching evaluations. To learn more about this position or express interest in applying, contact the preceptors.

What are preceptors? What do they do?

The EPS preceptors help the EPS faculty and administrators with many aspects of the TF hiring, training, and evaluation process. We also help TFs plan field trips and put together equipment for labs and demos. When in doubt, ask the preceptors! Our door is (almost) always open. Preceptors: Esther James and Annika Quick

Resources for remote teaching

Resources compiled for EPS/ESE TFs during the COVID-19 crisis can be used to help set up and maintain remote courses.