Graduate Teacher Certificate (GTC)

All GTC requirements must be documented in the GTC Application in consultation with a faculty member or CTE consultant. The completed GTC Application is submitted to CTE and reviewed by a CTE consultant.

You are encouraged to start working on the GTC as soon as you begin teaching. However, there is no time limit for completion of the GTC requirements. Certificates are awarded annually each spring. The submission deadline is April 15.

• Teach two semesters at UIUC

•  Attend a pre-semester orientation on teaching at UIUC

• Participate in 6 hours of continuing education

•  Discuss and reflect on a classroom observation

• Analyze and reflect on informal and formal student feedback

Teach a minimum of two semesters at UIUC. Teaching a class is defined as having regular university-scheduled teaching duties with students in a classroom, studio, or lab. Both face-to-face and on-line courses apply. The intent is to document formal teaching experience where you are responsible for leading learning activities over an extended time. Therefore, non-classroom TA responsibilities (e.g., grading, holding office hours, writing tests, or tutoring) do not fulfill this requirement. Note that teaching two classes in one semester cannot substitute for the two-semester requirement.

Participate in either the All-Campus TA Orientation or a pre-semester departmental teaching orientation. The orientation should cover topics such as lesson planning, leading discussions, active learning, grading, academic integrity, and discipline-specific teaching issues. The orientation includes participation in a microteaching session. Microteaching involves teaching of a brief lesson before peers and receiving feedback from the peer group and the facilitator. International TAs are required to attend the ITA Orientation.

Attend a minimum of six hours of continuing education on teaching beyond the pre-semester orientation. CTE and some departments, as well as other campus groups, provide workshops, instructional classes and seminars each semester on topics such as syllabus design, cooperative learning, classroom assessment, student motivation, and classroom ethics. A workshop on test construction is required. Continuing education activities completed prior to becoming a graduate student at the University of Illinois are not applicable.

Arrange to have a faculty member or a CTE consultant observe your teaching at least once and discuss the observation with you. Based on the discussion, write a 2 page essay reflecting on the teaching experience and feedback session.

For two semesters of teaching, collect Informal Early Feedback (IEF) from students at mid-semester and utilize the Instructor & Course Evaluation System (ICES) to collect feedback at the end of the semester. Meet at least twice with a faculty member or CTE consultant to discuss the student feedback. Based on the discussions write a 2 page essay reflecting on the student feedback received.

Through the GTC Program, graduate students develop teaching skills, reflect on teaching and learning in their classrooms, and are motivated to strive for excellence in teaching now and in their future careers. To celebrate these achievements an annual ceremony is held for graduate students who successfully complete the GTC.

The GTC listserve provides information on teaching workshops and GTC deadlines. To join the listserve, send an e-mail message to listserv@listserv.uiuc.edu, and in the body of the message write subscribe gtc-agtc-l (The final letter in the address is the letter l, not the number one).

To begin the GTC, to learn more about it, or to get more information about teaching, please contact CTE. 

Phone: (217) 333-3370
Address: 249 Armory Building
E-mail: GTC-AGTC@uiuc.edu

The GTC Application is available in our office and online at www.cte.uiuc.edu/did/docs/pdf_files/GTCform.PDF