Grow Your Teaching
CTE Vision
To cultivate a dynamic and supportive community that inspires educators at all career stages at the University of Florida to pursue teaching excellence, transform student learning, and meet the evolving needs of the workforce.
Ways you can grow your teaching
The following are ways in which the CTE can support your teaching journey so you can continue to empower your students to succeed.
Passport
The Passport portal is where instructors create a free Passport account to sign up for workshops and other events that earn miles which can be applied toward a variety of teaching certificates. Create an account in the Passport Portal or log in to your account.
Passport to Great Teaching is a flexible, self‑directed professional development program that allows participants to earn teaching certificates by choosing activities aligned with their goals. Open to faculty, staff, TAs, postdocs, and graduate students, Passport certificates can be showcased in teaching portfolios, CVs, and LinkedIn profiles.
TEA
Teaching Excellence Academy (TEA) is a six‑session series for instructors at any career stage who want practical, time‑saving strategies they can apply immediately in their teaching practice. Offered each fall, spring, and summer, TEA awards a digital badge and 600 miles toward certificates in the Passport to Great Teaching program.
Elevate
Elevate is a two‑semester, guided professional development experience that supports deep, personalized growth through reflection and research‑based teaching practices. Faculty commit to a customized meeting schedule to work one-on-one with a CTE consultant on self‑selected areas—such as course design, assessment, quality learning environments, and instructional strategies—to create a unique path for teaching excellence, with opportunities for peer teaching observations.
Pathways
Pathways to Excellence is a 14‑week cohort experience for faculty in their first year at UF that introduces UF’s teaching, research, and institutional landscapes. The program combines evidence‑based teaching development, research exploration, and professional navigation into a structured, supportive foundation. Pathways awards the TEA digital badge and 600 miles toward certificates in the Passport to Great Teaching program.
FLCs
Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) are peer‑led interest groups that foster collaboration, reflection, and innovation around shared teaching and learning topics. Participants commit to meet regularly (e.g. biweekly) to learn together and collaborate on a deliverable. FLCs vary in length from one to two semesters and provide a flexible, supportive structure that strengthens community, reduces isolation, and encourages experiential learning. Participants receive a certificate of completion and are encouraged to share their takeaways at conferences and other presentations.
RiTL
Research in Teaching and Learning (RiTL) supports faculty who want to systematically study and improve teaching through rigorous, discipline‑based research. RiTL advances evidence‑based practices that promote deep student learning across academic fields.
GOCS
The Great Online Course Series is an asynchronous, self-paced workshop sequence designed to streamline online teaching with practical tools and ready‑to‑use planning resources. Participants build or refine their courses as they go, with a flexible entry point for those already teaching an existing online course. Participants should expect to spend 10–12 hours completing each workshop. Completion of both workshops, Design a Great Online Course and Teach a Great Online Course, will earn 500 miles toward the Great Online Teaching Certificate.
CIRTL
As a Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) partner institution, UF offers graduate students and postdocs access to a national network focused on evidence‑based teaching that supports all learners. Participants can earn CIRTL certification at the Associate, Practitioner, or Scholar level as they deepen their teaching expertise.