Teaching Excellence Academy (TEA) | Center for Teaching Excellence

FYFTA is now the Teaching Excellence Academy (TEA)

Overview

The First Year Faculty Teaching Academy (FYFTA) offered by UF’s Center for Teaching Excellence is now expanding to faculty at all stages of their careers and will be called the Teaching Excellence Academy (TEA).

Instructors and faculty at all stages of their careers are invited to continually build their teaching and learning practice and create great learning experiences for their students. To help faculty accomplish these goals, the Center for Teaching Excellence offers the TEA both in-person and online in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. This series is designed to help faculty adapt and use time-saving teaching strategies to help focus and invigorate their teaching practice. Upon successful completion of the program requirements, participants receive the Teaching Excellence Academy badge and earn 500 miles toward either the Great Teaching for New Faculty Certificate or the Great Teaching Certificate within the Passport to Great Teaching Program.

Expected Time Commitment

Participants should expect to commit approximately 20 hours to complete the TEA program. Space is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis.

Registration:

TEA Summer 2025

Online | Register Here
Submit your application by Monday, July 7, 2025 @ 12pm EST

Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 15–31
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: Zoom
Outline:

1. 1. Interaction and Motivation
    - Identify activities that foster student motivation
    - Identify methods for interacting with your students
    - Describe activities that promote student to student interaction
  2. Active Learning
    - Explain how Bloom’s Taxonomy and learning objectives can help you to design active learning experiences
    - Describe four collaborative learning techniques (CoLTs)
    - Design a Problem-Based Learning assignment (PBL)
  3. Effective Feedback
    - Describe the elements of quality feedback
    - Identify efficient and effective types of feedback
    - Describe Team-Based Learning steps
  4. Useful Assessment
    - Discuss alternative assessment practices
    - Consider large enrollment assessment strategies
    - Write “higher-order” multiple-choice questions
    - Create a climate of academic integrity
  5. Quality Learning Environment
    - Discuss principles of Universal Design for Learning
    - Identify elements of a course that are accessible
    - Determine possible responses to interpersonal challenges
  6. Transparent Teaching & Wrap-Up
    - Identify elements of a transparent assignment
    - Discuss Canvas features that support a clear learning path
    - Identify time-saving Canvas tools
    - Engage in group problem-solving

Show Less

TEA Fall 2025

In Person | Register Here
Submit your application by Monday, August 25, 2025 @ 12pm EST
Dates: Tuesdays, September 2-October 7
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: Public Safety Building, 1555 Museum Rd., Room 1010
Outline:

1. 1. 1. 1. Relationships and Motivation
        
        Establish relationships with colleagues.
        
        Explain how social relationships facilitate motivation and learning.
        
        Describe factors that promote teacher-to-student and student-to-student relationships.
        
        Apply principles of motivation to your teaching practice.
      2. Active Learning
        
        Explain the difference between a course goal and learning objective.
        
        Explore research that shows the impact of active learning.
        
        Design a modular learning experience that aligns with learning objectives.
        
        Utilize collaborative learning techniques.
      3. Quality Learning Environment
        
        Discuss factors that create a quality learning environment.
        
        Recognize learner exceptionalities and variabilities that impact learning.
        
        Use principles of Universal Design for Higher Education (UDHE) to evaluate course materials, delivery, or assignments for accessibility and multiple perspectives.
        
        Utilize strategies to guide discussions about divisive and sensitive topics, empower cultural diffusion, and promote global perspectives.
      4. Transparent Teaching & Wrap-Up
        
        Critique assignments utilizing the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework.
        
        Identify University of Florida Quality (UFQ) standards-based online teaching practices.
        
        Apply Backward Design to course maps.
        
        Evaluate online courses using principles of instructional design.
      5. Useful Assessment
        
        Create a climate of academic integrity.
        
        Articulate useful assessment terms and techniques.
        
        Develop an authentic or alternative assessment.
        
        Design assessments using generative AI and other educational technologies.
      6. Effective Feedback
        
        Articulate the elements of quality feedback.
        
        Apply efficient techniques for delivering meaningful feedback.
        
        Provide structured and consistent feedback to students using rubrics.
        
        Integrate best practices for peer feedback.

Show Less

Online | Register Here
Submit your application by Tuesday, September 30 @ 12pm EST

Dates: Wednesdays, October 8–November 12
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: Zoom
Outline:

1. 1. Relationships and Motivation

1. 1. - Establish relationships with colleagues.
    - Explain how social relationships facilitate motivation and learning.
    - Describe factors that promote teacher-to-student and student-to-student relationships.
    - Apply principles of motivation to your teaching practice.
  2. Active Learning
    - Explain the difference between a course goal and learning objective.
    - Explore research that shows the impact of active learning.
    - Design a modular learning experience that aligns with learning objectives.
    - Utilize collaborative learning techniques.
  3. Quality Learning Environment
    - Discuss factors that create a quality learning environment.
    - Recognize learner exceptionalities and variabilities that impact learning.
    - Use principles of Universal Design for Higher Education (UDHE) to evaluate course materials, delivery, or assignments for accessibility and multiple perspectives.
    - Utilize strategies to guide discussions about divisive and sensitive topics, empower cultural diffusion, and promote global perspectives.
  4. Transparent Teaching & Wrap-Up
    - Critique assignments utilizing the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework.
    - Identify University of Florida Quality (UFQ) standards-based online teaching practices.
    - Apply Backward Design to course maps.
    - Evaluate online courses using principles of instructional design.
  5. Useful Assessment
    - Create a climate of academic integrity.
    - Articulate useful assessment terms and techniques.
    - Develop an authentic or alternative assessment.
    - Design assessments using generative AI and other educational technologies.
  6. Effective Feedback
    - Articulate the elements of quality feedback.
    - Apply efficient techniques for delivering meaningful feedback.
    - Provide structured and consistent feedback to students using rubrics.
    - Integrate best practices for peer feedback.

Show Less

Passport to Great Teaching Requirements

In order to earn all 600 miles and the TEA Badge, you must:

Attend 5 out of the 6 sessions
Complete all of the “Before the Session” activities in each module
Submit all six teaching portfolio assignments on Canvas and upload them to your teaching portfolio
Submit your completion badge to the Passport Portal as a reflection