The University of Florida’s  University Writing Program features a mentoring program for incoming graduate students. Incoming students are assigned to teams with one or two other new students and one mentor.

Mentors must apply for the position, which includes a one-year mentoring fellowship. Fellows are responsible for mentoring new teachers in ENC 1101 and ENC 1102. Applicants for the mentor fellowship must have completed at least one year of the PhD program in English or a related field. Qualifications include an excellent teaching record and a commitment to undergraduate education in composition.  Benefits include a stipend of $1000 per semester. The primary responsibility of each mentor is to coordinate team taught sections of those courses and to act as an exemplary teacher.

Together, these mentor-led teams teach one section of ENC 1101 in the fall and one section of ENC 1102 in the spring. The aim of the mentoring program is to create an environment that values teaching and learning excellence in order to encourage the development of new instructors. To help new instructors make a successful transition to teaching, the mentoring program provides guidance and training in addition to real teaching experience in the form of team teaching.

Team teaching gives instructors the opportunity to collaborate in and out of the classroom, allowing them to pool their education, experiences, ideas, and resources and thus provide students with an enriched learning environment. Even those with previous teaching experience can benefit: participation in the mentoring program is an opportunity for all involved to reflect on pedagogy, clarify teaching goals, and develop effective teaching strategies. Together, instructors have the opportunity to develop the craft of teaching by collaborating with and observing your co-teachers, giving and receiving feedback, discussing pedagogy, and reflecting on a shared teaching experience.

Sections as incoming co-teacher

ENC 1101: Fall 2008

ENC 1102: Spring 2009

Sections as Mentor

ENC 1101: Fall 2011, Fall 2014

ENC 1102: Spring 2012, Spring 2014, Spring 2015