August 2025 Interdepartmental Orientation Workshop for New Language Instructors

The 2025 in-person Interdepartmental Orientation Workshop welcomed 42 new UW–Madison language instructors representing 15 different languages. The workshop provided participants with a foundational understanding of effective language teaching principles and lesson design strategies. It was structured in two parts: Day 1 featured a demonstration lesson and a guided discussion led by Fatemeh Mirsharifi from the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, with a lesson discussion facilitated by Jeanne Schueller from the Department of German, Nordic, and Slavic+. Following the demonstration lesson, participants were introduced to a range of college and campus resources, as well as selected campus partners—including the Language Institute, International Academic Programs, Center for Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring, L&S Instructional Design Collaborative, University Health Services, and McBurney Disability Resource Center. The first day of orientation concluded with a brief presentation by representatives from the Teaching Assistant Association.

Day 2 of the workshop focused on in-person “micro-teaching” in nine mixed-language groups and provided an opportunity for new instructors to apply in practice the principles and methods covered in the large-group session. Sixteen faculty members, instructional staff, and experienced teaching assistants from Van Hise language departments facilitated the micro-teaching sessions, offering guidance and feedback to help new instructors practice and refine their teaching techniques.

Thank you to all who helped to make the orientation workshop a success!