The FTI: Physics and Astronomy Faculty Teaching Institute is our flagship workshop program and is dedicated to developing faculty members' teaching practice. The next FTI will be held in beautiful Washington, D.C. from June 26-29, 2023. Registration has closed. Click here for more reasons to attend the next FTI.

This 4-day immersive workshop will dig deep into the how and why of helping students learn physics and astronomy, so you can build the type of teaching practice that you want. In the workshop we will cover things such as:

• Managing your role as a new faculty member
• Principles of effective teaching and learning
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion in the classroom
• How to help students learn through presentation, small group work, whole class discussion, reading, simulations, demonstrations, think-pair-share, and more.
• How to assess students compassionately, to support their learning
• Managing challenging teaching situations
• Creating a teaching action plan

Financial Support Available

The National Science Foundation grant provides some registration, caregiver, and travel subsidies for participants from departments with severe financial constraints, with preference given to participants from minority-serving institutions if applications exceed the available funds. For more information and to apply for this support, please email PI Bob Hilborn at rhilborn@aapt.org.

Post-Workshop Engagement

Learn more about the FTI Faculty Online Learning Community (FOLC) and additional opportunities to remain engaged with a vibrant community of faculty interested in teaching and learning.

SCHEDULE & WIFI INFO

Please note: All meals and sessions will take place at the Hamilton Hotel in The Schuyler meeting space unless otherwise noted.

Day 1: Monday, June 26
Time	Session(s)
08:00 - 09:00	WORKING BREAKFAST
09:00 - 10:00	Welcome to the FTI!
10:00 - 11:00	Your career: Imagining your role
11:00 - 11:15	STRETCH BREAK
11:15 - 11:30	Stories from the community
11:30 - 12:30	Considering your identity and belonging
12:30 - 13:30	WORKING LUNCH & WELCOME FROM SOCIETY CEOS
1:30 - 2:00	Considering your identity and belonging (continued)
2:00 - 230	Foundations: Principles of teaching and learning
2:30 - 3:15	Experiencing the active class
3:15 - 400	LONGER BRAIN BREAK
4:00 - 5:00	Foundations: Lesson design
500 - 5:30	Discussions in pod groups
5:30 - 5:45	Action planning
5:45 - 6:00	Your questions
6:00	End of workshop day
6:30 - 730	WORKING DINNER AT HOTEL
7:30 - 8:30	FTI SOCIAL AT HOTEL
Day 2: Tuesday, June 27
Time	Session(s)
08:00 - 09:00	WORKING BREAKFAST
09:00 - 09:15	Welcome to day 2!
09:15 - 09:30	PhysPort can help!
09:30 - 10:15	Teaching: Information delivery and individual work
10:15 - 11:00	Teaching: Whole class discussions
11:00 - 11:15	STRETCH BREAK
11:15 - 12:15	Teaching: Think-pair-share
12:15 - 12:30	Engaging with the FTI after the workshop
12:30 - 1:30	WORKING LUNCH
1:30 - 2:15	Teaching: Quantitative and collaborative problem solving
2:15 - 2:45	Teaching: Simulations, demonstrations, and visualizations
2:45 - 3:15	Formative Assessment
3:15 - 4:00	LONGER BRAIN BREAK
400 - 4:15	Formative assessment (continued)
4:15 - 4:45	Reflecting on your teaching
4:45 - 5:15	Discussion in pod groups
5:15 - 5:30	Action planning
5:35 - 5:45	Your quesitons
5:45 - 6:00	“Midterm” feedback: Stop, start, continue
6:00	End of workshop day
6:30	DINNER ON YOUR OWN List of nearby restaurants
Day 3: Wednesday, June 28
Time	Session(s)
08:00 - 09:00	WORKING BREAKFAST
09:00 - 09:15	Welcome to day 3!
09:15 - 10:30	Teaching: Tutorials and other worksheets
10:30 - 11:00	Teaching: Common questions and sticky situations about group work
11:00 - 11:15	STRETCH BREAK
11:15 - 11:45	Teaching: Common questions and sticky situations about group work
11:45 - 12:30	First day & student engagement
12:30 - 1:30	WORKING LUNCH
1:30 - 2:30	Teaching inclusively
2:30 - 3:15	Summative assessment
3:15 - 4:00	LONGER BRAIN BREAK
4:00- 4:15	Summative assessment (continued)
4:15 - 4:45	Teaching: Labs
4:45 - 5:15	Discussions in pod groups
5:15 - 5:45	Individual action planning session #1
5:45 - 6:00	Your questions
6:00	End of workshop day
6:30	DINNER ON YOUR OWN List of nearby restaurants
8:00 - 9:00	Tenure discussion (optional)
Day 4: Thursday, June 29
Time	Session(s)
07:30 - 09:00	WORKING BREAKFAST
08:00 - 09:00	NSF Panel Discussion with Program Officers (optional)
09:00 - 09:15	Welcome to the final day of the FTI!
09:15 - 10:15	Your career: Doing your role well
10:15 - 10:45	Bringing it all together: Course and unit design
10:45 - 11:15	Individual action planning session #2
11:15 - 12:15	Collective action planning session
12:15 - 12:30	Final words
12:30	End of workshop day

Covid-19 Masking Policy

This spring has seen the end of state and national emergency orders related to covid-19. The FTI will align its masking policy with local public health agencies’ guidance, which currently does not require wearing masks.  Therefore, masks are optional at the June 2023 FTI events, but we ask that you respect individuals’ choices regarding mask-wearing at those events.

Hotel Logistics

Hamilton Hotel DC
Address: 1001 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 682-0111

Please note that your hotel room and meal expenses will be covered directly by our generous grant from the National Science Foundation. We will make hotel reservations for you. Please do not make your own hotel reservations.

Room reservations have been made for you at the Hamilton Hotel, 1001 14th Street in downtown Washington, DC.  Your room expenses (except for incidentals) will be paid directly by our NSF grant.  The reservations are for a Sunday, June 25 arrival and a Thursday, June 29 departure unless you have specifically arranged for other dates.  Those of you who have alternative arrival and departure dates should have received a confirmation email from Bob Hilborn (rhilborn@aapt.org).

Travel from the airport to the hotel

The most convenient airport is Reagan-National (DCA).  From the airport, you can get to the hotel via taxi, Uber, Lyft, etc. or less expensively (and often faster) by taking the Blue Line Metro train in the direction of Largo from the DCA station.  You may purchase fare cards at the station.  The one-way fare depends on the time of day, but should be less than $5.  The trip takes about 18 minutes. Get off the train at the McPherson Square station. The Hamilton Hotel is about one block north of the station.

If you are flying into Dulles Airport (IAD), you can take the Silver Line Metro train in the direction of Largo.  (The trip from Dulles takes about 51 minutes.)   Get off the train at the McPherson Square station. 

Parking

For those driving to the hotel, the Hamilton has only valet parking at about $60/day.  There are several parking garages close to the hotel, with rates around $20/day.  You might try https://parking.com/  to identify possible parking garages.  The hotel suggests Colonial Parking, 1425 K Street, NW, Washington, DC. Phone: 202-408-4841. Because many parking facilities changed their hours and prices during the pandemic, we strongly suggest contacting the parking garage to verify availability and current pricing. 

Dress Code

Casual dress will be appropriate for the Faculty Teaching Institute.

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Workshop Leaders