Welcome back to the new semester! We are building on the success of the past CTL work this year. After talking with faculty, reviewing other CTL programs, and working with our CTL Advisory Board, we have an agenda of programs for the Fall semester.
There were many requests for more in-person opportunities to talk with each other across campus, and to work on different teaching ideas. So, we will be hosting a series of brown bag lunch sessions all semester.
At noon, we will assemble in the library (probably the staff room, but we can move rooms depending on the size of the group). Bring your lunch. Prepare to overlook colleagues eating and talking – it’s actually encouraged. We will meet for about an hour, but drop in and out on your schedule – everyone will just be happy to see you.
Each week we will discuss a topic that has been requested, or is being discussed at several other schools. Want to add a topic, or substitute one? Great! Talk to me. If we can’t get to your topic this semester, we will add it to the Spring calendar.
Save these dates to your calendar (and there will be reminders!):
- Tue Aug 30: learning agreements
- Tue Sept 13: setting ground rules
- Tue Sept 27: creating good assessments
- Tue Oct 11: copyright
- Tue Oct 25: classroom management
- Tue Nov 8: instructional delivery
- Tue Nov 22: assessing your own teaching
- Tue Dec 6: group work
- Tue Dec 20: teaching observation
Readings will be provided for each topic. If you have a resource to share in one of these topics, please send it to me and I’ll distribute it. (Keep in mind copyright issues!)
Other events this semester will be the One Cool Teaching Trick Series. I have talked with a few of you already who have said you will participate. I’ll be reaching out to the rest of you, so start thinking now about something small (or large) that was useful to help you in your teaching, or to help your students understand something. These will be five, maybe ten minutes, for the instructor to share their idea. You can make a video we will share, and post to the CTL resources; and we will set up a few panel sessions for two or three faculty to share their material at once. We will start that in September.
We are also doing work to build community across our new (and new-adjacent) faculty. We will have regular sessions to chat about issues, and to bring some experienced faculty to talk with them.
This semester, and all year, we will also be working on setting up training and information sessions to help you with your AASC work. These are in progress, so if you think of something you need with this topic, send me an email so we can get it scheduled.
And of course, we support the Equity by Design program! Applications for the Spring semester will be collected in October, so start thinking about your availability now and talk with your Dean to be sure you can get signed up for this. There is a stipend for participating, and the skills you build in working on racial equity in your classes will be really valuable to you.