Welcome

Some syllabi are contractual documents, laying out expectations for both students and instructors. Some syllabi are a communication tool that serves as a symbolic introduction to the tone of the course and to the instructor. Most syllabi are a mix of both! In this workshop, we’ll take the best from both of these approaches and treat the syllabus as a living organizational document.  During this interactive workshop, participants will explore the significance of syllabus content and tone in supporting student success.  Together, we will examine our values, assumptions, and course design process, ensuring that they are clear and accessible to students. By making our syllabus more transparent, we can build trust and create a supportive learning environment. We'll also look for ways to incorporate student voice and choice, ensuring that the syllabus fosters student engagement with the course content. Please bring an old or in-progress syllabus to work with.

Even though we hope to create safe and supportive learning spaces for all the students at the Claremont Colleges, often painful realities both within our community and in the broader world impact our students (and us as teachers.) You're not alone if you’re finding it difficult to respond to pain, crisis, stress, and conflict in your classroom. In this webinar, Sara Hollar, Director of the CTL, will

1. Present an evidence-based and trauma-informed approach to deciding when and how to respond to local and global events.

2. Introduce practices to skillfully respond to conflict, hot moments, or unexpected harm in the classroom.

3. Provide structured reflection time to build a toolbox of teaching practices that fit your disposition, your values, and your course.

Please note that this workshop is meant to equip and fortify teachers to respond to many types of difficult situations and will be focused on teaching practices generally, instead of tailored to any specific event. However, we will likely discuss and think about specific instances currently impacting our community that may be painful or traumatic. This session will be recorded.

Sign up here.