2024-2025 Workshops
CTL’s End of Year Celebration!
Friends of the CTL, please join us for our end of year celebration. Each year we gather together to celebrate the end of another academic year over food, drinks, and camaraderie. We would love for you to join us as a thank you for your engagement and support this year.
May 1
4:30-7pm
Yuhaaviatam Center Patio
Good Enough Teaching: Accountability Group
Are you sticking to your spring semester resolution not to overprepare for class? To protect your research and personal time? ‘Good enough teaching’ is an intentionally provocative idea that if you identify the parts of teaching that suck your time and set up boundaries around them (i.e., do less!), you will still be excellent at your job. In this friendly accountability group, we will check in about your semester goals and propose adjustments that will help manage your expectations for yourself—and maximize your favorite parts of teaching. Possible areas of discussion: office hours and appointment scheduling, thesis advising, class prep, grading and feedback. Lunch will be provided!
April 29
12:30-1:30pm
CTL Conference Room, 1st Floor, TCCS Library
Hosted by: Michelle Decker, SCR English
The goal of the panel discussion will be to exchange ideas for effective team-based pedagogy, overcoming challenges, and fostering collaboration in a team teaching setting. Hear from your colleagues who have co-taught across disciplines, co-led courses with colleagues, or collaborated on large multi-instructor classrooms. Lunch will be provided!
April 17
12:15-1:15pm
Founder’s Room, TCCS Library
Hosted by: Pete Chandrangsu, DNS Biology
Foundations of Inclusive Teaching: Assignments and Assessments
Assessment is about more than assigning grades – what you assess sends your students a message about what matters (“will this be on the exam?”) Therefore, it is important to align your assignments and assessments with your learning outcomes and highest hopes for your students. Concrete examples/best practices will be culled from the scholarship on teaching and learning, as well as from participants’ own experiences with inclusive pedagogies.
This is part of the CTL’s yearlong series covering different aspects of inclusive teaching.
April 3
1:15-2:30pm
Honnold Mudd Library, Mudd 3 South / Poppy
Hosted by: Pete Chandrangsu, DNS Biology
March 13th Debrief and Discussion
Late in the day on March 13th, urgent notifications were sent out about a possible active shooter situation. It was scary for both students and instructors, and then it was Spring Break! Even though the moment has passed, and no physical danger was present, it might be helpful to talk through your experience and how you responded as an instructor. Come join the CTL for a guided debrief and discussion, focusing on what we can or should do as teachers during and after emergency situations. We’ll be focusing mostly on what instructors can do for themselves and for their students, with a little room for what the institutions or leadership can offer to help instructors prepare and respond also.
April 2
12-1pm
CTL Conference Room, 1st Floor, TCCS Library
Hosted by: Sara Hollar, CTL Director
Teaching Statement Workshop and Mixer, co-sponsored by Pomona College
Please join us to workshop your teaching philosophy statements! In this event for visitors and lecturers, we will discuss some strategies for figuring out what to say and how to best provide compelling evidence of your teaching excellence. We’ll do our best to address the current overall landscape of higher education, where terms like inclusion or equity that use to be common and widely desired draw attention in new ways. Our time together will include a short workshop led by CTL director Sara Hollar (so consider bringing works-in-progress), time to compare notes and approaches with colleagues, and social time with food and drink. We hope you’ll leave the session feeling supported and connected.
April 1
4:30-6pm
The Hive, Studio 1
Good Enough Teaching: Accountability Group
Are you sticking to your spring semester resolution not to overprepare for class? To protect your research and personal time? ‘Good enough teaching’ is an intentionally provocative idea that if you identify the parts of teaching that suck your time and set up boundaries around them (i.e., do less!), you will still be excellent at your job. In this friendly accountability group, we will check in about your semester goals and propose adjustments that will help manage your expectations for yourself—and maximize your favorite parts of teaching. Possible areas of discussion: office hours and appointment scheduling, thesis advising, class prep, grading and feedback. Lunch will be provided!
April 1
12:30-1:30pm
CTL Conference Room, 1st Floor, TCCS Library
Hosted by: Michelle Decker, SCR English
Guilt-Free Gathering
You know those chats you have with colleagues between classes – leaning outside an office door or briefly in a hallway – where you take a moment to reflect on your classes and share a triumph or a trial? We’re hoping that we can carve out some time to do that over wine, tea, and cheese together, especially right now. The CTL invites you to a guilt-free, judgement-free, and compassionate gathering this semester to discuss challenges or celebrate victories in our classrooms. Perhaps you’ll join us seeking feedback from thoughtful colleagues, or perhaps you’re simply eager to grab a glass of wine or tea and to be in community. Whatever brings you, we’ll be delighted you’re with us.
March 6
4-5:30pm
CTL Conference Room, 1st Floor, TCCS Library
Hosted by: Jessie Lee Mills, POM Theatre
AI Fellows in Conversation with Dr. Punya Mishra
Scripps College is hosting Dr. Punya Mishra as part of their AI Speaker Event Series. As part of his visit, Dr. Mishra will join the CTL’s AI Fellows for a lunch conversation around genAI and how to integrate AI and technology into teaching. Please join us for this engaging conversation. Lunch is on us!
Dr. Punya Mishra (punyamishra.com) is Associate Dean of Scholarship & Innovation in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University (with an affiliate appointment in ASU’s Design School). He is internationally recognized for his work in educational technology; the role of creativity and aesthetics in learning; and the application of design-based approaches to educational innovation. He co-developed the TPACK framework, described as being “the most significant advancement in the area of technology integration in the past 25 years.” An AERA Fellow and TED-Ed educator, he co-hosts the award-winning Silver Lining for Learning webinar and the Value Laden and Learning Futures podcasts.
March 4
12:15-1:15pm
Ponderosa (Mudd 2 South), TCCS Library
CTL Meeting with Dr. Kimberly Tanner
The Institute for Inclusive Excellence at Pomona College is hosting Dr. Kimberly Tanner, Professor of Biology and science education researcher from San Francisco State University, for their Inclusive Excellence Symposium. During Dr. Tanner’s visit, the CTL team and guests will meet with her for an intimate conversation around Biology/STEM education, as well as universally inclusive and engaging methods. Please RSVP if you’d like to join the meeting, and look for more information in our newsletter about Dr. Tanner’s events with IIE.
March 4
10-11am
CTL Office, First Floor, TCCS Library
Foundations of Inclusive Teaching: Building Classroom Community
Our classrooms are mini communities, whether or not we consciously cultivate connection among students (and ourselves!). What sorts of structures can we establish, and what sorts of activities can we design, to establish an inclusive classroom space? In this session, we will delve deeply into the specifics of diversity and inclusion beyond platitudes. This workshop will introduce participants to best practices in inclusive community building, while also allowing ample time to workshop activities within their respective disciplines. We will also reflect, individually and collectively, on the challenges and opportunities we face in implementing activities that foreground student voice and choice.
This is part of the CTL’s yearlong series covering different aspects of inclusive teaching.
February 6
1:15-2:30pm
Honnold Mudd Library, Mudd 3 South / Poppy
TEACHING TUNE UP
The Teaching Tune Up is a mini-conference on Teaching, just in time for the Spring Semester. We have coordinated sessions on Assessing and Evaluating Teaching, Consent-Forward Classroom Practices, Good Enough Teaching, Harnessing Generative AI, Making the Most of Mid-Semester Feedback, and Teaching Climate Across Disciplines. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided!
Thursday, January 16
9am – 3pm (Optional drop-in hours from 3-5pm)
Shanahan Center (HMC), Room 2454
9:00-9:30: Coffee and Breakfast
9:30-10:45: Sessions 1 and 2
10:45-12:00: Sessions 3 and 4
12:00-1:00: Lunch and Drop-in Hours
1:00-2:15: Sessions 5 and 6
2:15-3:00: Reception
3:00-5:00: Optional Drop-in Hours
View the full schedule and session descriptions here!
Foundations of Inclusive Teaching: Inclusive Syllabus Design
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.
November 20
1:15-2:30pm
Honnold Mudd Library, Mudd 2 South / Ponderosa
Student Thesis and Research Mentorship Panel and Lunch
Monday, November 11
12:15-1:15pm
The Claremont Colleges Library, Founder’s Room (2nd Floor)
This panel is a follow-up to the lunch discussion. We will provide additional details and a description after the lunch.
Supporting Student Thesis and Independent Research Lunch Conversation
Monday, October 7
12:15-1:15pm
The Claremont Colleges Library, Founder’s Room (2nd Floor)
What issues are you facing while directing student theses and independent research? Please join us for lunch and an open discussion on topics such as: post-pandemic student capacity for independent work, departmental thesis project structure and labor distribution, faculty mentorship fatigue, and…what is working well! This is the first in a series of events on student mentorship that the CTL will offer this academic year.
Foundations of Inclusive Teaching: Classroom Activities
Inclusive teaching, for me, means nurturing and co-creating a space of belonging and collective learning where all can thrive, contribute, and grow. In this workshop, we will gently focus on affirming and centering a sense of belonging using consent-forward and trauma-informed practices. We will borrow exercises from the expansive scholarship on inclusive teaching and learn from our own and each other’s experiences.
September 24
11am-12:15pm
Honnold Mudd Library, Mudd 3 South / Poppy
AI “Prompt Engineering” 101 for Faculty
In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, the ability to interact effectively with AI models like ChatGPT has become a valuable skill. Whether you are hoping to harness the power of AI in your own work, or you would just like to better understand how AI prompting works in general while you decide your relationship to it, please join us for an introduction workshop designed for faculty on “Prompt Engineering”. This session will provide you with the tools to craft precise and effective prompts, enabling you to harness the full potential of ChatGPT for teaching, research, and creative projects. Learn how to structure your questions and instructions to receive the most accurate and relevant responses, turning AI into a powerful ally in your academic endeavors. Discover strategies to refine your input, explore various use cases, and enhance your understanding of this transformative technology. No prior knowledge or computer expertise required (if you can turn your computer on, you can do this workshop). Please bring a laptop or other ChatGPT capable device for this interactive workshop.
August 22
1-3pm
Yuhaaviatam Center for Global Health, Room 100 (175 E 8th St)
Pre-Semester Workshop: Balanced Pedagogy: Strategies for Offering Students the Right Mix of Flexibility and Structure
Some parts of teaching are fun and easy, some parts can be difficult and stressful. In this workshop, we’ll share ways to structure your class with the flexibility to respond to students’ needs, while still supporting students’ (and faculty!) autonomy and resilience. CTL staff will share specific examples of teaching strategies we use to find more space for the fun and exciting parts of teaching–things like community-building, creativity, or critical thinking. Attendees will leave the session with some practical tips to shrink the time spent organizing and administering your course, so you can spend more time with the things that matter most to you and your students. If possible, have in mind one or two things you love about teaching, and one or two things that challenge you!
August 20 and 21
10:30-11:45am
Yuhaaviatam Center for Global Health, Room 100 (175 E 8th St)
Pre-Semester Open Hours
CTL Open hours are time to support you in anything related to your teaching before classes begin! We can help review your syllabus, make a plan for the first day of class, or build in more inclusive practices into your course. We’re also happy to answer any questions you have about the student body or about teaching at the Claremont Colleges more generally if you’re new to these campuses! We’ll have some snacks and coffee available.
August 20 and 21
1-3pm
CTL Offices (first floor of Honnold Mudd Library)