Talking Teaching is a series of (typically) one-off casual events, anywhere from five to eight a semester, that address an ever-changing, wide range of topics mostly related to improving student learning and experiences. Talking Teaching (TT) is co-coordinated by one or two faculty members working closely with the CTL Director. For the 2024-25 academic year, the TT events have also been co-coordinated by a staff member. Events are typically informal, with 6 to 8 faculty and staff "discussants" who come prepared to share their ideas about the topic at some point during the conversation. The discussants—typically from a wide-range of disciplines, points in their careers, varying personal identities as well as approaches to teaching—help attract other participants. Several times a year a Talking Teaching event may be more focused and run by a single leader with some kind of expertise, and are therefore more closely related to a workshop.

Wide-ranging in both the topics we cover and those who participate, Talking Teaching evolves and changes depending upon both the needs of the campus and the faculty coordinating the series. It has also spun off three related series: "Talking Teaching Too (which included students in conversation with faculty and staff); "Talking the Profession" (focused less on student learning and faculty teaching and more on faculty professional skills and issues); and, most recently, Talking Teaching "Pop-Ups."

Most recently, our Talking Teaching topics (with co-sponsors) have included:

  • How Is Your Teaching Going this Semester? Teaching through Covid (Again)
  • Teaching & Advising Your First-Year Seminar: How Are Things Going?
  • First-to-Second Year Student Retention: Trends, Practices, & Opportunities for Engagement
    • Co-sponsored by the of Dean of the College & the Office of Institutional Research
  • Understanding Neurodiversity: Removing Barriers for Equitable Learning
    • Co-sponsored by the Office of Accessibility and the Office of the Dean of Institutional Equity & Inclusion
  • Approaches to Challenging & Supporting Our Students: A Conversation with Teaching Award Winners
  • Effectively Documenting Your Teaching for Improvement and Review
  • Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Reflecting Upon Our Semester Teaching
  • Take it to the Max: Making Your Semester More Efficient with Moodle & Google & More
    • Co-sponsored by Research Support & Curricular Technology
  • Alternatives to Course Feedback Forms to Improve Teaching & Learning
  • Supporting Student Learning during Times of Disruption: A CTL Talking Teaching Pop-Up for Faculty & Staff
    • Co-sponsored by FSCC, Staff Council, the Office of Dean of the Faculty and Center for Critical Study of Race & Ethnicity (CCSRE)
  • Responding to Current Student Needs: Sharing Support Among Colleagues: A CTL Talking Teaching Pop-Up for Faculty & Staff
    • Co-sponsored by FSCC, Staff Council, and CCSRE
  • Reflection on the Semester Teaching & Mentoring so Far
  • 'A' is for April, Assess, & Adjust
  • Bias-Aware Teaching Observations
    • Co-sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, the Office of the Dean of Institutional Equity & Inclusion, FSCC, and CCSRE

Talking Teaching topics are chosen based upon the current needs of the campus, suggestions from faculty and staff members, and the interests and expertise of the faculty members currently organizing the series.

 

Talking Teaching Schedules

Read more