Critical Teaching Behaviors Book Club
Defining, Documenting, and Discussing Good Teaching
What does “good teaching” mean, and what does it look like? Perhaps you have grappled with this question, either as an educator seeking to improve your own teaching practice or as a colleague asked to assess the teaching of others. This book club is for you!
Join us to explore an evidence-based guide to effective teaching and learning! In this book club we will examine teaching effectiveness through the lens of the CTB framework of high-level behaviors that can be adopted and adapted to individual instructor and disciplinary context. More practically, it relies on evidence that can be observed by peers, leans on student feedback, and one’s own reflective narrative of teaching effectiveness. Discover equitable and inclusive strategies, participate in productive conversations centered around teaching and learning, and access a toolkit of resources to apply from day one.
The book offers a holistic method of documenting and assessing teaching effectiveness by including a variety of evidence and perspectives to both develop teaching skills and demonstrate achievements in promoting student learning. Each session is framed around the questions, “What do we know,” “What do we do,”, and What do we show?” and will focus on:
Identifying behaviors of good teaching
Reflecting upon the teaching behaviors already in practice
Implementing research-based, effective teaching behaviors across each of the six CTB categories
Documenting teaching behaviors
Conducting and/or reflect on peer observation
Collecting and/or reflect on midterm feedback
Using a core value statement to purposefully select and frame evidence of effectiveness in a coherent teaching narrative
Location: Babbidge library, room 1102
January 26 – Kickoff to meet the facilitators and pick up the book
February 2 – Align components of learning experiences to defined outcomes
February 9 – Include for student diversity by utilizing accessibility standards
February 16 – Engage students purposely to encourage active participation in the learning process
February 23 – Assess through meaningful and transparent techniques and feedback
March 1 – Integrate Technology using tools to provide access to high quality instructional materials
March 29 – Reflect/Identify Core Values to explore opportunities for growth
April 5 – Peer Observation adapted to your needs
April 12 – Midterm Student Feedback using GIFT
April 19 – Creating a Narrative of Teaching Effectiveness
For more information, contact: Stacey Valliere at stacey.valliere@uconn.edu