Overview
Open to all full time faculty, the Faculty Reading Community (FRC) is an opportunity to join Center for Teaching and Learning Educational Development staff for sustained cross-disciplinary conversation on critical topics in teaching and learning. Participants engage in pedagogical conversation revolving around a chapter or group of chapters from a recently published book on teaching and learning. Books are chosen for a combination of their practical advice, evidence-based strategies, and wide applicability to a variety of disciplines. When the FRC meets in person, the CTL provides refreshments and snacks. Advanced registration for this reading community is required and registration is limited each semester.
Current Read
The Faculty Reading Community discussions this spring will involve chapters from Harriet Schwartz’s recent book, Connected Teaching: Relationship, Power, and Mattering in Higher Education. In this book, Schwartz argues for “connected teaching,” teaching which is founded upon relationships built between instructors and their students. Informed by Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) and drawing on empirical and established theoretical literature from teaching and psychology, as well as leadership and organizational studies, Schwartz provides both theoretical backing and practical suggestions for understanding teaching as a relational practice.
Books Used in Prior Semesters
Fall 2021: Small Teaching: Every Day Lessons from the Science of Learning (Second Edition) by James Lang
August 2021: What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching by Addy et al.
Spring 2021: Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It by James Lang
Fall 2020: Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology in College Teaching by Derek Bruff
Spring 2020:How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories behind Effective College Teaching by Josh Eyler
Fall 2019: Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James Lang
Spring 2019: Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel
For more information on the Faculty Reading Community or to suggest a book, please contact Dr. Meg Gregory and meggregory@wustl.edu.