CTLgrads Learning Community - Into the Unknown: Teaching Futures and Uncertainty (Session 2) - for graduate students As teachers, we can sometimes feel pressure to present the world as certain, conclusive, and neatly structured. But global challenges like climate change, political divisiveness, and technological disruption remind us that the future is inherently uncertain—and that normative debates about what should be done are unavoidable. This two-part Learning Community explores how we can recognize and harness uncertainty in ways that are productive rather than…

We invite current Columbia graduate students with questions about maintaining an inclusive teaching environment and all other aspects of pedagogy to drop by office hours on Fridays from 2:00–4:00 pm. We also welcome conversations about CTL fellowships, programs, services, job market preparation, and making progress in the Teaching Development Program (tdp.ctl.columbia.edu). No appointment is necessary; you can join us in-person in 212 Butler Library, or via Zoom. To join office hours via Zoom, email CTLgrads@columbia.edu to obtain the link. Learn more about what you can…

How is “care” conceptualized (or ignored) in your field? What practices, ethics, or traditions shape how care is enacted in your discipline’s pedagogical and research spaces? Where do you see room for supporting these? Is there any need to disrupt, expand, or reimagine these? If so, how might that be done?  This session invites teaching fellows to explore how their discipline has historically conceptualized, embodied, or excluded care—whether through its methodologies, ethical commitments, or relational practices—to inform their own pedagogical…

Observing faculty or peers teaching can be a powerful way to expand your awareness of teaching techniques, train your attention on student learning, and generate reflection about your own instructional approaches. But how can you ensure that an observation leads to all these benefits? This workshop will provide participants with a model for conducting online or in-person observations of teaching that focus on learning objectives, student engagement, and insights about the observer’s own teaching development. While the session will be…