Learning Communities
A faculty learning community is a specifically structured learning community of faculty, instructors, and staff in higher education with a curriculum that enhances teaching and learning and includes the goals of building community, engaging in scholarly practice, and developing the scholarship of teaching and learning. (Cox, 2019)
Spring 2023 Communities, Book Clubs, & Affinity Groups
Open to all UMD instructors and graduate instructors.
If you received a 2022 Teaching & Learning Grant, the PI or primary investigator should sign-up for, and attend at least one learning community during the '22-23 academic year to fulfill the grant requirements. Additional members of the grant team, including graduate assistants, are welcome to participate in any communities of interest.
This is a continuation of last semester's community which worked through Anneliese Singh’s “The Racial Healing Handbook.” All are welcome to join us this semester as we continue our work by applying our foundational knowledge to our teaching. Join us to become an anti-racist educator and create truly inclusive learning experiences for our students.
Coordinated by Ginny Hutcheson and Louisa Nkrumah, TLTC
This community will meet online on Mondays (2/13, 2/27, 3/13, 3/27, 4/10, 4/24, 5/8) from 10:00-11:30am.
Registration is closed.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Ginny Hutcheson at ghutches@umd.edu and/or Louisa Nkrumah at lnkrumah@umd.edu.
Join this community to learn skills to effectively facilitate dialogue. You will have the opportunity to participate in dialogue, practice facilitating dialogue, and receive feedback. All levels of skill are welcome from beginner to advanced. This community will serve as a space not only to fine-tune your own skills, but also to expand the toolkit of strategies you can use with your students.
Coordinated by Louisa Nkrumah, TLTC
This community will meet online on Thursdays (2/16, 3/2, 3/16, 3/30, 4/13, 4/27) from 2:00-3:30pm.
Register here.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Louisa Nkrumah at lnkrumah@umd.edu.
Does your class center around experiential learning such as role plays, simulations, work with data sets, or other active techniques? Do you want to discuss how to support authentic learning no matter your class size? Join fellow instructors to learn about, share and discuss effective strategies for creating, delivering, and assessing experiential learning in the classroom.
Coordinated by Ginny Hutcheson, TLTC
This community will meet on Thursdays, online in February (2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23) AND in-person in March (3/2, 3/9) from 12:30-1:50pm.
Registration is closed.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Ginny Hutcheson at ghutches@umd.edu.
Are you working with partners external to UMD in your classes? Are you using your network to provide student experiences that include meaningful participation in real or simulated experiences? Whether you are taking students out into the community or collaborating with outside groups to bring real-world challenges into your classroom - this group is for you. Join others doing similar work to share best practices, overcome challenges, and advocate for this valuable learning.
Coordinated by Mona Thompson, TLTC
This community will meet in-person in ESJ on Tuesdays (2/7, 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14) from 2:00-3:30pm.
Register here.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Mona Thompson at mona1@umd.edu.
In this community we will discuss motivation, the ARCS model, and strategies to design courses and classroom environments that stimulate motivation in learners.
Coordinated by Louisa Nkrumah, TLTC
This community will meet online on Wednesdays (2/15, 3/1, 3/15, 3/29, 4/12, 4/26) from 1:00-2:30pm.
Register here.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Louisa Nkrumah at lnkrumah@umd.edu.
This learning community will serve as a space where lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) instructors can build community and learn more about teaching and learning from a queer lens. Throughout the semester, we will discuss the four pieces of effective teaching in the Fearless Teaching Framework (Climate, Content, Practice, and Assessment) and discuss how our work as instructors intersects with our identities as queer people.
Coordinated by Ginny Hutcheson and Alice Donlan, TLTC
This affinity group will meet in-person in ESJ on Tuesdays (2/14, 2/28, 3/14, 3/28, 4/11, 4/25) from 11:00am-12:00pm.
Registration is closed.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Ginny Hutcheson at ghutches@umd.edu.
Coordinated by Anjula Batra, TLTC and Gili Ad-Marbach, CMNS
Join a group of STEM colleagues to learn about, share, and reflect upon STEM education. New and returning members are always welcome! We will read current research in STEM Education, share our own successes, challenges, and practices, and learn from one another. We will meet in person midday on Tuesdays. Snacks will be provided - feel free to bring your lunch.
This community will meet in-person in ESJ on Tuesdays (2/28, 3/14, 3/28, 4/11, 4/25, 5/9) from 12:35-1:45pm.
Register here.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Anjula Batra at abatra@umd.edu.
Are you a graduate student or postdoc who is teaching or preparing to teach? Connect with your peers in this informal book club! In this community, we will read "Teaching Matters: A Guide for Graduate Students" by Aeron Haynie and Stephanie Spong and have informal conversations about topics from the book, such as designing courses, creating a welcoming classroom community, navigating classroom challenges, and cultivating well-being.
You will receive a free copy of the book as part of your participation in this learning community. Please aim to register by January 26 so we can have enough books ready for the group.
Coordinated by Mona Thompson, TLTC
This book club will meet on Thursdays (2/9 in-person in ESJ, 2/23 online, 3/2 online, 3/9 online, 3/16 in-person in ESJ) from 3:30-5:00pm.
Register here.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Mona Thompson at mona1@umd.edu.
Coordinated by Anjula Batra, TLTC
Trauma-informed and healing centered pedagogies approach teaching and learning by recognizing the whole person not just in and outside of the classroom, but also the experiences and challenges that may impact the learning space. Join a group of colleagues interested in learning more about this growing field and ways to incorporate some evidence-based practices in our classrooms and work. We will meet in person to build community, learn together, and explore and share pedagogical and life strategies around being a trauma informed educator.
This community will meet in-person in ESJ on Tuesdays (2/28, 3/14, 3/28, 4/11, 4/25, 5/9) from 11:00am-12:20pm.
Register here.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Anjula Batra at abatra@umd.edu.
Coordinated by Louisa Nkrumah, TLTC
This is a space for Women of Color faculty, staff, and graduate students to build a supportive community, discuss teaching and learning at the University of Maryland, address challenges faced in their roles, and explore strategies to overcome them.
This affinity group will meet online on dates TBD, based on participants' availability.
Register here.
Questions or accessibility needs? Contact Louisa Nkrumah at lnkrumah@umd.edu.