- September 27th
- October 11th
- November 1st
- November 22nd
Most circles will meet in the Campus Center, 12:15-1:15 p.m. with lunch available beginning at noon.
Human Rights Initiative Teaching Circle
with Carrie Cuthbert (Dir., Human Rights Initiative) and Loretta Ross (SWG)
The Human Rights Initiative's Teaching Circle is designed as an informal space for those who are engaged in human rights education inside and/or outside the classroom, interested in learning about the field of Human Rights Education, and/or wish to benefit from ongoing peer conversations about experiences integrating a human rights lens into their teaching. Funding and schedules permitting, we will bring in a guest speaker. Our hope is to build on both our year-long Kahn Project (2023-2024) and inaugural summer Curricular Enhancement Grant Program (2024) to establish a human rights education “community of practice” at Smith. All are welcome.
For the circle on Friday, November 1st, Sandra Sirota from UConn's Human Rights Institute will join the discussion and conversation.
RSVP.
Languages Across the Curriculum Teaching Circle
with Ilona Sotnikova (REEES) and Maureen DeNino (FRN)
This teaching circle provides an informal space for language educators and faculty across disciplines to discuss ways to collaborate and connect world languages with other majors and areas of student interest and promote languages at Smith. Faculty from all disciples are encouraged to attend!
RSVP.
NTT Faculty Teaching Circle
with Mona Kulp (CHM), Reid Berone-Johnson (LSS), Christiane Métral (FRN), and Yalin Chen (CHI)
The Teaching Circle for NTT Faculty will offer an informal space for NTT faculty across disciplines at Smith to make connections, build community and share helpful resources. Additionally, we hope to build consensus and serve as an advocacy group for NTT faculty as a whole at Smith. We hope this will provide a space for new and veteran NTT faculty to connect.
RSVP.
Reflective Practices Teaching Circle
with Jessica Bacal (Dir. of Reflective Practices) and Cat McCune (Dir., Spinelli Center)
Inviting students to "describe your process" can generate a chorus of groans, but reflective practices don't have to be arduous or soul-depleting. In this Teaching Circle, we will facilitate a sharing of interesting alternatives and best practices for reflection across all divisions. We will talk about the goals of reflection, including learning transfer -- something which can be challenging for students but which is a core value of a liberal arts education. We will also look at evaluating and grading reflections: What makes a good one? A great one? What can be done when a reflection doesn't hit the mark? Participants in this circle will receive a copy of the new book Experiments in Reflection by Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, a Stanford.School guide published in 2023.
RSVP.