Teaching Arts Luncheons
Please join us on Fridays for discussions focused on teaching and learning at Smith. Our lunchtime events will most often be held in Neilson Browsing Room at noon for lunch with presentations beginning at 12:20 pm.
Schedule of Sherrerd Friday Events for Fall 2023
Since its founding, the Sherrerd Center for Teaching and Learning has fostered community so that faculty can meet the pedagogical challenges and opportunities present in our classrooms. On the heels of a global pandemic, as artificial “intelligence” rises in ubiquity and society’s inequities demand our attention, we face a complex landscape, one that demands now more than ever that we gather our hope and expertise in order to build a curriculum that helps our students learn with deep understanding.
To that end, this fall, the Sherrerd will launch a new Big Questions series as part of its Friday Teaching Arts Lunch (TAL) offerings (held Fridays most often in Neilson Browsing Room at noon for lunch with presentations from 12:20 to 1:15 pm; lunch served). During five TAL slots over the arc of the semester, we will engage with humility and curiosity to listen, reflect, and share ideas about key questions that are essential to thoughtful design of every learning environment. Our hope is that this series provides space and support to help faculty engage in deliberate curricular planning that centers essential principles of effective teaching. The Big Question series will include combinations of panel discussions, brief presentations, small group conversation, and individual work time. All faculty and staff who teach and/or support teaching and learning are welcome. For those instructing courses, we invite you to bring along a course syllabus for a class you will teach in the spring (or beyond) to inform your reflections and planning so that our lunches provide you space to do some course design.
Please RSVP for the Sherrerd luncheons by visiting the forms below and calendar invitations will be sent prior to the TAL with location and details. RSVPs will help us better plan for lunch and seating, reduce waste and better utilize valuable resources. Lunch and seating will be available for up to 50 attendees/participants.
September 8th: Welcome back TAL/new director presentation
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
Patty DiBartolo will welcome back all for the fall semester along with the Sherrerd Center’s Teaching Mentors, Liz Pryor (HST) and Kate Queeney (CHM). Come hear about the shape of Sherrerd’s offerings and share your thoughts about what most excites and intimidates you on the teaching front as we begin a new academic year.
RSVP please
September 15th: Big Question Series: What now?
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
Link to the chapter to read for this TAL
The pace of change and challenge in higher ed seems to have escalated in recent history. How can faculty build a model of teaching and learning flexible, robust, and compassionate enough to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges? This workshop will present a brief overview of what we know about how people learn and use that as a framework to help faculty members explore how to connect their discipline’s ideas and their own pedagogical principles to their course design. Please bring a syllabus along to annotate and help ground your reflections and conversation.
RSVP please.
September 22: Sara Eddy on best practices for faculty advisers of honors projects
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
How can we best support students writing theses so as to ensure they produce their very best work and enjoy rich learning experiences along the way? This TAL will crowdsource best practices from experienced thesis advisors in attendance; Jacobson Center writing support staff (who work with students on theses) will contribute; and assistant director Sara Eddy will supplement with approaches taken from across teaching research and literature, as well as from other comparable SLACs. We’ll also hear anonymous testimony from alum about strengths and weaknesses they encountered when working with their thesis advisors.
September 29: Valerie Joseph and Dave Gorin on Self-Reflection, Not Blame: Smith faculty/staff learning from student-reported (micro)aggressions
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
This Teaching Arts Luncheon shares student experiences of (micro)aggressions in interacting with faculty and staff, as reported to AEMES. We highlight patterns in communication with students that have gone wrong and provide a process to explore improving our communication as teachers and administrators.
RSVP please.
October 6: Sherrerd Prize Panel
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
This year's Kathleen Compton Sherrerd ’54 and John J. F. Sherrerd Prize recipients for Distinguished Teaching are Jay Garfield (PHI), Barbara Kellum (ART), and Erin Pineda (GOV). The award is given annually to Smith faculty members to recognize sustained and distinguished teaching by long-time faculty members as well as to encourage younger faculty members whose demonstrated enthusiasm and excellence influences students and colleagues. Jay, Barbara, and Erin will participate in a panel (moderated by Sherrerd Director Patty DiBartolo) to discuss their teaching experiences, practices, and philosophies.
RSVP please.
October 13: Teaching Circles
October 20: Presidential Inauguration Weekend--TAL cancelled
October 27: Big Question Series: Varied learners and so much content: How do you manage it all?
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
Every classroom has many different learners and every course has so much to cover. Managing these demands simultaneously often feels impossible. How can you design learner centered classrooms that focus on the knowledge most important to you, your students, and your discipline? Come hear a panel of colleagues share their perspectives about navigating these demands and how they strive to create learning spaces that are student and idea centered.
RSVP please.
November 3: Big Question Series: Workshop on how to design student and idea centered learning spaces
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
Building on the previous Big Question panel event, this week’s lunch will provide prompts and opportunities for faculty to self-reflect and engage in small group conversation about how to foster student centered classrooms centering ideas that will stick in new contexts and well into the future. Remember to bring your syllabus along to annotate and help ground your reflections and conversation.
RSVP please.
November 10: Teaching Circles
November 17: Big Question Series: How do you know that what you do matters?
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
Sometimes, it is hard to know whether students have gained a deep understanding of course content that will matter beyond the context of the class. Complicating matters further, it is often really hard to know whether what you are doing as a teacher is effective. Come hear a panel of colleagues share their perspectives on how to navigate through such challenges, including evaluating their own teaching and assessing their students’ understanding, in ways that gauge and propel learning and idea improvement.
RSVP please.
December 1: Big Question Series: Workshop on how to know that what you do matters
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
Building last week’s Big Question panel event, this week’s lunch will provide prompts and opportunities for faculty to self-reflect and engage in small group conversation about how to build assessments that deepen student learning rather than merely evaluate it as well as how to understand and evaluate your own teaching effectiveness, beyond what we get from the college’s formal process of course feedback. You are invited to bring your syllabus along to annotate and help ground your reflections and conversation.
RSVP please.
December 8: Teaching Circles
Past Teaching Arts Lunches
Below is the list of some past Teaching Arts Lunches. Please contact us if you are interested in receiving more information about past programming.
Spring 2023
Friday, February 3 - Disability & Academic Curb Cuts: from accommodations to accessible design
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
with EJ Seibert (Assoc Director of ODS)
EJ Seibert, Associate Director of Disability Services, will offer cultural and theoretical grounding for our considerations of disability, a very brief overview of legal underpinnings of college disability services, summary of tensions between cultural and legal definitions, and suggestions for concrete application of ideas. We will discuss accommodations and universal design, with time for questions and dialogue.
RSVP.
Friday, February 10 - Digital Pedagogy Fellowship Showcase
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
with Susan Fliss, Jean Ferguson, Travis Grandy (LRT) and faculty including Kelly Anderson, Josh Birk, Lucretia Knapp, Miranda McCarvel, Kathleen Pierce, Maria Succi-Hempstead, Luce Ward, Lynn Yamamoto, and Alexis Ziemba
Smith faculty who participated in the Fall 2022 Digital Pedagogy Fellowship will share their experiences developing digital scholarship projects and working with staff and resources in Neilson Library's new digital innovation spaces. Learn about their successes, challenges, and lessons learned on projects ranging from infographics, podcasts, to digital storytelling, and more.
RSVP.
Friday, February 17 - Teaching Circles
CANCELED*****Friday, February 24 - Conversation with Faculty on Alumnae Careers
This TAL has been canceled for this date.
Friday, March 3 - Recommendations from the High Impact Practices (HIPs) Working Group
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
with Floyd Cheung (OEI) and Sarah Moore (EGR)
Research in higher education has identified evidence-based high-impact practices (HIPs), such as study abroad, research experiences, and internships, as leading to improved student persistence, achievement, and learning outcomes. We will report on recommendations towards equitable access to HIPs coming out of a recent Smith College working group, and progress in implementing these ideas.
RSVP.
Friday, March 10 - Teaching Circles
Friday, March 24 - Botanical Imaginations in the Liberal Arts: From Germination to Fruition
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
with Tim Johnson and Sarah Loomis (Botanic Garden)
Join Tim Johnson and Sarah Loomis, both of the Botanic Garden, for a discussion on the ways plant collections are uniquely situated to support courses across the liberal arts. This presentation will share the garden's approach to collaborative teaching and provide examples of ways Smith faculty from various disciplines are engaging with our spaces, staff and collections. Hear directly from faculty in Anthropology, Art and Geosciences, as they share their own experiences integrating the botanic garden into their courses, ranging from one-off projects to multiple year exhibits. You will leave with new ideas for meaningful engagement and a clear understanding of just how easy it can be to make use of this special resource.
RSVP.
Friday, March 31 - Teaching Stories We Never Tell: An Honest Conversation
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
with Patty DiBartolo (PSY), Elizabeth Pryor (HST), and Caroline Melly (ANT)
Have you ever experienced a truly unsettling teaching situation…and had no one to tell? Has a classroom incident ever felt truly unspeakable? This teaching arts lunch works toward creating space for conversations about teaching that are the scariest of all. It reflects on and resists the instinct to stay quiet when things go awry with our students. And it highlights the tremendous emotional and psychological labor involved in working through things alone.
RSVP.
Friday, April 7 - Creating Trauma-Resilience: Trauma-Informed Pedagogy for a Resilient Learning Environment
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
with Kelly Vogel (Integrative Studies)
Kelly Vogel, Lecturer in Integrative Studies, will lead a conversation about Trauma Resilience: Trauma-Informed Pedagogy for the Resilient Classroom. Kelly will share research on the prevalence of trauma and the impacts on college students’ learning, as well as ways to create a trauma-resilient environment. Kelly brings over 5 years of experience supporting Smith students with executive function-related issues and is currently pursuing a PhD in Educational Studies with a focus on Trauma-Informed Pedagogy in Higher Education.
RSVP.
Friday, April 14 - Ungrading Analysis: Course Design for (un)Grading
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon, Neilson 102
with Jennifer Beichman (MTH)
Figuring out how to use alternative grading methods and ungrading in courses can feel overwhelming. In Fall 2022, I adopted ungrading in MTH281 a proof and inquiry based class on the mathematics behind calculus. In this talk, I will discuss my planning process, structuring the course around identified learning goals and the needs of the students, and how it went with a few months of perspective on the experience.
RSVP.
Friday, April 21 - Teaching Circles
Fall 2022
Friday, September 9, 2022 – Welcome Back/New Director and Teaching Mentor Presentation
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon
Caroline Melly (new Sherrerd Center Director), Patty DiBartolo and Liz Pryor (Sherrerd Center Teaching Mentors)
Caroline Melly will welcome all back for the fall semester along with the Sherrerd Center's Teaching Mentors Patty DiBartolo (PSY) and Liz Pryor (HST).
Friday, September 16, 2022 – The Mid-Semester Assessment (MSA) Program: A Tool for Improving Teaching and Learning
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon
Debra Carney (MSA Program Coordinator/Specialist) with Michael Barresi (BIO), Miranda McCarvel (Jacobson Center), and Anna Mwaba (GOV)
Debra Carney, MSA Program Coordinator/Specialist will provide an overview of the MSA program and discuss its value to faculty and students. She will be joined by three faculty members who will discuss their own experiences with MSAs: Michael Barresi, Biological Sciences; Miranda McCarvel, Jacobson Center; and Anna Mwaba, Government.
Friday, September 23, 2022 - Teaching Circles
Friday, September 30, 2022 - Building the Foundations for Effective Peer Review
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon
Peter Sapira (Jacobson Center)
Depending on how it is structured, peer review can be a wonderful teaching tool or a waste of time. In order to ensure that peer review is effective, Peter Sapira will discuss how to build and model proper feedback practices long before students review each other’s work.
Friday, October 7, 2022 – Advising International Students
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon
Caitlin Szymkowicz, Associate Dean of International Students
Caitlin Szymkowicz, Associate Dean for International Students & Scholars, will give an overview of the rules and restrictions placed on our F-1 International Students during their degree at Smith. We will discuss how this framework might affect advising conversations with international students, in terms of planning their courses, their major courses of study, and internship/job opportunities both during their degree and after graduation. The International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) certainly doesn't expect - or want - faculty and staff to act as visa officers, but this is an opportunity to better understand the immigration framework within which our F-1 international students must operate. We want you to be empowered to help students navigate their time in the US, and to know when a situation might have a 'red flag' or need additional advising from our office.
Friday, October 14, 2022 – Being Human in STEM (HSTEM): Using the HSTEM model to develop inclusive teaching practices
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon
Sarah Bunnell, STEM Specialist and Associate Director Amherst College Center for Teaching and Learning and Megan Lyster, Assistant Director, Wurtele Center for Leadership
In the fall of 2015, Amherst College students organized a four-day sit-in protest which brought to light the experiences of marginalization and exclusion of many students on campus. In response, faculty, staff, and students at Amherst worked together to develop the Being Human in STEM (HSTEM) model, a framework for thinking about how we can create inclusive classrooms, laboratories, and other student-facing spaces through intentional partnership with students. In this Teaching Arts Luncheon series, Sarah Bunnell and Megan Lyster will discuss the HSTEM model, share examples from faculty at Amherst and Smith, and encourage participants to consider how the model can support the work they are or would like to be doing towards enhancing inclusion and equity in their teaching.
Friday, October 21, 2022 - Sherrerd Award Winners Panel Discussion
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon
Caroline Melly (Panel Moderator) and Sherred Prize Winning Panelists Sam Ng (AFR) and Jeff Ahlman (HST)
This year's Kathleen Compton Sherrerd ’54 and John J. F. Sherrerd Prize recipients for Distinguished Teaching are Sam Ng (AFR), Jeff Ahlman (HST), and Candice Price (MTH). The award is given annually to Smith faculty members to recognize sustained and distinguished teaching by long-time faculty members as well as to encourage younger faculty members whose demonstrated enthusiasm and excellence influences students and colleagues. Sam and Jeff (Candice is on sabbatical) will be in a panel moderated by Caroline Melly and will discuss their teaching experiences, practices, and philosophies amongst other topics about their teaching.
Friday, October 28, 2022 - Teaching Circles
Friday, November 4, 2022 – Apply Your Faculty Expertise to Addressing the Climate Crisis - Especially If You Haven't Identified As a "Climate Expert." A Panel Discussion with Faculty Across the College
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon
Benita Jackson (PSY), Melissa Parrish (ENG), Andrea Stone (ENG), and Bozena Welborne (GOV)
One barrier to incorporating climate crisis material into our courses is when faculty feel inadequately trained to do so. In this panel conversation, faculty from Divisions 1, 2, and 3, respectively, discuss ways - big and small - that they have incorporated discussions of the climate emergency into their classes, barriers they've faced, and creative ideas for doing it anyway. Though challenges on this scale bring to surface a profound sense of existential powerlessness, it's also true that as faculty we have great potential for shaping how students learn, frame, and act upon these issues.
Friday, November 11, 2022 - Teaching Circles
Friday, November 18, 2022 – Teaching with Writing in larger courses
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon
Magdalena Zapędowska (Jacobson Center)
It can be challenging to teach with writing in larger courses. However, there are strategies to integrate writing into a larger class without overwhelming yourself. Students can learn a lot by writing short papers, focused exercises, and self-reflections. Such writing gives you valuable information about students’ understanding of the material, and not all of it has to be graded. Informal writing done in class or outside of class enhances learning as well. This session will discuss these and other ways to make teaching with writing in larger courses more manageable and enjoyable.
Friday, December 2, 2022 – Collaborating in Advising
12:20-1:15 with lunch beginning at noon
Andrew Dausch, Ph.D., Director of Fellowships & Postgraduate Scholarships; Lisa Johnson, Associate Dean for International Study and Lewis Global Studies Center; Faith McClellan, Dean of Career Services and Lazarus Center for Career Development; and Adela Penagos, PhD, Associate Dean of the College for Advising and Mentoring and Dean of the Senior Class
As partners in the educational process that enables our students to utilize our various offices as wayfinders at Smith and explore opportunities to learn, grow and engage in inquiry, we’ll share with you collaborative approaches to better support Smithies as they venture in pathways beyond the classroom.
Friday, December 9, 2022 - Antiracist Learning Community (ALC) Teaching Circle (rescheduled from 11/11)
12:15-1:15 pm with lunch available at noon
Spring 2022
Friday, January 28, 2022 – Democratizing the Classroom Part I
12:20-1:15 over Zoom
Sara Pruss, Patty DiBartolo, Caroline Melly (Sherrerd Center); Alex Keller (Kahn Institute); Magdalena Zapędowska (Jacobson Center); and Candice Price (MTH)
The first in a series of teaching arts lunches focused on democratizing the classroom, co-sponsored with the Kahn Institute, Sara Pruss will welcome all back for the spring semester and along with the Sherrerd Center's Teaching Mentors Patty DiBartolo and Caroline Melly, Alex Keller from the Kahn Institute, Magdalena Zapędowska from the Jacobson Center and Candice Price in the Math department will lead a conversation about democratizing the classroom and some of the tensions that exist as faculty move to this space of sharing authority in the classroom with students.
Friday, February 4, 2022 – Building the Foundations for Effective Peer Review
Canceled and rescheduled for fall 2022.
Friday, February 11, 2022 - Teaching Circles (all on Zoom on this date)
Friday, February 18, 2022 - The Covid-19 Pandemic’s Effects on Students
12:20-1:15 pm
Baishakhi Taylor (Dean of the College) with Kayla Crossley '22, Laura Campuzao, Ada '24, and Jamie Leigh Rambin, '24
Much research and reflections have gone into documenting the effects of the pandemic on current college students. Yet we can only anticipate and speculate how learning and living through a pandemic continues to impact student’s lives even in an endemic state. In this session we will hear from current students about their experience during the pandemic, examine current data on pandemic impact, and discuss ways in which we can support students inside and outside of the classroom.
Friday, February 25, 2022 – Online Nondegree Program Highlights
Canceled.
Friday, March 4, 2022 – Democratizing the Classroom Part II on Ungrading
12:20-1:15 pm
Magdalena Zapędowska (Jacobson Center) and Candice Price (MTH)The second in a series of teaching arts lunches focused on democratizing the classroom, co-sponsored with the Kahn Institute, Magdalene Zapędowska from the Jacobson Center and Candice Price in the Math department will lead a conversation about ungrading and changing the dynamics of your classroom.
Friday, March 11, 2022 - Teaching Circles
Friday, March 25, 2022 – Breaking Silos: Helping Students Learn to Collaborate Across the Curricular and Co-Curricular
12:20-1:15 pm
Erin Cohn, Wurtele Center
Faculty and staff work with student teams and seek to support their collaborative work inside and outside of the classroom. While we engage in that work separately, students experience it holistically. What can faculty and staff learn from one another, and what can we all learn from the learning sciences, to help us support students’ growth as collaborators across their curricular and co-curricular experiences? Join the Wurtele Center for Leadership for this facilitated monthly series of conversations about what it means to work collaboratively in a team at Smith College. Open to all faculty and staff, regardless of title or position.
Friday, April 1, 2022 – Advising Students in Distress
12:20-1:15 pm
Adela Penagos (Class Dean), Susanna Howe (Class Dean), Michelle Marchese (Director of Counseling Services)
Student distress presents in many different ways and has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Through teaching and advising, faculty are often early points of contact for students in distress; however, faculty need not be the only support or be equipped to answer all questions. In this session we will discuss our experiences with how student distress presents specifically on our campus and we will offer suggestions for advising students and helping students find the Smith resources to assist them. Come with your questions and concerns.
Friday, April 8, 2022 – Lessons learned from our Posse Mentors
12:20-1:15 pm
Marnie Anderson (HST), Denise McKahn (EGR), Kate Queeney (CHM)
Smith offers 10 full scholarships per year, focused on access and success for low-income students, and provides a faculty or staff mentor for each multi-cultural Posse class and a summer enrichment program for the Posse students.
Friday, April 15, 2022 – Democratizing the Classroom Part III: Linguistic Bias in Writing
12:20-1:15 pm
Miranda McCarvel, Jacobson Center
The third in a series of teaching arts lunches focused on democratizing the classroom, co-sponsored with the Kahn Institute, Miranda will discuss linguistic bias in writing, including creating a space in the classroom for students’ native dialects, how to approach the grading of work written by multilingual speakers, how to create a safe space for all dialects in the classroom, and how course and lesson design can accommodate linguistic diversity.
Friday, April 22, 2022 - Teaching Circles
Fall 2021
Friday, September 17, 2021 – Teaching and Learning with our Sherrerd Teaching Mentors
12:20-1:15 over Zoom
Sara Pruss, Patty DiBartolo, and Caroline Melly
To kick off the fall, Sara Pruss will welcome all back to campus for Sherrerd events and along with the Sherrerd Center's Teaching Mentors will lead a conversation about aspirations for the upcoming year, and teaching and learning as we move into the Fall.
Friday, September 24, 2021 – Neurodiversity and Space Planning over Zoom
12:30-2:00 pm over Zoom *Please note extended time
Jeffrey Ashley (Thomas Jefferson University) and Scott Montemerlo (WELL AP & WELL FACULTY, Teknion)
These events (9/24, 11/5 and 12/3) are a collaboration with Dano Weisbord (Associate Vice President for Administration & Campus Planning), the Classroom Committee, and the Sherrerd Center.
Read about Neurodiversity and Space Planning on our website here.
Friday, October 1, 2021 - Teaching Circles
Friday, October 8, 2021 - Conversation about Designing Your Path: IDP 132
12:20-1:15 pm over Zoom
Jess Bacal, Fraser Stables, and Sarah Moore
“It takes a while for our experiences to sift through our consciousness,” writes Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones (p. 15). The goal of IDP 132: Designing Your Path is to allow time for Smith students to gain perspective through what Goldberg calls “composting,” turning over “the organic details of your life until some of them fall . . . to the solid ground of black soil” (p. 15). Students surface prior knowledge and link it to new knowledge, synthesize learning from different contexts, setting goals, developing theories and making use of mistakes and failures as opportunities for learning. Our group will describe what happens during the class, and invite participants to engage in a version of one of the class exercises. In addition, we will present our theoretical framework, along with three semesters of data collected about the impact of Designing Your Path on Smith students so far.
Friday, October 15, 2021 – Anti-racist Pedagogy
12:20-1:15 over Zoom
Lina Rincón (Sacramento State), Kevin Shea (CHM), Nate Derr (BIO)
“The Anti-Racist Pedagogy Academy” led by Lina Rincón, Director of Faculty Diversity & Inclusion and founder of the Anti-Racist Pedagogy Academy, with Smith College faculty presenters of the Academy, Kevin Shea (Chemistry) and Nate Derr (Biological Sciences). The Academy created a space for faculty to reflect on the historical foundations of racism in the United States, discuss how racism affects the practice as teacher scholars and engage in concrete steps to transform space where students can feel a sense of belong and can thrive. A variety of pedagogical and culturally responsive communication practices that emphasized anti-racist and equity driven topics were explored.
Friday, October 22, 2021 – Sherrerd Award Winners
12:20-1:15 pm over Zoom
Maren Buck (CHM), Gaby Immerman (BIO), Michelle Joffroy (SPN)
This year's Kathleen Compton Sherrerd ’54 and John J. F. Sherrerd Prize recipients for Distinguished Teaching are Maren Buck (CHM), Gaby Immerman (BIO), and Michelle Joffroy (SPN). The award is given annually to Smith faculty members to recognize sustained and distinguished teaching by long-time faculty members as well as to encourage younger faculty members whose demonstrated enthusiasm and excellence influences students and colleagues. This year's winners will discuss their teaching experiences, practices, and philosophies; as well as how they infuse innovation, generosity, empathy and respect into their teaching.
Friday, October 29, 2021 - Teaching Circles
Friday, November 5, 2021 – Panel on Neurodiversity, Inclusive Pedagogy, and Learning Spaces
12:20-1:15 pm in person (with lunch available beginning at noon) in Neilson Browsing Room AND on Zoom
Abby Baines (Head of Public Services, Libraries), Shannon Audley (EDC), Caroline Melly (ANT)
These events (9/24, 11/5 and 12/3) are a collaboration with Dano Weisbord (Associate Vice President for Administration & Campus Planning), the Classroom Committee, and the Sherrerd Center.
Faculty and staff who have thought about neurodiversity in different spaces, both in terms of inclusive teaching and space design will share some thoughts and ideas.
Friday, November 12, 2021 – Pedagogical Partners Panel
12:20-1:15 pm in person (with lunch available beginning at noon) in Neilson Browsing Room
Maren Buck (CHM), Jack Loveless (GEO), Roisin O’Sullivan (ECO), Jon Caris (SAL)
Each will discuss their experience as a pedagogical partner. The Pedagogical Partnership Program engages students as partners to work with faculty in the classroom over an entire semester. Both faculty and staff teachers, as well as student partners are supported by the Sherrerd Center in this flexible model.
Friday, November 19, 2021 – Use of the Jacobson Center and Results of the Self-study
12:20-1:15 pm in person (with lunch available beginning at noon) in Neilson Browsing Room
Sara Eddy (Jacobson Center), Minh Ly (Institutional Research & Educational Assessment)
The year-long self-study that the Jacobson Center conducted last year with Minh Ly's help will be presented, including surveys of faculty, students, and administration. The data from this study prompted some major changes to the organization of the writing center starting this year and planned for rollout over the next three consecutive years.
Friday, December 3, 2021 – Updates and Discussion about the Young Science Center Classroom from the Design Team
12:20-1:15 pm in person (with lunch available beginning at noon) in Neilson Browsing Room
Dano Weisbord (Associate VP of Sustainability and Campus Planning), Michael Tyre, AIA, LEED AP (Principal/Design Director), Jenna McClure, AIA LEED AP (Associate Principal)
The third in a series of teaching arts lunches focused on supporting a neuro-diverse community in the classroom. This TAL will feature a presentation by architects from the firm Amenta/Emma, sharing designs for a new flat-floor classroom in the basement of the former Young Library. These designs will specifically consider the needs of neuro-diverse learners as well as a wide range of pedagogical approaches.
Friday, December 10, 2021 - Teaching Circles
Please note: Location change for some circles (now in CC 103/4 for December).
Spring 2021
Come gather with the Sherrerd Center director, advisory board, colleagues, and guests as we talk about teaching, the work of the Sherrerd Center, and mostly, to gather informally to support one another in our teaching adventures at Smith. All are welcome to these Zoom gatherings.
Friday, February 19, 2021 - Sherrerd Mentors on Equity and Inclusion in the classroom and Disabilities in teaching and learning at Smith
12:30-1:30 pm
Liz Pryor and Caroline Melly
Friday, February 26, 2021 - Workshop with Dr. Mays Imad on Trauma-Informed Pedagogy: Ours is Not a Caravan of Despair: Trauma-Informed Teaching for Restorative Justice co-sponsored by the Office for Equity and Inclusion
12:30-1:30 pm
Dr. Mays Imad
In this session we will consider the neuroscience of toxic stress and its impact on learning. We will examine the principles and practical examples of trauma-informed approaches, whether it's in the classroom or at the institution. Finally we will reflect on the connections between trauma-informed teaching and restorative justice.
Mays Imad is a neuroscientist and professor of pathophysiology and biomedical ethics at Pima Community College, the founding coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Center, and a Gardner Institute Fellow. Dr. Imad’s current research focuses on stress, self-awareness, advocacy, and classroom community, and how these relate to cognition, metacognition, and, ultimately, student learning and success.
Friday, March 5, 2021 - Teaching Circles
12:30-1:30 pm
Friday, March 12, 2021 - Writing Enriched Curriculum
12:30-1:30 pm
Sara Eddy (Jacobson Center), Erin Pineda and Alice Hearst (GOV), Katie Kinnaird (SDS), Julianna Tymoczko (MTH), Benita Jackson (PSY)
Please join us for a conversation about the Writing Enriched Curriculum (WEC) initiative, now in its second year at Smith. Launched in 2007 at the University of Minnesota, the WEC model is a faculty-driven, innovative approach to rethinking how writing is taught in the disciplines. It provides academic departments with a means to ensure that discipline-relevant writing and writing instruction are intentionally infused into their curricula.
Friday, March 19, 2021 - Teaching Circles
12:30-1:30 pm
Friday, March 26, 2021 - Conversation about Humanities Labs
*2:30-3:30 pm *Note the different time
Lisa Armstrong (SWG), Josh Birk (HST), and Carrie Baker (SWG)
The Sherrerd Center, the Kahn Institute, and the Jandon Center are pleased to announce a co-sponsored conversation with panelists Lisa Armstrong (SWG), Carrie Baker (SWG), and Josh Birk (HST) on involving students in Humanities Labs. Presenters will share experiences supervising students in Humanities Labs on Friday March 26th 2:30 to 3:30, before the April 9th deadline for the call for proposals. All are invited to attend and learn from our panelists.
Friday, April 2, 2021 - New Possibilities in the Neilson Library
12:30-1:30 pm
Susan Fliss (Libraries), Samantha Earp (ITS), Jean Ferguson (Libraries + ITS), Beth Myers (Libraries) and Rob O’Connell (Libraries)
After over eight years of planning, the new Neilson Library opened on Monday, March 29*. Presenters will describe the new services and service points available to faculty and students and hear your input. *Neilson is currently accessible only by members of the Smith community in the Covid screening program.
Friday, April 9, 2021 - Calderwood Seminars
12:30-1:30 pm
Rick Millington (moderator) with panelists: Anna Botta, Tom Roberts, Julianna Tymoczko, Camille Washington-Ottombre, and MJ Wraga
The Calderwood Seminars in Public Writing offer our students a new kind of capstone experience: they consolidate their knowledge in the major by bringing their intellectual commitments and passions to a broad public audience through an array of public facing writing assignments: op-eds, reviews, journalistic accounts of key issues in the liberal arts disciplines. But what is it like to teach one? Join a panel of colleagues for a first-hand account of this distinctive, writing-focused pedagogical model.
Friday, April 16, 2021 - Teaching Circles
12:30-1:30 pm
Friday, April 23, 2021 - How Privilege Manifests in Class Participation
12:30-1:30 pm
Jennifer Guglielmo, Jen Malkowski, and Will Williams
Friday, April 30, 2021 - Looking at Group Work with a Lens to Equity and Inclusion
12:30-1:30 pm
Valerie Joseph and Kevin Shea
Join panelists Kris Dorsey (Engineering), Caroline Melly (Anthropology), and Nate Derr (Biology) for a discussion about designing intentional group work that addresses issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. They will share strategies from their classes in hopes of motivating others to think about these issues when incorporating group work into classes.
Friday, May 7, 2021 - Teaching Circles
12:30-1:30 pm
Fall 2020
Friday, September 11, 2020—Teaching Circles
- Talking Through Remote Teaching: The Ups and Downs of the Fall 2020 with Liz Pryor (History); 12:30-1:30 pm
- Interdependence in the (Remote) Classroom: Creating Community, Accountability, Flexibility with Caroline Melly (Anthropology); 12:30-1:20 pm
Friday, September 18, 2020—Teaching students and not content: The social context of pedagogy
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Bryan Dewsbury, University of Rhode Island
Friday, September 25, 2020—Teaching Circles
- First Year Seminar Faculty Teaching Circle with Alice Hearst (GOV); 12:30-1:30 pm
Friday, October 2, 2020—Teaching Circles
- Contingent Faculty Circle with Bona Kang (EDC) and Caitlin Shepherd (PSY); 12:20-1:20 pm
- Laboratory Instructors Circle with Marney Pratt (BIO); 12:30-1:30 pm
Friday, October 16, 2020—Embodying your Curriculum: A Workshop on Trauma-Informed Pedagogy
1–4 p.m.
Anita Chari (Associate Prof. of Political Science, University of Oregon) and Angelica Singh (M.A., BCST, Founder of The Embodiment Process™), co-founders of Embodying Your Curriculum, an online program designed to resource professors, students, and administrators with trauma-informed tools.
This 3-hour workshop introduces participants to practices for the classroom based on trauma-informed pedagogies, the neuroscience of mental health, and pedagogies of social justice and diversity. The workshop will support faculty to create connection and embodied presence in the online and in-person classroom at a moment when higher education is called upon to face profound social problems that cannot be walled off from our classes and that produce anxiety, stress, and burnout among students, staff, and faculty. The workshop will address trauma and overwhelm within the specific context of the pandemic and the movements against anti-Black violence, with practices that you can begin to use in your classroom and in your life immediately.
Friday, October 23, 2020—Teaching Circles
- Talking Through Remote Teaching: Creating Community, Accountability, Flexibility with Caroline Melly (Anthropology) and Liz Pryor (History); 12:30-1:20 pm
- Contingent Faculty Circle with Bona Kang (EDC) and Caitlin Shepherd (PSY); 12:20-1:20 pm
******Difficult Political Conversations Roundtable, Part I, sponsored by the Sherrerd Center
Friday, October 23, 6-8pm ET
The 2020 election brings with it feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and conflict. This roundtable dialogue serves as a space to honor these feelings and give some tools to those in the Smith community who find themselves navigating difficult conversations leading up to this year’s election. Sponsored by the Sherrerd Center and moderated by Nimisha Bhat (Libraries), panelists Valerie Joseph (Anthropologist and AEMES Mentoring Administrative Director), Loretta Ross (Visiting Associate Professor, Study of Women & Gender), Peggy O’Neill (Assistant Professor, School for Social Work), Kris Evans (Associate Director, Counseling Services), and Greg White (Professor, Government) will bring their experiences and perspectives to the roundtable addressing ways to have difficult conversations, “calling in” peers instead of “calling out,” and leading with empathy while honoring other complex feelings.
Friday, October 30, 2020—Discussing the Election with Government Faculty
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Anna Mwaba and Howard Gold
Friday, November 6, 2020—Teaching Circles
- Talking Through Remote Teaching: Creating Community, Accountability, Flexibility with Caroline Melly (Anthropology) and Liz Pryor (History); 12:30-1:20 pm
Friday, November 13, 2020—Teaching Circles
- Contingent Faculty Circle with Bona Kang (EDC) and Caitlin Shepherd (PSY); 12:20-1:20 pm
Friday, November 20, 2020—Inclusive Teaching Workshop
12:30-2 p.m.
Viji Sathy and Kelly Hogan, award winning instructors with a combined 25+ years in the classroom at the University of North Carolina will share expertise on inclusive techniques and active learning in any size crowd (both teach courses routinely with hundreds of students).
******Difficult Political Conversations Roundtable, Part II, sponsored by the Sherrerd Center
Friday, November 20, 6-8pm ET
In this second session of the series, panelists will discuss how and when we choose to engage in difficult political conversations in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Sponsored by the Sherrerd Center and moderated by Nimisha Bhat (Libraries), panelists Valerie Joseph (Anthropologist and AEMES Mentoring Administrative Director), Loretta Ross (Visiting Associate Professor, Study of Women & Gender), Peggy O’Neill (Assistant Professor, School for Social Work), Kris Evans (Associate Director, Counseling Services), and Greg White (Professor, Government) will bring their experiences and perspectives to the roundtable to talk about how to create an environment for radical listening, facilitating conversations empathetically, and the work we all want to do moving forward.
The recording for Difficult Political Conversations Roundtable Part 1 that took place on October 23, 2020, is here.
Friday, December 4, 2020—Teaching Circles
- Talking Through J-term Teaching with Sara Pruss, Caroline Melly (Anthropology), and Liz Pryor (History); 12:30-1:20 pm
Friday, December 11, 2020—Active Learning Online: 5 Principles
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Dr. Steve Kosslyn (former professor of cognitive science at Harvard, former head of the Stanford Center for Advanced Study, former chief academic officer from Minerva and expert on the science of learning) will present on his current book releasing soon entitled Active Learning Online: 5 Principles That Make Online Courses Come Alive.
What Kathy McCartney says about his book: This small book contains big ideas about active learning, both online and in-person. Kosslyn bridges his knowledge of cognitive science with his experience in two education technology start-ups to provide a pedagogical handbook of sorts. Using engaging research studies, Kosslyn begins with an overview of basic cognitive functions, specifically how we organize, store and access information in memory. From here, he presents his own taxonomy of five learning principles: deep processing, chunking, associations, dual coding and deliberate practice. Then comes the lesson for instructors, as we come to appreciate exercises grounded in these principles. After reading this book, you will abandon the lecture for a brief lecture followed by active learning exercises, for example asking students to teach another student, to take the perspective or others through role playing or debate, to create content like a podcast and more. If your goal is to teach to make material stick with your students, and it should be, this book will be your guide.
Teaching Circles
- Contingent Faculty Circle with Bona Kang (EDC) and Caitlin Shepherd (PSY); 12:20-1:20 pm