Fall 2025 CIRTL Network Programming

This fall CIRTL is offering 10 workshops, 2 courses, and one event series for graduate students and postdocs pursuing teaching careers in higher education, in addition to our year-round self-paced courses. You can read detailed descriptions of this programming below, and at the bottom of this page you can find a matrix showing how each offering addresses CIRTL’s learning goals:

• Goal 1: Develop evidence-based teaching knowledge
• Goal 2: Connect with community to enhance teaching
• Goal 3: Cultivate teaching skills through reflective improvement
• Goal 4: Prepare for an impactful career

We will announce programming schedules and registration dates by late July/early August. Anyone can register to attend programming, but participants from CIRTL member institutions and alumni will receive priority when registering for programming with limited seats; capped programming typically reaches capacity within a week of registration opening.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive programming updates. Questions? Contact CIRTL’s help desk at registration@cirtl.staging.wcer.wisc.edu.

Workshops

Quick Take: How to Plan a Single Class Session

Explore and apply key lesson-planning topics – like backwards design, learning objectives, assessment, and more – in this one-part online workshop designed for grad students and postdocs who have had some teaching or TAing experience. This workshop meets online in Zoom on Wednesday, September 17 at 8-9:30pm Gulf / 12-1:30pm Eastern / 11am-12:30pm Central / 9-10:30am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals:  1
• Learning level: introductory
• Cap: 25; at capacity and closed for registration

Preparing Your Teaching Demo for a Job Interview

As part of the interview process for a faculty position in the U.S., you may be asked to lead a teaching demonstration. In this one-session workshop, we’ll discuss ways to go into your teaching demo with preparedness, confidence, and adaptability. This workshop meets online in Zoom on Monday, October 6th at 8-9:30pm Gulf / 12-1:30pm Eastern / 11am-12:30pm Central / 9-10:30am Pacific/Arizona.

• • CIRTL learning goals: 4
  • Learning level: introductory
  • Cap: 60; read more and register now

Scaffolding Students’ Success as Independent Learners: Developing Instructional Materials Using Self-Regulated Learning Principles

Want to feel more confident in your ability to help students reflect on their own learning processes? This two-part workshop was designed for educators to develop practical skills and instructional materials that scaffold students’ success as independent learners. The workshop meets online in Zoom on Monday, October 20th at 7-9pm Gulf / 11am-1pm Eastern / 10am-12pm Central / 8-10am Pacific/Arizona and Monday, November 3rd at 8-10pm Gulf / 11am-1pm Eastern / 10am-12pm Central / 9-11am Arizona / 8-10am Pacific.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 3
• Learning level: introductory
• Cap: 40; registration opens on Monday, October 6th at 10am CT and closes once capacity is reached

Examining and Analyzing Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in Post-Secondary Contexts

Learn about existing uses of culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) in higher education and how to use CSP principles to foster a dynamic learning environment in this one-part workshop. This workshop meets online in Zoom on Tuesday, November 11th at 8-10pm Gulf / 11am-1pm Eastern / 10am-12pm Central / 9-11am Arizona / 8-10am Pacific.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2
• Learning level: introductory
• Cap: 25; registration opens on Monday, October 27th at 10am CT and closes once capacity is reached

Leveraging Strengths of Neurodiverse Students in the Classroom

Consider how learning environments can interact with neurodiversity to mobilize strengths and explore some instructional strategies to leverage these strengths in this one-part workshop. No previous experience with neurodiversity is required. This online workshop meets in Zoom on Thursday, November 20th at 11pm-12:30am Gulf / 2-3:30pm Eastern / 1-2:30pm Central / 12-1:30pm Arizona / 11am-12:30pm Pacific.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2
• Learning level: introductory
• Cap: 75; registration opens on Monday, November 3rd at 10am CT and closes once capacity is reached

Writing an Effective Teaching Philosophy Statement (September)

Learn what a teaching philosophy statement is and how they are used in the academic job hunt, and explore your own teaching philosophy in a writing group of peers in this two-part workshop. This workshop meets in Zoom on Monday, September 22 and 29 at 9-10:30pm Gulf / 1-2:30pm Eastern / 12-1:30pm Central / 10-11:30am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 4
• Learning level: introductory
• Cap: 50; Registration is now closed.

Writing an Effective Teaching Philosophy Statement (October)

Learn what a teaching philosophy statement is and how they are used in the academic job hunt, and explore your own teaching philosophy in a writing group of peers in this two-part workshop. This workshop meets in Zoom on Tuesday, October 7 and 14 at 8-9:30pm Gulf / 12-1:30pm Eastern / 11am-12:30pm Central / 9-10:30am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 4
• Learning level: introductory
• Cap: 50; at capacity and closed for registration

Overcoming Learning Helpless: Helping Students to Develop Strong Team Skills Through Emotional Intelligence

Learn how to empower students to overcome and transform “failed” experiences through the practice of emotional intelligence and effective team communication in this one-part workshop that discusses the theory of “learned helpless”. This workshop meets online in Zoom on Thursday, November 13 at 9-10:30pm Gulf / 12-1:30pm Eastern / 11am-12:30pm Central / 10-11:30am Arizona / 9-10:30am Pacific.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 3, 4
• Learning level: intermediate
• Cap: 30; registration opens on Monday, October 27th at 10am CT and closes once capacity is reached

Fostering a Growth Mindset and Developing a Sense of Belonging in Your Students

Learn from social and educational psychology in this one-part workshop on how instructors can foster growth mindsets in their students, and how that in turn can foster greater student motivation, achievement, and belonging. This workshop meets online in Zoom on Thursday, October 23rd at 7-9pm Gulf / 11am-1pm Eastern / 10am-12pm Central / 8-10am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 3
• Learning level: introductory
• No cap; read more and register now

The Metacognitive Feedback Loop

Learn about the value of encouraging metacognitive reflection for students, explore strategies and strengths of various feedback practices, and reflect on how metacognitive feedback impacts student learning in this one-part workshop. This workshop meets online in Zoom on Tuesday, September 16th at 7-8:15pm Gulf / 11am-12:15pm Eastern / 10-11:15am Central / 8-9:15am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3
• Learning level: introductory
• Cap 40; at capacity and closed for registration

Effective Assessment Strategies for Large Undergraduate Courses

Learn more about scalable, innovative assessment strategies tailored for large undergraduate courses where instructors face time and workload challenges in this one-part workshop. This online workshop meets in Zoom on Friday, October 10th at 10-11:30pm Gulf / 2-3:30pm Eastern / 1-2:30pm Central / 11am-12:30pm Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2
• Learning level: introductory/intermediate
• No cap; read more and register

Courses

The College Classroom

Get an introduction to key learning principles and the basics of effective, evidence-based teaching practices in this 12-week course about teaching in the college classroom. This course meets online in Zoom on Tuesdays, September 23 through December 9, at 9–10:30pm Gulf / 1–2:30pm Eastern / 12–1:30pm Central / 10–11:30am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 3
• Learning level: introductory
• Cap: 100; closed for registration

Shared Voices, Shared Decisions: Sociocracy for Educators and Leaders in Higher Ed

Explore connections among governance, power structures, and participatory equity in higher education in this 6-week course on sociocracy as a model for fostering shared decision-making in classrooms, committees, departments, and other academic spaces. This course meets online in Zoom on Wednesdays, October 15 through November 19 at 8-10pm Gulf / 12-2pm Eastern / 11am-1pm Central / 9-11am Pacific/Arizona.

• CIRTL learning goals: 4
• Learning level: introductory / intermediate
• Cap: 50; read more and register now

Postdoc Teaching Practicum

Work with an experienced instructor in your discipline to enhance your understanding and experience of teaching a university course in this 5-month mentorship program. This online course meets in Zoom on Thursday, December 11, January 8, February 5, March 5, and April 2 at 10pm-12am Gulf / 1-3pm Eastern / 12-2pm Central / 11am-1pm Mountain / 10am-12pm Pacific (note that the course spans the 2024-2025 winter). Participants will be expected to do extensive independent work and work with teaching mentors outside of these monthly sessions.

• CIRTL learning goals: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Learning level: intermediate
• Cap: 40; read more and register now

Event Series

Exploring Career Paths with CIRTL Alumni

Learn about different career paths in academia and beyond in conversation with CIRTL alumni in this 3-part event series. Each event in the series will focus on a different career path: teaching careers at research universities, teaching careers at teaching-intensive institutions (liberal arts colleges, community colleges, etc.), and non-faculty careers in academia. Events in this series take place on Mondays, November 3, 10 & 17 at 9-10pm Gulf / 12-1pm Eastern / 11am-12pm Central / 10-11am Arizona / 9-10am Pacific.

• CIRTL learning goals: 4
• Learning level: introductory
• No cap; register now

Fall Programming & CIRTL Learning Goals

All programming aligns with CIRTL’s 4 learning goals at introductory, intermediate, or advanced levels. Here, you can see how our fall programming provides different learning experiences for each learning goal.