Information about summer workshops, assessing your teaching, and using your syllabus for reflective teaching!
Center for Teaching students as partners meeting

Center for Teaching Newsletter: May 2024

Supporting excellence in teaching and learning at Iowa  

Welcome to the May edition of the Center for Teaching newsletter! This will be our final newsletter of the spring, but we will be back in late July with a summer edition. Thank you for your feedback on our new website and for continuing to engage with the newsletter. If you have suggestions for what you would like to see in future editions, please let us know at teaching@uiowa.edu. If you're enjoying the newsletter, share it with a colleague!   

We're wrapping up the semester with information about our summer workshops, guidance on assessing your own teaching, and suggestions for using your syllabus for reflective teaching. We'll also take a moment to thank our Graduate Teaching Fellows and highlight the success of the Students as Partners program. 

Before you celebrate the end of the academic year, sign up for our August retreats to set yourself up for success in the next one. Our Inclusive Syllabus Design Retreat on August 12 will allow you to explore strategies for developing a welcoming and learner-centered syllabus, while our Transparent Assignment Design Retreat on August 15 will leverage evidence-based frameworks for (re)designing course assignments that facilitate and improve students’ learning experience with their assignments. Each retreat runs from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. at University Capitol Center 2520D and includes time for participants to work on materials. 

Documenting and reflecting on your teaching

End the semester on a reflective note by exploring methods to document and assess your teaching. This article provides guidance on gathering diverse feedback and evidence to enhance your teaching portfolio, helping you make decisions about your teaching practices and produce materials for reviews, promotion, and recognition. 

Using your syllabus for reflective teaching

Explore how your syllabus can be more than just a course outline. This article offers insights from current University of Iowa instructors on how to use your syllabus for reflection and continuous improvement. You'll learn practical strategies to enrich your teaching portfolio and make your syllabus a cornerstone of your reflective teaching practice.

Thank you, fellows!

Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our 2023-2024 Graduate Teaching Fellows! These four outstanding scholars have made significant contributions to the Center for Teaching while working to advance teaching skills both for themselves and instructors across campus.  

Students as Partners' Impactful Year

Several student partners from the University of Iowa's Students as Partners program were highlighted locally and nationally in April for their impact on the campus community. This included facilitating a session at the recent Connecting K-12 and Higher Educator Conference, showcasing their work at the ETL Project Showcase, and being featured in the HHMI IE3 LCC2 April newsletter.

Center for Teaching Summer Hours

While we are taking a break from the newsletter, the Center for Teaching is open during the summer.

Request a consultation or connect with us to set up an appointment. We look forward to talking with you! 
The University of Iowa

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact the Center for Teaching in advance at 319-335-6048.