Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence

Teaching Week

Trauma-Informed Approaches Trauma Informed Approaches (TIA) in Higher Education
Trauma-Informed Approaches (TIA) equip higher education professionals to support student well-being and academic success through a "Regulate, Relate, Reason" framework. Grounded in neurobiology and six core principles—including safety, mutuality, and cultural responsiveness—TIA helps educators address stress, restore executive function, and build supportive campus environments using tools like the Window of Tolerance. Posted September 11, 2025
AI for the Educators AI for the Educators: Module 1: Practical Skills in Crafting Effective Prompts
This interactive workshop equips higher education faculty with essential prompt engineering skills to streamline teaching workflows and enhance productivity. Educators will learn foundational and advanced techniques—including persona definition, chain-of-thought reasoning, and setting temperature parameters—while gaining hands-on practice with tools like Google Gemini, custom Google Gems, and NotebookLM to create study guides and course materials. Posted September 11, 2025
Increasing Student Engagement Increasing engagement and belonging in Statistics 244
To maintain student engagement in Statistics 244, instructor Peter Banwarth Carrillo replaced a complex ten-week research project with a biweekly virtual guest speaker series. Featuring data professionals from epidemiology to political polling, the initiative deepened real-world statistical understanding, fostered a sense of belonging, and demystified career pathways without sacrificing core curriculum requirements. Posted September 11, 2025
Collaborative Quizzes Collaborative quizzes as a learning tool that increases students’ sense of belonging
In content-heavy science courses, two-stage collaborative quizzes transform traditional assessments into active learning opportunities. Students first take an individual multiple-choice quiz (70% of the grade), then immediately work in small groups to submit a consensus answer sheet (30%). This approach lowers test anxiety, boosts retention, promotes group synergy, and builds essential professional soft skills. Posted September 11, 2025
Nurturing-Resilience-and-Connection Keeping Hope Alive: Nurturing Resilience and Connection in Cynical Times
In this CTLE presentation, PCC faculty member Maria Sefchick shares actionable strategies to combat educator burnout, cynicism, and compassion fatigue. Discover how the "HOPE" framework—Heal, Open, Purpose, Engage—can help instructors set boundaries, reconnect with their teaching purpose, build classroom community, and foster active "hopeful skepticism" for long-term sustainability in higher education. Posted September 11, 2025
Collaborative Quizzes Collaborative quizzes as a learning tool that increases students’ sense of belonging
In this CTLE Teaching Week presentation, PCC biology instructor Ksenia Everton demonstrates how collaborative quizzing turns traditional testing into an active learning tool. Discover a structured three-step process combining individual quizzes, group discussion, and immediate feedback to boost student test scores, lower anxiety, strengthen critical thinking, and build a supportive classroom community. Posted September 11, 2025
Learning-Together Learning Together through Faculty Learning Community (FLCs): For Faculty, By Faculty
The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence showcases 11 peer-led Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs). Designed for PCC instructors, these collaborative groups explore innovative strategies—including generative AI, equitable grading, accessibility, and community engagement—to enhance classroom practices, support student engagement, and foster ongoing professional growth. Posted September 11, 2025
Student-Accommodation-Updates. Student Accommodation Updates
Kaela Parks, Dean of Inclusive and Accessible Education, outlines PCC's accommodation framework, covering self-disclosure, faculty notification, and collaborative implementation. The presentation details campus resources—including Digital Navigators, Read&Write software, and LEAP—alongside guidance on communication access and instructor-defined Flex Plans to help faculty support students while maintaining course integrity. Posted September 11, 2025
Behavioral-Process. PCC’s Behavioral Clarification Process and how this Connects to the Freedom of Expression Policy
PCC’s Student Support and Intervention team outlines how to balance student free expression with classroom conduct standards. Faculty learn the four-step Behavioral Clarification framework to address disruptions directly, document expectations, and handle charged discussions. The session also details campus support resources like CARE referrals, Title IX, and public safety escalations. Posted September 11, 2025
Practical-Strategies-for-Multilingual-Students Practical Strategies for Teaching Multilingual Students in Your Classroom
Learn low-barrier, high-impact strategies from PCC instructors Tim Krause and Elizebett Eslinger to support multilingual students across all disciplines. Discover how multi-modal instructions, scaffolding, visual supports, and reducing jargon remove learning barriers, boost comprehension, and foster an inclusive, collaborative college classroom for all learners. Posted September 11, 2025