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New(ish) Instructors

Community of Practice, Sponsored by CATL (Fall 2026)

We want to know about your interests and plan for your attendance! Complete this short interest form TODAY.

Are you a new(ish) instructor here at UWL?  Would you like to meet other instructors from across campus while simultaneously working with colleagues to improve your teaching? CATL is recruiting new instructors for a community of practice offered in Academic Year 2026/2027. This highly interactive community of practice centers around orienting new(ish) instructors to strategies, systems, and technologies used for classroom planning and engagement, as well as student success. We will meet monthly with discussions based on your needs with themes around teaching/learning. 

Target Population: This COP is intended to bring together instructors in their first few years of teaching at UWL (~3 or fewer years at UWL but really you decide if you are new(ish))

What are the benefits of participation?
Participating in a COP provides instructors with…  

  • an opportunity to be more intentional, specific and clear about quality teaching and learning and the various ways they may go about achieving it
  • independence and flexibility to enhance their teaching quality by helping them identify the areas of effective instruction they would like to focus on
  • develop and improve their collegiality through the development of a community that has the potential to provide support and encouragement
  • a chance to explore teaching and learning from a different perspective/discipline
    insight and/or materials useful to promotion and tenure  

Who can participate? Anyone who joined UWL recently! In the past we've defined that as teaching at UWL for 3 or fewer year, but really, we think you can decide if you define yourself as new(ish) and want to join this COP! Just make sure that if you join you are interested in developing into a more purposeful teacher and seeking an opportunity to collaborate with peers about teaching and learning is welcome to participate. 

Meeting Dates and Potential Topics: During Academic Year 2026/27, meetings will be once per month on Wednesdays from 8:50-9:45am as follows: 

  • September 16, 2026 - classroom environment
  • October 21, 2026 - student engagement
  • November 18, 2026 - finding balance and support
  • December 9, 2026 - LENS/student comments
  • February 17, 2027 - setting improvement goals 
  • March 10, 2027 - plan for the unplanned
  • April 21, 2027 - formative assessment
  • May 12, 2027 - grading for impact
  • NOTE: Themes are subject to change based on the needs and desires of the community.

Coffee, tea, and light breakfast refreshments will be available at each meeting. 

What is the time commitment? To participate in the experience over the academic year would take about 15 to 20 hours of your time.  Meetings are intended to help us build community and cultivate discussions regarding research based best practices in teaching. Readings, resources, thought questions, etc. will be shared before meetings. Additional investigation and exploration is encouraged on your own between meetings. To truly work toward becoming an effective educator takes time, energy and practice. As such, there will be a time commitment on your part.

Facilitator: Kristin Koepke, CATL Director

Related campus initiatives

Transformational education

When

  • 8:50 to 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16
  • 8:50 to 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21
  • 8:50 to 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18
  • 8:50 to 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9
  • 8:50 to 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2027
  • 8:50 to 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, March 10, 2027
  • 8:50 to 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, April 21, 2027
  • 8:50 to 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 12, 2027

Where

161 Wing Technology Center

UWL campus map for building location and nearby parking lots.

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Wing Technology Center

If you go

  • Free, registration required

Contact

For questions about this event or to request disability accommodations , contact UWL CATL at 6881 or CATL@uwlax.edu.

Parking

Payment may be required. No permit?
Use Passport Parking.

Additional parking info
Website for Parking | Email for Parking | Call for Parking

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