Dear Colleagues,
Welcome, and welcome back! I’m excited to write you as this year’s Learning and Teaching Commons Faculty Scholar. This is the first of several newsletter notes I’ll offer this year. I’ll also see you in several other venues this year with my Scholar hat on: I’m eager to support your teaching by talking shop in individual appointments. I’ll also offer a more public place to bring your queries, ideas, and puzzles before faculty meetings at my LTC Scholar Help Booth. I’ll connect with our newest faculty in Monday afternoon New Faculty Academy meetings, and I’ll co-lead virtual and in-person workshops. As I’ll describe below, I bring skills in contemplative, creative, and experiential classroom practices, broadly defined. I also bring skills in facilitating classroom-based collaborative, student-led critique/feedback practices, using the Critical Response Process designed by Liz Lerman. I can help you design class sessions that use these techniques and coach you on how to use them, and/or I can visit your class to facilitate or assist.
I’ll also be working on two research projects this year. In addition to a project on Evergreen faculty well-being (more on this later), I’ll pursue a multi-modal exploration of Contemplative Pedagogy in higher education, its role in inclusive pedagogy, and its particular applications in the arts and humanities. Contemplative Pedagogy is an expansive field of practices that uses the classroom as a site for experiential learning. It offers methods for observing and shaping our attention, senses, and embodiment as we teach and learn. Contemplative pedagogy provides opportunities to slow down and become more present, to defuse reactivity, and to listen to learn instead of to respond, using techniques from meditation and mindfulness contexts and close reading, listening, and observation methods used in the humanities, arts, sciences, and social sciences.
Many of my teaching practices as an art educator are informed by a “contemplative mind” approach. This includes my work with students on attentional practices and habits, close looking and listening in class, and field exercises, among other things. I do these to help students cultivate the openness, awareness, and curiosity that grounds creative faculties and collaborative work. Much of my teaching of creative practice centers embodied and experiential learning techniques and related concepts of “not knowing,” ambiguity, and process over product, all of which are intrinsic to any learning process. Evergreen’s practice of team teaching and the related value of becoming a co-learner has shaped my curiosity about what happens when, as teachers, we return to and stay connected to our own experience of the rich and vulnerable space of ‘beginner’s mind’ and cultivate this in our students, even as they deepen skills and knowledge, no matter what the field or discipline. As Buddhist teacher Gil Fronsdal notes, “Not-knowing means not being limited by what we know, holding what we know lightly so that we are ready for it to be different.” I imagine many of you have used contemplative-aligned practices in your teaching, and I’ll be reaching out to learn more about what you’re doing.
After 20 years here, I still profoundly identify with Evergreen’s experimental roots and expansive tradition of radical education. These are what drew me to Evergreen and continue to profoundly shape me as a person, a parent, a citizen, an artist, and an educator. Each year brings an opportunity to invent, experiment, and courageously “not know” in community with you.
I look forward to listening to, working beside, and learning from you all this year!
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Michael Wallis (he/him) is an Evergreen alum and current Master in Teaching candidate who is joining the Washington Center the 2024-25 academic year as a Student Consultant. He has previously held the positions of Peer Tutor and Administrative Assistant at the Evergreen Writing Center, as well as Lead Student Coordinator for the 2022-23 issue of the Slightly West student literature publication. Through the Evergreen Master in Teaching Program, Michael is currently a student teacher at Cedar High School in Shelton, WA.
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Michael is excited to collaborate on the development and improvement of educational materials at Evergreen; your syllabi, curriculum, assessments, etc. His consultancy services are intended to help you introduce a student perspective into your course development– bringing backwards design and student-focused education from theory into practice.
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The Washington Center is pleased to announce a new partnership with Project Search and the other Evergreen Public Service Centers to host a Project Search intern this quarter. Project SEARCH assists young people with disabilities in gaining workplace experience, skills, and readiness.
The Washington Center intern helps with a broad range of clerical tasks and office support. We look forward to working with future interns in this role. If you have questions about Project SEARCH or are interested in hosting an intern in your area, contact Stephanie Gregoire, Project Search Coordinator at sgregoire@mside.org.
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Join Julia Zay, LTC Faculty Scholar, and other colleagues for conversations about teaching 30 minutes prior to each faculty meeting. Bring your challenges, questions, favorite resources, or celebrations to share.
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The Learning and Teaching Commons is pleased to announce a new program for getting mid-quarter feedback from students for faculty. The Community Reflection and Feedback on Teaching (CRAFT) provides confidential and anonymous feedback on how students perceive their course or program.
Learn more →
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October 30 | 10-11:30 am | Contemplative Pedagogy
Julia Zay and Jaime O'Connor
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November 21 | 11 am - 12:30 pm | Do you have a teaching dilemma? Get unstuck through cooperative consulting with colleagues.
Sonja Wiedenhaupt and JuliA Metzker
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Election Resources for Faculty |
With the election right around the corner, the Commons has some resources to share to support yourself, your teaching, and your students. Check out the Election Resources section on our learning and teaching guides page.
Have a resource you'd like to add to share with colleagues? Send it our way!
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Election Panel Discussions Save the Dates! |
Monday, September 9 | Local ballot issues
Wednesday, October 23 | Elections and democracy with a global lens
Additional details, including times and location, coming soon!
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Join the Office of International Programs & Services for one workshop per quarter in 24-25 on global leadership at The Evergreen State College.
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Monday, December 2 | 1 - 2:30 pm
Faculty-led Study Abroad Proposal Q & A and Working Time
Brynn Smith and Kristina Ackley
LTC Commons in Sem II E3123 & Zoom
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Watch This Space! Julia Zay offers practices that fall under the “contemplative” umbrella for your use in the classroom or other campus gathering.
2 + 2
I start each class session with a ritual. I love the way repetition provides a familiar place to land, ground, and greet ourselves before we venture into the widely varied activities in a class.
The title comes from the time it takes to do it: 2 minutes of silence and 2 minutes of drawing.
Tools:
Timer (for facilitator)
Pencil/pen + one index card (for each person)
Learn more →
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Are you wondering how to keep your students’ discussions grounded in the texts you’re working with? Do you need a cool way to stimulate conversation about a reading during an online class session? We’ve got a tool built into Canvas that can help.
Learn more →
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Returning to Evergreen is a cherished tradition in my life. Since Fall quarter 2019, I’ve been a student here, an employee, a coordinator, a graduate, a graduate student… As with all good traditions, the start of a year at Evergreen brings a hopeful joy. The fizzing of potential excellence.
And fear...
Read more →
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Evergreen Election Panel Discussions
•October 9 evening | Local (Washington state) ballot issues
•October 23 evening | Elections and democracy with a global lens
Details coming soon!
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Consortium for Innovative Environments in Learning (CIEL) Gathering | October 24-26
Learn more →
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National Learning Communities Conference 2024 | November 6-8 | Chicago, IL
Learn more →
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If your class is doing something cool this academic year, especially this Fall please email Shandra Witke: your name, the class title, what your class will be doing, and a general idea of the date(s) you will be doing it.
we are hoping to connect with Faculty to schedule some updated shots. We need photos of:
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-Updated classroom and group discussions
-Classroom demonstrations
-Class activities outside the classroom – both on and off-campus
-In the forest
-At the beach
-Off-campus field trips (downtown Olympia, local nature, Study Abroad)
-Class visits to the library or other places on campus
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| -Art and design classes like woodshop or ceramics
-Classes in the computer labs or 3D printing lab
-Students making cool stuff or showing off their projects
-Students working and collaborating in the science labs or with science equipment
-Anything fun, engaging, unique, Evergreen
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Fall Quarter Academic Statement Workshop
Week 5: Wednesday, October 30th, 3-4:30pm
Week 8: Wednesday, November 20th, 3-4:30pm
This workshop will provide students with the information they need to write their annual and final Academic Statements. Writing Center staff will guide students in reflecting on their learning at Evergreen and their academic and professional goals and values. Students will learn how to organize their ideas into a cohesive piece of writing that expresses who they are as a scholar.
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Greener Hub is a newly launched resource available to all members of our Evergreen community, including students of all levels, employees, alumni, and campus visitors. We’re the first stop for questions, campus navigation, and support. If you aren’t sure where to go, or need help referring a student, we’re here to help!
Our office is located in Evans Hall 2147, off the main lobby near Holistic Advising and TRIO Student Support. We’re also available by email at GreenerHub@evergreen.edu
Our hours for Fall quarter are:
Monday: 8am – 5pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8am – 7pm
Friday: 8am – 5pm
If you have questions, need flyers, or would like to schedule a class visit, stop by or send us an email!
Learn more →
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Starting September 30, 2024 we will be open for appointments!
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Hours of Operation for Fall quarter:
1 to 5 p.m. Monday and Friday, Appointment Only
1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Drop-In
Holidays & Campus Closures are observed.
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The Basic Needs Center, CAB 135, is located on the first floor of the CAB building. Separate entrance from the Greenery.
Learn more →
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There are many opportunities for faculty to share their achievements, and we want to encourage you to contribute to the wealth of knowledge in our Evergreen community. Learn more about how to share your work with our community.
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