The Teaching for Learning Center (T4LC) offers a wide range of programs designed to support and inspire Mizzou’s teaching community. Our programming is designed to promote evidence-based and innovative teaching practices.
All offerings are free and open to anyone involved in instruction at Mizzou.
You’ll find opportunities to:
- Engage with current topics in teaching and learning
- Connect with colleagues across disciplines
- Gain practical strategies to enhance your courses
Missed a session?
Materials, recordings, and resources from many past programs are available to Mizzou faculty and staff.
To learn more:
- Email us at teaching@missouri.edu, for more information or to request assistance.
Visit our events page for details on upcoming and past offerings
NEW Fall Forum on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
The annual Fall Forum on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment is one of our premier educational development events for all Mizzou educators and instructional staff. It highlights evidence-based teaching practices and emerging trends, offering practical strategies attendees can apply as the fall semester begins.
The conference features thought leaders from Mizzou and beyond, who discuss high-impact practices for student learning, fostering a sense of belonging, and achieving success in college. It also provides a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues and engage in discussions about strategic practices to enhance student learning.
Celebration of Teaching
The Celebration of Teaching is a special occasion at the University of Missouri where teaching professionals and instructional support staff come together to celebrate our community. At this event there is an awards luncheon and opportunities to reflect on the past academic year by connecting with colleagues and engaging in discussions to enhance student learning.
Teaching and Learning Consultations
We offer year-round individual and small group consultations on any teaching and learning topic. All Mizzou educators and instructional staff are welcome to request a session. Support includes, but not limited to:
- Review of Teaching/Formative feedback on teaching
- Course design and lesson planning guidance
- Strategies for equitable student engagement and assessment
- Solutions for challenges in face-to-face and online learning environments
- Teaching with AI
Everyone involved with instruction in our community is welcome to request a consultation. Please contact us at teaching@missouri.edu for more information or visit our events page to schedule an appointment https://tlcmu.libcal.com/
Teaching for Learning Effectiveness Offerings
As part of our mission to support teaching excellence at Mizzou, we offer several opportunities for educators to enhance their implementation of effective teaching methods and models. We have customized workshops for academic units that address immediate concerns such as how to have productive difficult dialogues and how to present sensitive material in a way that is protective of students. We also provide more general, interactive presentations on relevant topics. Learning to be a more effective teacher is an ongoing process. We support that process by sharing resources for online engagement, assessment, and other practices. Check our email updates for current offerings. To request a specific workshop or presentation, email teaching@missouri.edu.
Communities of Practice
The Teaching for Learning Center convenes Communities of Practice (CoP) to deepen scholarly teaching by bringing together faculty, graduate instructors, and others for collaborative inquiry, reflection, in order to make progress toward goals germane to Mizzou’s teaching for learning mission.
The term, Communities of Practice (CoP), originally conceptualized and used by Jean Lave and Etienne Wegner in 1991, refers to “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.” Members of the CoP are referred to as practitioners, and they collectively engage in order to maximize social learning to “. . . develop their practice through a variety of methods, including: problem solving, requests for information, seeking the experiences of others, reusing assets, coordination and synergy, discussing developments, visiting other members, mapping knowledge and identifying gaps.”
If you are interested in proposing a CoP for future academic years, please write to teaching@missouri.edu.
Grad/Postdoc Effective Teaching Alternative Digital Credential
The Teaching for Learning Center is offering this new Alternative Digital Credential (ADC) for graduate students and postdocs who complete the requirements of our Graduate Student & Postdoc Teaching for Learning Development Program–a series of online sessions that focus on essential teaching competencies. This ADC is a great way to showcase your dedication to developing the skills needed to design and teach a course from start to finish. Learn more at the Graduate Teaching Orientation page.
Graduate Teaching Orientation (GTO)
Graduate Teaching Orientation (GTO) is a REQUIRED event dedicated to orienting all of MU’s (domestic and international) graduate students providing a new role that contributes to teaching (such as leading recitation, grading, etc.) at the University of Missouri. To identify your role and need for participation of this course, please view all of the roles relating to teaching.
Teaching Essentials: Special Teaching Topics for New and Returning Faculty
- An engaging and interactive workshop series
- Timely topics for teaching classes in all disciplines and modalities
- Evidence-based practices that align with MU’s definition of Teaching for Learning Effectiveness
Teaching Essentials is open to all educators. See our LibCal page for upcoming sessions. For more information, please contact: Lydia Bentley, Associate Director, Teaching for Learning Center at bentleyl@missouri.edu
Teaching Renewal Week
Teaching Renewal Week (TRW) is an annual, virtual educational development conference for the MU faculty, graduate instructor, and instructional support staff community. Each January, TRW provides virtual opportunities for idea exchanges and other formats for enhanced teaching for learning. This event promotes an open, collaborative culture across campus, and highlights great examples of evidence-based teaching on this campus. Speakers present on key topics and issues related to teaching for learning. Additionally, attendees can learn about numerous programs and resources.
New Faculty Orientation
New Faculty Orientation provides an opportunity for faculty and T4LC to learn and explore teaching resources at the University of Missouri. During New Faculty Orientation, T4LC provides information sessions on the most pertinent topics for new faculty.
For detailed information please visit the Provost New Faculty page.