Three faculty members shared their experiences recently with the CTL on engaging in training towards teaching effectiveness and excellence at the UAB Center for Teaching and Learning.
Angela Sullivan, PhD, MS, is Assistant Dean of Student and Academic Services and Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the UAB School of Public Health. She explained the impact of the CTL on her work in this way:
“Engagement with the CTL has improved my individual teaching through thoughtful and deliberate course preparation, planning, and learning how to adapt to meet students where they are. More importantly, as the Assistant Dean for Student & Academic Services within the School of Public Health, my role is not only to support students directly but to support SOPH faculty and staff as they support our students. My CTL engagement throughout the years has not only directly impacted and improved my teaching but has empowered and encouraged me within the day-to-day support of operations related to student services, faculty trainings, mentorship, and so much more. Over the past two years, I’ve met with every new faculty member who joins the School and have recommended during each of those meetings that they aim to attend one or two sessions a semester with the CTL to work on continuous improvement and up-to-date teaching methodologies.”
Jonathan Roth, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Neurobiology in the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine. Dr. Roth shared the following thoughts about the CTL’s influence on this teaching:
"The CTL has been critical in my development as a teacher and would be helpful to others at any stage of teaching! From learning the tried-and-true best practices in active learning, staying up-to-date and engaging with emerging fields like AI in academia, and techniques for leveraging the multicultural backgrounds of all of my students, each workshop is practical and has been directly applicable to my classrooms."
Dr. Yu-Yin Lin, DDS, MS, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Director of the Pre-Doctoral Program in Pediatric Dentistry in the UAB School of Dentistry. Dr. Lin’s also provided her thoughts on the CTL’s training opportunities:
“As a dentist without formal training in education, the CTL has been a compass, guiding me through best practices in teaching, assessment, collaboration, and student support. The workshops have helped me grow into a more confident educator and a more empathetic mentor.”
The CTL works with faculty members throughout the UAB enterprise, in clinical and classroom settings, for those teaching in person and virtually. We offer hands-on workshops where you are able to benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration around a table, and we offer online training opportunities as well. We also offer individualized consultations and department-specific workshops. Providing support for teachers throughout their career, we provide relevant support for those newer to the classroom as well as inspiration and information for those with deep wells of experience. How can we serve you? Please reach out to us at