TLC programs create opportunities for Swarthmore community members to advance their teaching and learning goals. Ranging from casual drop-in activities to semester-long learning communities, our programming is designed in response to community needs and interests. Read more about our approach in our mission and values. Program registration is shared in The Commons, our monthly newsletter. Please reach out to us at tlc@swarthmore.edu if you would like to get involved.
The TLC's Pedagogy Lunch series offers monthly opportunities for faculty and staff to discuss issues of interest around teaching and learning at Swarthmore. Each meeting includes a brief presentation and time for small- and large- group discussion over lunch.
TLC Inquiry Groups are semester-long cohorts that meet multiple times to explore a single topic related to our work as educators. Led by members of Swarthmore's faculty and staff, these groups focus on a wide range of topics and offer opportunities for both reflective teaching and cross-disciplinary community building.
Co-hosted with the Aydelotte Foundation, Teatimes highlight various offices and programs on campus and how they can support curriculum and pedagogy. These casual drop-in events invite faculty and staff to learn more about each other's work and inspire new connections and collaboration.
Learning for Life (L4L) has been pairing staff and students for learning partnerships since 1999. Partners design learning projects and meet weekly for one or more semesters. L4L also hosts short workshops for students and staff. The TLC is honored to host L4L and to support its goals of building mutual respect and friendships that transcend differences in age, race, class, and role on campus.
The TLC periodically offers small-grants for individual and group projects that enhance teaching and learning at Swarthmore, such as participation in external pedagogy workshops, on-campus book groups, curriculum redevelopment meetings, and more. Grant opportunities are announced in The Commons, our monthly newsletter.
The TLC offers individual, confidential consultations for faculty and instructional staff interested in discussing any aspect of their pedagogy. Schedule a one-on-one meeting, a class observation and debrief, or a facilitated feedback session with students at mid-semester.
Hosted in collaboration with the Department of Educational Studies, the Teachers as Scholars Program welcomes cohorts of local teachers to participate in multi-day seminars led by Swarthmore faculty. The TLC has also hosted Summer Retreats for local teachers that offer time for reflection, restoration, and community building on the grounds of Swarthmore's beautiful campus.
From August 22 to 28, 2023, the TLC hosted the FLI Peer Orientation Program (FLI-POP), a six day leadership development and peer-mentoring program, conceptualized by current FLI students. FLI-POP offered new and returning students the opportunity to connect with key resources to support their success and well-being at Swarthmore, engage in discussions and workshops around navigating academic and social life at the College, and build a supportive community of peers.
