In the Teaching Fellows program participants work in small cross-disciplinary groups, including one senior faculty member who facilitates group activities. Group members observe one another’s classes and exchange descriptive, non-judgmental feedback in order to enhance awareness of their teaching and their students’ learning. Building on these insights, participants experiment with small changes in their teaching to better meet the diverse needs of their students. All participants meet together as a cohort for orientation and wrap-up sessions each semester. At the end of the program, Teaching Fellows have the option of continuing in the SoTL Fellows program.

The Teaching Fellows program  is a non-judgmental forum for thinking about and experimenting with teaching. People outside the Teaching Fellows program, including department chairs, are not informed of the specifics of your participation unless you choose to share such details

Teaching Fellows

All untenured, full-time faculty are invited to apply to be teaching fellows. Applicants should be actively interested in investigating teaching and learning in their own classrooms.  Priority will be given to faculty who are newer to community college teaching. Teaching fellows receive a stipend of $500 per semester ($1000 total). For more information, see Apply to Be a Teaching Fellow. Note: We are not currently taking applications for the Teaching Fellows program.

Mentor Teachers

Being a mentor teacher provides faculty members with tenure or CCE an opportunity to expand their role as pedagogical leaders at BMCC. The primary work of the mentor teacher is to facilitate and participate in group interactions about teaching and learning – listening actively and asking questions that promote reflection. In recognition of the value of this important role and the time commitment involved, mentor teachers will be awarded three hours of reassigned time to be used in one of the two semesters. For more information, see Apply to Be a Mentor Teacher. Note: We are not currently taking applications for the Teaching Fellows program.

Overview of Activities

Semester 1

Participants read about and discuss theory, practices, and topics related to teaching at BMCC, observe one another and engage in non-judgmental feedback, and experiment with small changes in their teaching. Specifically:

• All participants attend an orientation (full-day).

• Mentor teachers work with teaching fellows to establish an observation and post-observation conversation schedule.

• Teaching fellows are observed twice by their group (including the mentor teacher). All members observe at the same time. Typically, there is one round before and one round after midterm.

• Groups meet for post-observation conversations (approximately four two-hour meetings).

• Teaching fellows complete short reflections and post them to Blackboard.

• Mentor teachers facilitate the observation reflection process.

• Mentor teachers meet together twice with the Teaching Academy directors (75 minutes each).

• All participants attend a final wrap-up session (approximately two hours).

Semester 2

Semester 2 is similar to Semester 1, with the addition of video recording.

• All participants attend an orientation (approximately two hours).

• Mentor teachers work with teaching fellows to establish an observation and post-observation conversation schedule.

• Teaching fellows are observed twice by their group, as in the first semester. These lessons are also video recorded.

• Teaching fellows watch the video recording of their teaching and have the option to share it with their group.

• Groups meet for post-observation conversations (approximately four two-hour meetings).

• Teaching fellows complete short reflections and post them to Blackboard.

• Mentor teachers facilitate the observation reflection process.

• Mentor teachers meet together twice with the Teaching Academy directors (75 minutes each).

• All participants attend a final wrap-up session (approximately two hours).