Communities of Practice (COP) are intentionally focused on faculty working together to change their teaching. They are short-term and aimed at only one aspect of the instructional practice. Each semester, the TEACH Center chooses a theme for the Communities of Practice and invites interested faculty to engage in an initial learning kick-off meeting, participate in a Canvas shell with teaching strategies and resources, work with a Teaching Teammate to modify one lesson/policy, and present their work at a TEACHing Showcase at the end of the semester.
According to one faculty learner, Communities of Practice are like an extended conversation at the water fountain 鈥� an opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from each other. Please join us!
2026-2027 Topics
Join us for this two-part workshop series hosted by Michelle Pacansky-Brock, leader in humanized online teaching, currently serving the California Community College Chancellor鈥檚 Office as Visiting Expert, Professional Development.
The initial two workshops will count for FLEX credit, and faculty are welcome to attend one or both. Faculty who participate in both workshops will also have the opportunity to join a semester-long community of practice, where they鈥檒l partner with a TEACHing Teammate to apply what they鈥檝e learned and explore how humanized teaching practices can become part of their own courses.
Overview
AI literacy is a genuine educational priority. It is also one part of what the workforce data says. This two-part series uses World Economic Forum data to widen the lens and place AI literacy inside the fuller picture depicted by the research. Together, we will examine the critical role that 鈥渃onnective labor鈥� (Pugh, 2024) plays in the future of education, as well as explore conditions and learning experiences that develop human-centric skills and wellbeing 鈥� for your students and for you too!
Expanding the Lens on Future-Ready Skills
Part 1: Fri, Sept 18, 2026, 10:00 AM -11:30 AM
Together, we will center what we already know: teaching is connective labor. We will also consider how access to connective labor has decreased in recent decades 鈥� for instructors as much as for students. This session makes the case that relational capacities are in high demand, unusually resistant to automation, and fragile enough to require deliberate development and ongoing practice. We will identify the conditions needed to build human-centric skills and pose microchallenges for participants to engage in prior to the next session.
Connection as Curriculum: Finding Our Way Back
Part 2: Fri, Oct 2, 10:00 AM -11:30 AM *
This session extends humanizing practices from course climate to the core of learning. We will recap the conditions needed to build human-centric skills and then explore Connection Catalyst assignments that foster a culture of integrity through intrinsic motivation and develop AI literacy in tandem with human-centric skills.
*Attending part one is recommended but not required.
Past Topics
- AI in Action: A Community of Practice with Anna Mills
- AI in Action: A Community of Practice with Trudi Radke
- APEX Applied Programming Experience
- Assign and Assess Early and Often
- Careers in the Classroom
- Cognitive Coaching
- Culturally Responsive Teaching in Art and Design
- Empathy in Education
- Equitable Assessments in Biology
- Fostering a Culture of Belonging
- Making Moments that Matter for Students
- Problem-Based Learning
- Situational Fairness
- Transformative Teaching
- Universal Design for Learning
Frequently Asked Questions
A community of practice is a semester-long, or short-term, commitment to a community of faculty who are focused on actively changing one aspect of their instructional practice.
Besides being a wonderful opportunity to work with your colleagues on a specific lesson, it can count for hours of FLEX, or can contribute to your PG&D project (pending committee approval), or associate faculty can apply for a stipend (up to 20 hours, depending on the COP). There is a limited number of stipends available. You will be notified before All College Week if you have received a stipend.
No, the COPs are open only to faculty who have a contract to teach at WVC that same semester. Please watch for future COP opportunities!
Not as much as you think! While some CoPs can be structured a bit differently, below is an example of a typical CoP structure, including your commitments.
- Participate in an initial Launch Party and connect with your Teaching Teammate (a fellow faculty member in the program who will be your partner as you both modify/create ONE lesson).
- Week 2-10 of semester: Meet with Teaching Teammates to solidify the lesson creation that you began working on together in the initial Launch Party. REMEMBER: You each only create/modify one lesson!!!
- Week 6-11 of semester: Teach the lesson/Publish the module and observe your Teaching Teammates teaching their lesson or review their published module, including assignments, using the 2+2 Observation protocol (2 compliments/2 suggestions or questions for discussion).
- Week 13 of semester: Present your lesson and your reflection to the wider community at the incredibly supportive and engaging Teaching Showcase.
Still Not Convinced?
Here is what your faculty colleagues said about their experiences in a COP:
Even though I'm at the end of my teaching career, but I'm still very excited to join the group to motivate myself in adopting new pedagogy; so to me "Never too late to transform!
I joined the {community of practice} not really knowing what to expect, or really anticipating getting anything substantive out of it. Was I wrong! It was a wonderful experience working with my colleagues, hearing their feedback, offering my own, and ultimately growing as an instructor from this experience. I would highly encourage all faculty to go through this process!
For more information, please contact Michelle Francis.