Graduate Reading Group
The Graduate Reading Group group meets for lunch three times over the course of the semester to discuss a book on teaching.
About the Graduate Reading Group
Each semester, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning sponsors a Graduate Reading Group. The group meets three to four times over the course of the semester to discuss the chosen book. We'll provide the book and the lunch; you come with thoughts and questions.
Please note: CETL reading groups exist to foster dialogue among UM instructors about important issues in higher education teaching and learning. The views expressed in the selected books are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily represent the views of CETL staff.
Fall 2025
This semester, the Graduate Reading Group will tackle the book Teaching Matters: A Guide for Graduate Students, by Aeron Haynie and Stephanie Spong. Registered graduate students will receive a paperback copy of the book. Join us to learn more about college teaching and connect with fellow graduate TAs, instructors, and aspiring educators.
The Fall 2025 Graduate Reading Group will meet at Hill Hall 117 on the following Fridays from 12:00-1:00 pm:
- September 19
- October 17
- November 7
Pizza will be provided for lunch.
Join the Graduate Reading Group!
Learn more about the Fall 2025 title
In Teaching Matters: A Guide for Graduate Students, Aeron Haynie and Stephanie Spong argue that learning to teach well is an essential part of a graduate student's professional development—and they offer a guidebook that will help graduate students do just that. The book is informed by research but also grounded in the practical experiences of graduate TAs and instructors. No matter what your discipline or where you're at in your teaching journey, the book will provide the information you need to create meaningful learning experiences for the students in your classes.
Register for the Fall 2025 reading group using the link above.
Past Reading Group Selections
- Spring 2025: Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning
- Fall 2024: The New College Classroom
- Spring 2024: How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching
- Fall 2023: The Missing Course: Everything They Never Taught You About College Teaching
- Spring 2023: Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom
- Fall 2022: Teaching Matters: A Guide for Graduate Students
Questions about the reading group?
Emily Pitts Donahoe, Associate Director of Instructional Support can answer any questions you have about the Graduate Reading Group or other graduate programming.
Emily Donahoe
Associate Director of Instructional Support in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Lecturer of Writing and Rhetoric