Lunchtime Reading Groups
The lunchtime reading groups are intended to create community around specific topics among faculty and instructors as well as graduate students. The CCTL offers two reading groups per year, sometimes holding separate meetings for faculty/instructors and graduate students, depending on the book. Participants receive a copy of the book and bring their observations and questions to the reading group meetings. Participation is capped at 25 in order to facilitate a more engaging discussion. If you have questions or suggestions for the reading group, please write to teaching@uchicago.edu.
2026-2027 Reading Groups for Faculty & Instructors
Thursdays, October 15, October 29, & November 12 | 2:00-3:20PM | Wieboldt 310 D/E
Registration coming soon
Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It
James Lang, 2020
Why is it so hard for students – and for us – to pay attention? We know that distraction isn’t good for learning, but it can be hard to resist other demands on our attention. With regard to learning, distraction is widely seen to be an impediment, something to avoid at all costs. But recent research reveals that our brains aren’t designed for intense focus all the time, and distraction can sometimes even help us. Although we often want our classrooms to be distraction-free zones, Lang points out that in requiring focus all the time, we’re working against our brains’ natural function. Lang offers ways for us to think about the classroom not as a 'distraction-free zone' but rather as a place that nurtures students' attention.
Reading Schedule: coming soon
Mondays, January 11, January 25, and February 8 | 1:30-2:50PM | Wieboldt 310 D/E
Schoolishness: Alienated Education and the Quest for Joyful, Authentic Learning
Susan D. Blum, 2024
Humans are natural learners—after all, we learn language, cultural norms, and many other things through interaction with others to figure out the world. But Susam D. Blum argues that schooling in the U.S. and many other countries tampers with and sometimes extinguishes natural curiosity by situating learning as "hearing" rather than "doing" and placing students and teachers in adversarial power dynamics. Using a wide range of experiences from her own teaching and research on higher education and interviews with students, she highlights many of the aspects of school that we take for granted as “schoolish.” In an effort to improve learning experiences for students, Blum then offers suggestions for how to make school less “schoolish” and therefore more appealing and motivating for students.
Reading Schedule: coming soon
2026-2027 Reading Groups for Grad Students
Wednedays, October 14, October 28 & November 11 | 1:30-2:50PM | Wieboldt 310 D/E
Registration coming soon
Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It
James Lang, 2020
Why is it so hard for students – and for us – to pay attention? We know that distraction isn’t good for learning, but it can be hard to resist other demands on our attention. With regard to learning, distraction is widely seen to be an impediment, something to avoid at all costs. But recent research reveals that our brains aren’t designed for intense focus all the time, and distraction can sometimes even help us. Although we often want our classrooms to be distraction-free zones, Lang points out that in requiring focus all the time, we’re working against our brains’ natural function. Lang offers ways for us to think about the classroom not as a 'distraction-free zone' but rather as a place that nurtures students' attention.
Reading Schedule: coming soon
Subscribe to our Grad Newsletter for updates on this program and more!