Reading Groups

The TLPDC is coordinating reading groups that are are faculty-led and open to all instructors. The TLPDC provides support, meeting space, snacks, and copies of the book! Each group will meet 4 times during the semester to discuss the book and we ask that members commit to the scheduled times listed. 

Do you have a book idea for a future reading group? Let us know by reaching out to Molly Jacobs.

Spring 2026 Group

A Pedagogy of Kindness, by Cate Denial

Academia is not, by and large, a kind place. Individualism and competition are what count. But without kindness at its core, Catherine Denial suggests, higher education fails students and instructors—and its mission—in critical ways.
A Pedagogy of Kindness articulates a fresh vision for teaching, one that focuses on ensuring justice, believing people, and believing in people. Offering evidence-based insights and drawing from her own rich experiences as a professor, Denial offers practical tips for reshaping syllabi, assessing student performance, and creating trust and belonging in the classroom. Her suggestions for concrete, scalable actions outline nothing less than a transformational discipline—one in which, together, we create bright new spaces, rooted in compassion, in which all engaged in teaching and learning might thrive.

Cate Denial is the Bright Distinguished Professor of American History and Director of the Bright Institute at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. She is also our keynote speaker for this year's Advancing Teaching & Learning Conference on Friday, February 20th.

2026 Meeting Dates:

• February 11th at 12:30
• March 11th at 12:30
• April 1st at at 12:30
• April 29th at 12:30

Reading Group Sign Up Form