Dr. Cait S. Kirby
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caitskirby.bsky.social
Dr. Cait S. Kirby
@caitskirby.bsky.social
490 followers 61 following 68 posts
Learning and teaching and writing about learning and teaching.

consulting.caitkirby.com
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caitskirby.bsky.social
Making group work work can be hard...

Using group work in your classes can be so effective. But, if you've ever worked in a group before, you know that it can also be a nightmare.

Group work can be a nightmare when you're an adult with a degree and decades of emotional regulation practice... 1/5
A colorful advertisement that says: Making group work work, a virtual workshop for educators. If you’ve ever worked in a group, you likely know how difficult it can be to manage the work and distribute tasks equally or equitably. At the same time, assigning group work in classes can be meaningful and edifying, so you have good reason to continue incorporating group work in your courses. In this session, we’ll discuss challenges and solutions for making group work effective, and strategies to mitigate some of the excess cognitive load that students can experience when working in groups. AUG 1, 2025, 2-3:30pm ET, contingent or a grad student? Unstable or inadequate income? Use code “August25" for 50% off. Register: bit.ly/AW-2025. Workshops will have auto-captions. Participation in activities will be optional: you won’t be required to talk in breakout rooms or keep your camera on the whole time. Sessions will not be recorded. Cait S. Kirby, PhD - educational developer."
July 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM
caitskirby.bsky.social
August is a fantastic time to get ready for the upcoming semester. Looking ahead, I've planned workshops all month.

Topics include group work, window of tolerance, hidden curriculum, accommodations, and mentorship. Sessions are designed for connection.

#EduSky #AcademicChatter

bit.ly/AW-2025
Workshops for Educators. Virtual professional development that builds community and belonging.Virtual professional development you actually enjoy. A color-coded calendar of the month of August, with dates shaded to match the events listed below. The colors themselves don’t mean anything. 8/1/25 - 2-3:30pm ET Making group work work: Strategies for making groups work effectively. 8/5/25 - 2-3:30pm ET The window of tolerance & the classroom: Impacts of stress on student behavior. 8/13/25 - 2-3:30pm ET Revealing the hidden curriculum: Supporting students with clarity. 8/21/25 - 2-3:30pm ET The journey to an accommodation letter: A convoluted process and how to help. 8/25/25 - 2-3:30pm ET Mentoring for belonging: Leveraging psychology to mentor well. If you are contingent faculty, a grad student, or have unstable or inadequate income, use coupon code “AUGUST25” for 50% off. Register: https://bit.ly/AW-2025 Workshops will have auto-captions. Participation in activities will be optional: you won’t be required to talk in breakout rooms or keep your camera on the whole time. Sessions will not be recorded. Cait S. Kirby, PhD - educational developer Follow me for more workshops: @caitskirby on Twitter/X, BlueSky, Instagram, caitkirby.com
July 14, 2025 at 3:07 PM
caitskirby.bsky.social
If you're wondering what's in this guide, here is the table of contents. You'll notice something called SECCC, which is a framing I created.

This pairs really nicely with my next upcoming guide: "Interviewing for academic jobs," with an interviewing method I designed.
Bright colorblock-y background with plain black text that says: Contents. Then a list of the contents with page numbers: Contents This guide’s author: Cait How to use this guide Okay, but you’re busy Your goals and responsibilities My proposed timeline An academic cover letter Step 1 - Start with a job ad Step 2 - Pair skills with examples Step 3 - Write an outline Step 4 - Make a patchwork Step 5 - Weave the patchwork into a narrative Step 6 - Flow sentences and paragraphs Step 7 - Pepper in descriptive adjectives Step 8 - Align numbers from job ad Step 9 - Check for SECCC and personality Teaching statements Cover letters v teaching statements Make reading easy Bonus: What to do next 1-on-1 consultations Connect with Cait
July 2, 2025 at 9:02 PM
caitskirby.bsky.social
Here's a sneak peek into the guide with a page about flowing sentences and paragraphs together to make it easier on the reader. If this seems useful to you, follow the link for more!

www.consulting.caitkirby.com/shop/p/acade...
Step 6.3 - Flow sentences and paragraphs. In this section, we’re going to apply the idea of connecting our sentences together from our previous puppies and kittens example to your actual skills and work examples. You’re going to daisy chain your sentences and paragraphs together, linking them by moving from one idea to the next. Let’s try an example, using our supervision and Drosophila. Old Version. I have leveraged my mentorship skills in supervising more than twenty students in conducting research in my lab, where we use the model system Drosophila melanogaster to understand toxins. Students from my lab have gone on to graduate school at an exceedingly high rate. One even published as first author in my lab. New Version. I have leveraged my mentorship skills in my research lab, where we use the model system Drosophila melanogaster to understand toxins. To do this, students expose flies to chemicals, resulting in a publication for my student. Students who graduate from my lab have gone on to graduate school, medical school, and to work in labs. Academic Job Search - Page 19.
June 14, 2025 at 10:52 PM
caitskirby.bsky.social
This Saturday, June 7th at 2pm ET I'm offering a workshop about requesting workplace accommodations. I'm here to support you in making requests, responding to denials, and documenting to protect yourself. #Disability #Disabled #Accommodations

Link: bit.ly/RequestAccomms
a colorful flyer, with squiggles and flowers in orange, blue, and pink on a pale beige background. The text says: "A virtual workshop for folks seeking accommodations. Requesting workplace accommodations. In this session, we will discuss the typical accommodations process, documentation, resources, and what to do if your request is denied or refused. Jun 7, 2025. 2-3pm EST on Zoom. $15 USD. Register: bit.ly/RequestAccomms. Cait S. Kirby, PhD - disability activist. Follow me for more workshops: @caitskirby on Twitter/X, BlueSky, Instagram, caitkirby.com"
June 4, 2025 at 1:04 PM
caitskirby.bsky.social
I will be offering some pedagogy-related workshops this summer, which I'll post about soon.

Saturday, June 7th at 2pm ET I'm offering a workshop about requesting workplace accommodations. My goal is to make this process less opaque. #Disability #Disabled #Accommodations

Link: bit.ly/RequestAccomms
a colorful flyer, with squiggles and flowers in orange, blue, and pink on a pale beige background. The text says: "A virtual workshop for folks seeking accommodations. Requesting workplace accommodations. In this session, we will discuss the typical accommodations process, documentation, resources, and what to do if your request is denied or refused. Jun 7, 2025. 2-3pm EST on Zoom. $15 USD. Register: bit.ly/RequestAccomms. Cait S. Kirby, PhD - disability activist. Follow me for more workshops: @caitskirby on Twitter/X, BlueSky, Instagram, caitkirby.com"
May 29, 2025 at 12:55 PM
caitskirby.bsky.social
I wrote a little tiny more about this, mostly providing a preview of a post about those among us who are lightning rods.

Have you subscribed to my Substack, yet? Go check out this post and then read my article in Zeal.

undaunted.caitkirby.com/p/zeal-invit...
A photo of lightning striking the ocean. The texts says, "Zeal invited me to write about pedagogical kindness. I was asked to respond to Cate Denial's beautiful and thoughtful book, A Pedagogy of Kindness. Now I'm talking about lightning."
May 8, 2025 at 7:22 PM
caitskirby.bsky.social
The Virtual Gathering's proposal submission period is now closed.

While we review proposals and put together a fantastic lineup of brilliant scholars, don't forget to register for the free, accessibility-first virtual gathering!
A colorblocked background of beige, light teal, and dark teal. The text says: Leading With Our Values: Community as Resistance. June 23-25, 2025 via Zoom. Free virtual gathering for educational developers and higher ed professionals. Community Building, Career Development, Lightning Talks. Register now! bit.ly/VirtualGathering25-register
May 2, 2025 at 1:35 PM
caitskirby.bsky.social
Call for proposals: free online gathering of educational developers. Our theme: Leading With Our Values: Community as Resistance. #Gather2Resist25

Less than a week til priority proposal review due date. Don't stress: extended due date April 29th.

To submit, go to bit.ly/VirtualGathering25-submit
A colorblocked background of beige, light teal, and dark teal. The text says: Call for Proposals. Leading With Our Values: Community as Resistance. The 2nd annual virtual gathering for educational developers is now accepting proposals! Free, accessibility-first gathering (on Zoom). Choose from a variety of session types. Supportive space for new and minoritized presenters. Community-building opportunities. Learn with colleagues around the world. April 15, 2025 is the Priority Deadline. Form closes April 29th. #Gather2Resist25 Submit a proposal. bit.ly/VirtualGathering25-submit
April 9, 2025 at 4:30 PM
caitskirby.bsky.social
Have you heard about the virtual gathering for #EducationalDevelopers #EdDevs? We are especially interested in platforming presenters who are not typically lead presenter. This is your time to shine #InCommunity #SoTL #SoED! #Gather2Resist25

bit.ly/VirtualGathe...
A colorblocked background of beige, light teal, and dark teal. The text says: Call for Proposals. Leading With Our Values: Community as Resistance. The 2nd annual virtual gathering for educational developers is now accepting proposals! Free, accessibility-first gathering (on Zoom). Choose from a variety of session types. Supportive space for new and minoritized presenters. Community-building opportunities. Learn with colleagues around the world. April 15, 2025 is the Priority Deadline. Form closes April 29th. #Gather2Resist25 Submit a proposal. bit.ly/VirtualGathering25-submit
March 18, 2025 at 5:30 PM