College Teaching in Practice

The College Teaching in Practice (CTP) micro-credential from the Center for Teaching & Learning is designed to help you enhance your teaching at the post-secondary level. This program is open to graduate student instructors, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff at CU Boulder.

Program Requirements

To earn your micro-credential, you’ll complete:

  • 10 hours of CTL training.
  • 20 hours of discipline-specific professional development in teaching.
  • 1 video consultation with CTL staff.
  • 1 classroom observation by a faculty member.
  • A teaching portfolio submitted for review.

Cost: Free for CU Boulder participants.

What You'll Gain

By completing this program, you’ll:

  • Receive recognized certification of your teaching proficiency, ideal for hiring committees.
  • Enhance your job applications by demonstrating:
    • Communication Skills – Convey ideas effectively.
    • Project Management – Balance teaching, scholarship, and responsibilities.
    • Teamwork – Collaborate within teaching assistant teams.
    • Relationship Building – Develop strong connections with students and colleagues.
    • Skill Development – Showcase transferable skills to diverse fields.
  • Strengthen career opportunities nationally and internationally.

Tasks to Completion

  1. Register for Workshop, Discipline Specific Hours and Observation Tracking: 

    Go to  and register as a user.

  2. Participating in Center for Teaching & Learning approved workshops/trainings (10): 

    Any CTL offering may count towards one hour of the 10 required. When registering and attending events, participants will be given credit. All CTL offerings are listed on the Events Page.

  3. Participating in discipline specific professional development in teaching hours (20): 

    Can be obtained through pedagogy courses, TA training, national and international disciplinary pedagogical workshops/training, additional CTL workshops, additional approved campus pedagogical training, teaching a course as instructor of record or other approved hours by CTL staff. After completion of all twenty hours, participants may quickly submit these under the Quick Links area on the CTL website. As of summer 2023, all participants should download the Personal Attendance Tracking form and log each workshop/event attended. When all 20 are completed, please send to ctl@colorado.edu for filing.

  4. Video-teacher consultation (VTC): 

    One VTC is required for this badge. Summer and winter break courses may be included in this. VTCs are performed by trained CTL Lead Network graduate students or CTL staff. Please contact your departmental CTL Lead or the CTL directly to schedule this.

  5. Classroom observation by a faculty member (1): 

    One faculty observation is required for this badge. This may be a participant's direct advisor/supervisor or a TA coordinator. We suggest participants choose someone who may be a person they ask to write letters of recommendation while on the future job market. Classroom Observation Guide.

  6. Submission of a Teaching Portfolio to the Center for Teaching & Learning: 

    Portfolios are submitted only after all other requirements are met. They are read and approved by the CTL Director before an exit survey is sent and the micro credential awarded. This may be submitted directly to the CTL or uploaded here in Canvas. Teaching Portfolio Artifact Guide.

  7. Exit survey administered and Badge awarded: 

    An exit survey will be sent to the participant after all other tasks are completed.