Who Will Benefit
What to Expect
Philosophy
Objectives
Agenda
Preparation for Celebrating Great Teaching
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In many respects, the title "Great Teaching" is misleading. This seminar is not so much an assembly of great teachers as it is a group of dedicated faculty in search of great teaching.
Who Will Benefit?
Teachers with more than five years of teaching experience AND who are comfortable with:
- Collaborative learning
- Open-ended learning environments
- Sharing of teaching experiences and resources
- Being open to new ideas Working in a multi-disciplinary environment
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What to Expect
David Gottshall, an American College teacher, is credited with developing the concept of "Great Teachers". His concept uses adult learning principles to capture and build on the experiences and expertise that participants bring to seminars.
Participants share teaching experiences as identified in two very brief papers prepared before the seminar. Through discussion of these experiences, themes and issues relevant to the group are identified and prioritized. Finally, a series of activities are organized that facilitate sharing and promote creative thinking and problem solving.
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Philosophy
- Assumes that within a group of experienced faculty there are the resources needed to develop and present a seminar on issues related to teaching
- Allows for participants to create an agenda of issues and to design a format that allows for the working through of those issues
- It is a concept that recognizes that significant levels of excellent teaching occurs within the college system and that faculty, given the opportunity, can be a valuable resource to each other
- Gottshall suggest that the process is enhanced by placing the participants in a relaxed and unstructured environment. Hence, the retreat-like nature of the program
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Objectives
- Celebrate great teaching
- Stimulate creative problem solving
- Explore new ideas
- Renew oneself both professionally and personally
- Capture the expertise of seasoned faculty
- Showcase best practices
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Preparation for the Celebrating Great Teaching
The Celebrating Great Teaching Retreat is based on the premise that within a group of experienced teachers there are the resources needed to develop and present a seminar on issues and practices related to great teaching. In order to ensure a positive experience we ask that each participant bring the following to the retreat.
- Twenty-five (25) copies of a one page paper describing a technique, a teaching approach you have used successfully, or an innovation, or something that you do that helps your students to learn. The paper should include a brief description of what you do, why you do it and the reason for its success.
- Twenty-five (25) copies of a one page paper describing a challenge or a problem in teaching for which you have not yet found a satisfactory solution. This paper may analyze the challenge/problem or merely set the context and pose your question for discussion.
The discussion at some of the small group sessions will centre on the content of these papers.
- Any single teaching trick or device (homemade or commercial) that has enhanced your teaching effectiveness. In short, something from your “teaching bag of tricks”. You will be invited to share your teaching trick or device. Presentation time is limited to two (2) minutes.
- One copy of an article, a book or a website that has had an influence on your teaching career and that you would recommend to other teachers. The collection will create a retreat library. At the end of our time together it may be retrieved or traded.
You may bring items that relate to any aspect of your teaching whether it is in classrooms, labs, online, in work or other settings. Remember that you will be working with colleagues who teach in a variety of different program areas. If you bring something that is subject specific be prepared to share aspects that would be relevant in other disciplines or contexts.
Your college representative on the planning team will be in touch before the seminar to discuss the retreat with you. In the meantime, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact your college rep.