In 1969, David B. Gottshall founded the Great Teachers Seminar based on earlier staff development experiments of the late Roger H. Garrison. The many state and provincial Great Teachers Seminars and Seminars, which take place annually throughout North America and abroad, continue to have a profound influence on faculty development in higher education. Noticeable differences include: the improvement of teaching skills, the adjustment and analysis of teaching methods, and the modification of behavior and attitudes as teachers of diverse fields.
The focus is not on the teaching of specific disciplines, but rather on the ART of teaching itself. The emphasis is on the universals of teaching and on the special nature of those who are and will be great teachers. It is based also on the notion that, if properly tapped, the collective wisdom, experience and creativity of any group of practicing educators far surpasses that of any individual expert. The structure of the seminar evolves from an ongoing needs assessment as the seminar progresses. Underlying all activities of the seminar is the perpetual challenge to characterize and to define the GREAT TEACHER.
Resource Articles:
“The Great Teachers Seminar: Why It Works”, Dr. Cindra Smith, (1997)
“Adapting the Great Teachers Model to Serve the Entire College”, Pam Bergeron and Mike McHargue (2003)
“The Definitive History of the North Carolina Great Teachers Retreat”, Steve Smith (2008) (click HERE for the original 2003 version)