Great Teacher Retreats

Great Retreats by Jan
In 1999, I won the Excellent Teacher Award at Mayland Community College where I teach Critical Thinking, English, Reading, and College Student Success. Part of my ‘reward’ for winning was an offer to attend the North Carolina Great Teacher Retreat. I remember thinking at the time that I didn’t want to go to another conference where I would hear ‘experts’ tell me how to teach. I had been to many of these. I rarely came away with anything of value and I knew the presenters were making quite a bit of money as the ‘experts’ or ‘consultants’. They were merely taking advantage of the educational swing of the pendulum in a new direction, the new hot idea or method coming down the educational pike.
Nonetheless, I went to this retreat at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville and forever my idea of what a retreat and learning experience should be was changed. Not only did I learn so many tips and tools for improving my own teaching in my discipline, I also was given time to network and learn from my colleagues nationally. I came away rested and revived. I came away believing in my God-given talent for teaching. I came away a better person and teacher.
The next spring when the NC Great Teacher Retreat was offered to any teaching faculty at Mayland, I begged to go and once again found myself in the presence of others who wanted to be great teachers. That year I was chosen to be a facilitator for the Great Teacher Retreats and, as it is often said, ‘the rest is history’.
For almost nine years now I have been involved with the Great Teacher movement. I have facilitated Great Teacher Retreats as well as Great College Retreats, attended Great Leaders Symposiums, and last year was honored to attend the National Great Teacher Retreat in Hawaii. In March, after four years of proposals to the administration of Mayland Community College, Dr. Suzanne Owens found the funds to send 30+ participants to the first annual Great Learning College Retreat for Mayland Community College. I had the pleasure of co-coordinating and co-directing this retreat which proved to be a huge success and one that will be repeatedly yearly.
Please contact me for more information about the Great Teacher movement. I am passionately and enthusiastically sure you will find this to be the best professional development opportunity out there! I will help your college, your school system, your county, your state, your administration offer the best workshop of them all!
Check out the web pages below for more information.
greatretreatsbyjan.com