Faculty Pedagogy Seminar

Comments from participants:

“I will always remember this as being one of the most intellectually stimulating events I have experienced thus far in my academic career. . . . Dr. Gregory was an ideal leader—very comfortable from the first minute—and so good at probing [for] further discussion. His insights were valuable and life changing. Thanks!”

“A first-class experience, forcing me to critically examine my teaching and enabling me to share my own methods and role and compare them with others. Very beneficial.”

“I can’t think of a single thing I would change about the [seminar]. I heard before I enrolled that it was an incredible workshop and it met and surpassed all of my expectations. Marshall Gregory is an amazing teacher and person. His willingness to put his own experience out there allowed us to express our own vulnerabilities and weaknesses to the class. The class worked beautifully as a group to address important teaching issues and we will all be better teachers for it. Marshall Gregory is exceptional for his expertise, commitment to teaching, compassion, kindness and beautiful teaching style. He is a model for how to teach effectively and how to inspire others. We certain were inspired! Thank you for a fabulous and life-changing two weeks.”

“The seminar was a joy to attend. Definitely one of the best teaching enrichment activities I’ve done in my career thus far (and I’ve done quite a few).”

“Kudos to Dr. Gregory. Every faculty member should participate in what I consider the best faculty development program I’ve experienced. Bravo.”

“Greg does a fantastic job of provoking discussion, focusing conversations, and reflecting on the larger issues and themes. The seminar environment is comfortable and stimulating, and he masterfully balances instruction with letting the various tangents roll. Topics were both heady/lofty and practical. . . . Thanks for a thrilling two weeks!”

“To say that the experience was enriching and thought-provoking would not fully do it justice. . . . I feel reinvigorated about teaching. . . . Prof. Gregory was successful in teaching his colleagues intellectuality about the art of teaching and the craft of pedagogy. To accomplish this with your students is no mean feat; to accomplish it with your colleagues, some of whom have taught for…gulp…30 years, is a very mean feat indeed. What seemed to me especially inspiring about the seminar was that Prof. Gregory so fully “embodied” the qualities (and virtues) about which we read and which we discussed. It goes without saying that he is a “teacher’s teacher,” but that is simply to state the patently obvious, for he is more than that, both in substance and spirit. He is a scholar’s scholar, the Freire ideal of a passionate “teacher-student” who had, to use Gregory’s own words, ‘the special power to infect others with the virus of their own passion.’ I make that point with some care. In today’s educational climate, ‘passion’ has become an abused and overused catchword. In Prof. Gregory, passion has a visible, tangible, and infectious presence. William James wrote that “the best claim that a college education can possibly make on your respect, the best thing it can aspire to accomplish for you, is this: that is should help you to know a good man when you see him.” You simply gotta hand it to Prof. Gregory: the man is good, and he is a good man.”

 “Marshall Gregory is a terrific teacher for this seminar. I learned how to think about teaching in a different way from him. . . . Greg has great knowledge and insight about undergraduate teaching, as well as a great commitment to and care for students and their learning, which I found inspiring and encouraging.”

“[The seminar was] a wonderful experience that I feel privileged to have participated in. Greg was an inspiring, conscientious teacher of teaching, and the seminar participants under him created a strong camaraderie.”

“The readings Greg carefully selected gave me much to think about, especially in terms of the ethos I bring to the classroom . . . . It is to Greg’s credit that he forced this issue virtually from the moment we step foot into the seminar room until the seminar’s end. . . . I am thinking about teaching . . . now . . . with a closer eye to my underlying values and how I might be communicating them to my students.”

“This seminar encouraged me to dredge the harbor of my teaching experience, to relive and discuss many of my personal triumphs and shortcomings as a teacher. . . . Often I felt reaffirmed, often quite shocked. . . . The self-reflective moments of the seminar were true learning experiences for me—painful at time—yet rewarding in the end. This kind of activity is valuable in keeping my teaching fresh and keeping me honest towards my goals and objectives as a teacher. . . . Greg was a wonderful leader in this experience, a pleasant yet demanding presence. Participants were encouraged and happy to participate.”

“I found this seminar to be extremely informative and provocative. The discussions were most beneficial; the diversity of this group professionally and personally deepened the learning process and experience. I would highly recommend this seminar to my fellow peers.”

“The most useful idea or concept [from the seminar]: . . . Dr. Gregory’s essay on agape as a guiding principle in relationships between students and teachers.”

“I leave the seminar in a state of healthy turmoil. . . . The past ten weeks have been a time of intense self-reflection and learning. The experience has given me a renewed sense that I have both a love and calling to be a teacher. . . . I leave with a great respect and admiration for [the] content and method of your teaching and readings. Your frank questions, your sense of caring for our individual development, and your gentle—but firm—insistence that we wrestle through issues in order to gain a clearer sense of ourselves and our potential, were truly gifts of love to be valued in the years ahead.”

“I think one of [the seminar’s] strengths was that it was not technique oriented. I would describe the group meetings as congenial, thought provoking, and inspiring. . . . I have become a much stronger teacher these past 10 wks, partly due to this group. . . . The seminar director had a comfortable sense of equality with group members. . . . When every was flying with “advocacy,” he reminded us that student autonomy was the issue.”

 “Greg’s teaching experience, and, especially, his love of teaching, are perhaps the best aspects of the seminar. . . . His positive, thoughtful input was invaluable. When we discussed the effects of “TV culture,” for instance, and we lamented the fact that TV has had serious negative effects on our students, I found Greg’s reminders about not blaming students—but, instead, meeting them where they are and seeing them as products of the larger culture—especially helpful. . . . Greg’s caring, positive, and engaged attitude is infectious.”

“I cannot think of a better way to start off a summer than attending this seminar. . . . There are three main things that have stuck with me since the seminar and continue to inspire thoughtful reflection. . . . All three are directly related to the comments and thoughts of the seminar director, Marshall Gregory

• a. “Change the terms of the discourse.” This was stated profoundly on the first day. . . . This seminar has got me thinking of ways I might attempt this. . . . I am inspired to try!
• b. “Pedagogy and the Christian Law of Love.” This article expressed in a very concrete way how I feel about students. . . . I have since passed this article on to my parents and siblings (all of whom are teachers), my parish priest, and a number of friends. . . . I know it will become part of “pre-first-day-of-school” rituals to read it each fall. Thanks for writing it, Greg. It’s a gift.
• c. The leadership of the seminar director. The most effective leaders and teachers lead by example. ‘Nuff said.

Great job Greg! Thanks for your time, enthusiasm, and unwavering dedication to education. It’s been a pleasure!”

“The seminar lived up to the CTC hype. Marshall Gregory is an outstanding leader—well-organized, focused, and flexible.”

“The most vivid concept that came from the seminar director as well as from the other participants was the possibility of envisioning myself as a better teacher. . . . Through the discussion I was able to see my role as teacher in a more professional yet humanizing way . . . and I am confident that this insight will have positive ramifications in my teaching.”

“The focus on the intellectual bases of teaching was a surprising and very helpful and fulfilling way of doing things. . . . I have come to [a] more deep understanding and appreciation of the role of teaching in my intellectual and professional development, and this will invigorate my teaching considerably. Thanks!”

“Director has a wonderful, welcoming and affirming style. Excellent skills in keeping a conversation moving and on point. His homey and self-deprecating style worked well. . . . A very stimulating and enjoyable process.”

“The most vivid idea is Greg’s notion of liberal education as developing basic human capacities. The idea that content is not the goal of teaching but [the] means through which such development is achieved in also very enlightening. I hope that other faculty members will also get the opportunity to attend this seminar.”

“Re: the seminar director—incredibly kind and decent and solicitous person who somehow enabled us, by the mere presence of his personality (and by the advance e-mails he sent us—these were genius because they created group solidarity before we’d even arrived in class), to speak to one another respectfully and openly. In fact I found him selfless in his willingness to let us discover things for ourselves rather than insisting upon . . . his own point of view. . . . I also felt like we interrupted him constantly, and this pained me [but] I knew it meant that the discussion was going extremely well.”

“I appreciated Marshall Gregory’s consideration and encouragement of each member of the group. I felt liberated by his use of words and concepts like “love” & “joy” & “purpose” & “human flourishing.” Felt like breaking down artificial wall[s] between my academic persona and my true self. . .  This seminar played a vital role in my professional development. In ways I am still understanding, days later, it was a capstone to my decade at Emory. . . . Thank you.Thank you.”

“Wrestling with why I teach was very valuable because that determines how I teach in many ways that I never thought about before. I hadn’t expected the seminar to be so reflective. . . . Very liberating, as it showed me ways to be my authentic self as a teacher.”

“Really excellent—an essential escape from solipsism! . . . I came away feeling energized, with some good ideas. . . . I now know Socrates is with me, like the Force for Luke, and I cannot fail. . . . Thanks again to Greg for being such a thoughtful “animateur” (French for Great Leader).”

“The seminar has been a wonderful experience. . . . After a dozen years in the classroom, the tenure chase, and a growing administrative burden, I have to admit that my teaching seems to have grown stale. The ethos of this seminar and vigor of its discussions have given me a new enthusiasm about teaching. . . . The most important and, perhaps, lasting effect of the seminar is an impression of what I could be as a teacher. . . . It comes as a half-remembered Idea, drawn out by dialogue and tempered by our debate. Thank you for guiding us.”

“Wow. I think this was a truly valuable experience. It was much more than I expected and even more fulfilling.”

“This seminar did two things for me that I don’t or can’t do on my own—it encouraged me to reflect on my teaching and provided me with the ideas of others that can enrich my reflection. . . . I was happy with just about everything in the seminar—readings, discussion, leader.”

 “Engaging, superb facilitator, set comfortable environment for discussion. Uses silence effectively.”

“I particularly liked the demographics of the group, it made for some lively discussion. I will recommend those of my colleagues who care about teaching [to] sign up for the seminar next summer. . . . Let me congratulate Marshall on his job in the seminar. He is adept at keeping the train of thought on track and not letting participants go too far afield. He is also excellent at drawing out participants in a non-threatening manner. He is a real pro at this and makes a significant contribution to the academy by his efforts.”

“Thanks for an inspiring experience. Your seminar has had (& will continue to have) a big impact on me as a teacher & as a person.”

“It was a great experience that I had not—at all—expected to be a great experience.”

“I found this seminar to be extremely useful—but in a way different from what I expected. . . . My philosophy [of] teaching has deepened—and I believe I have a more sustainable vision regarding my own teaching.”

 “Perhaps one of the most important intellectual experiences of my professional life. The seminar was invaluable to me.”

“I have a great deal of clinical knowledge but needed this program to become a teacher. Thanks . . . !”

“Marshall is one of, if not the most effective facilitator I have worked with. He is organized but flexible, open to new ideas while maintaining his own convictions, eager to teach and learn, an active listener & gentle navigator of discussion.”

“This was a great experience. I looked forward to the interaction each week. . . . It should be offered on a continuous basis—I’d do a second round w/out the pay incentive.”

© 2005 Copyright Marshall Gregory