Excellence in teaching and engaging students in learning is both challenging and exciting. The Focus on Teaching Conference (FOTC) has traditionally provided a forum to:
celebrate the work of teachers in a fun, engaging and rewarding way;
dialogue with colleagues from across disciplines;
engage in informed and constructive conversations related to the complexities of teaching and learning; and
share strategies and insights that increase teaching and learning effectiveness.
Now, more than ever, we want to recognize all the ways members of our Georgian community work together, create and share knowledge, and connect learning.
Each year, the Focus on Teaching Conference brings together our Georgian community to share practices, experiences and insights about learning and teaching. Faculty and students continue to work together to explore new learning and venture into amazing futures. Join us in sharing innovative ideas and developing new passions that re-invigorate our teaching practice and our lives.
We’re excited to support and inspire our community of teachers and celebrate as we recognize all the ways we work together, create and share knowledge, and connect learning inside and outside the classroom.
Focus on Teaching Conference 2025
On behalf of the Centre for Teaching and Learning, we are excited to announce Georgian College’s Focus on Teaching Conference is returning on April 30, 2025.
In times of uncertainty and change, connection and gratitude ground us. Being together reminds us of our shared purpose in education, the strength of our communities, and the opportunities we have to transform the future.
Given our present-day challenges, we can pull strength from our unity and our purpose. We all play a role in fostering and supporting student learning.
All are invited to join us for the Focus on Teaching Conference where we will gather to reflect, learn, and appreciate the work we all do, the people who inspire us, and the resilience that carries us forward.
We hope you’ll save the date, April 30, 2025. We look forward to coming together with gratitude for each other and for the important work we do.
Register for FOTC 2025
We are pleased to offer in-person and virtual opportunities to attend the conference. In the registration process, you will be asked to declare your mode of attendance. See Conference Schedule for more details.
Register here! This link takes Georgian employees to our SumTotal system (login is required).
Attending in-person registration will close by 16 April. Don’t miss your chance to attend in-person and be with your peers. Online attendance registration will close on 29 April.
Sharing and learning from each other makes everyone better. Together, we will explore innovative and socially just teaching practices that support student success, empower learners, and drive positive change. Consider proposing a session for our upcoming Focus on Teaching Conference 2025.
We are offering two types/lengths of sessions:
Georgian (GED) Talks will be 7 minutes in length. Modeled after TED Talks, faculty are invited to share information, knowledge, or an inspiring story related to their classes or educational experiences. GED Talks will be delivered in person and streamed online, with potential for audience engagement (10:15 am to 12:00 pm).
Workshops will be 50 minutes in length, including setup and takedown. These are in-person OR online, focused on wellness, self-care, and stress-reducing, spirit-lifting activities (1:00 pm to 3:00 pm).
Our hope is that educators at Georgian will find value and comfort in sharing and learning from each other. Sessions can be simple and easy. Any topics that support faculty growth and development are welcome.
Keynote Speech by Mirko Chardin (In-person & virtual)
Every student, without exception, holds the potential for success. Regardless of their background or personal identity, each learner deserves an equitable chance to thrive. We’re on a mission to create inclusive learning environments where every student’s unique attributes are recognized as assets, not barriers.
In this session, we will challenge the status quo by urging you to confront your implicit biases, explore the dynamics of power and privilege, and see diversity as the cornerstone of progress. As we dive into Universal Design for Learning (UDL), you’ll discover the power of this revolutionary approach to education. UDL is not just a strategy; it’s a catalyst for change. It’s about unlocking the potential within each student and creating a future where equity and inclusivity reign supreme.
Teaching Excellence Awards
The TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD (TEA) recognizes the innovative and creative teaching approaches of our inspirational educators at Georgian College. Help grow teaching excellence and celebrate Georgian educators by nominating someone today.
The Teaching Excellence Award celebrates educators who strive to grow their practice in these competencies and, in so doing, offer students learning experiences that honour student diversity, respect student needs, support student success and contribute to a culture of belonging at Georgian.
We have amazing peers who should be celebrated. As you submit your nomination, please express how your nominee aligns with one or more of the roles of faculty as described in the Georgian Faculty Competency Framework.
The commitment to excellence can be in one or several of the following competencies:
Designer competency
Innovative faculty are DESIGNERS. They design courses, classes, teaching and learning activities, and assessments in order to facilitate student learning. They recognize the importance of mapping courses for students and use evidence-informed pedagogy/andragogy to inform their practice. They recognize the importance of universal design, creating spaces of belonging, and sharing with peers in order to positively impact the teaching ecosystem.
Faculty who are excellent designers do the following kinds of things:
Intentionally create universally designed teaching and learning activities.
Integrate innovative and active teaching practices to engage students.
Guide students and facilitate student learning with scaffolded, mapped and woven teaching and learning activities.
Cultivate student learning by using evidence-informed, authentic opportunities for practice.
Researcher competency
Innovative faculty are RESEARCHERS. They inspire curiosity and motivate students to ask questions. They offer opportunities to practice critical analysis and problem solving. They explore evidence and best practices in their disciplines and in the profession of teaching. Faculty use research to stay connected and to keep current and transform the experiences of other faculty by sharing their experiences.
Faculty who are excellent researchers do the following kinds of things:
Integrate opportunities for students to engage in critical inquiry and problem solving.
Seek credible, relevant information to authentically appeal to students.
Guide students in critical appraising processes.
Embed new learning into existing teaching practice.
Inclusive Practitioner competency
Innovative faculty are INCLUSIVE PRACTITIONERS. They are emotionally attuned to the needs of learners and use empathy as a lens for their practice. They plan teaching and learning with integrity and work to identify inequities and injustices that may impact student success. They inhabit a growth mindset space and are open to knowledge outside of their disciplines to empower their students. They understand the importance of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging work and see indigenization as a key priority to transform post-secondary education.
Faculty who are excellent inclusive practitioners do the following kinds of things:
Use a growing array of skills to respond to a multi-faceted learning environment that ensures space for safety, challenge and growth.
Foster a commitment to community standards and values while maintaining empathy and fairness.
Cultivate opportunities and model risk taking in your teaching practice.
Foster a learning environment where all are empowered to see their own agency and voice.
Changemaker competency
Innovative faculty are CHANGEMAKERS. They approach their interactions with students using an empathetic lens. In their courses, they support students in using this lens to identify inequities in our communities. From this perspective, faculty offer opportunities for collaboration and leadership as student practice changemaking in order to graduate not only amazing practitioners but also amazing community members.
Faculty who are excellent changemakers do the following kinds of things:
Use empathy when creating course-related materials, course schedule, and teaching and learning activities.
Build student ability to collaborate by intentionally focusing on relationships.
Scaffold opportunities for your students to practice sharing leadership.
Embed experiential learning opportunities for students to practice changemaking.
Digital Navigator competency
Innovative faculty are DIGITAL NAVIGATORS. In their work, they create opportunities for learning that are innovative and supportive of learners and learner needs. They seek out digital solutions that best fit each teaching context. Tools are chosen with purpose and with consideration for all aspects of learning. These faculty share their skills in the support of peers impacting the teaching and learning digital ecosystem of Georgian.
Faculty who are excellent digital navigators do the following kinds of things:
Skillfully incorporate ed tech based on careful consideration of pros and cons from learners’ perspectives.
Iterate your digital solutions and try again when something doesn’t work.
Make decisions about learning technologies based on ethical considerations.
Leverage education technologies available to connect and/or engage students.
Collaborator competency
Innovative faculty are COLLABORATORS. In classrooms, faculty promote collaboration and teamwork to share knowledge and improve student learning. As professional educators, faculty connect with peers in professional learning opportunities and in institutional teams and utilize a growth mindset for professional growth and development that spans their entire career. They connect with partners within and outside of Georgian to create exciting opportunities for students.
Faculty who are excellent collaborators do the following kinds of things:
Establish positive and trust-based relationships among students and colleagues.
Weave emotional intelligence into their course design and delivery.
Engage in collaborations and gather feedback to grow teaching practice.
Offer opportunities for students to practice respectful communication.
Reflector competency
Innovative Georgian faculty are REFLECTORS. In their work they will invest time in thinking about their teaching practice. Faculty will explore aspects of their teaching and plan for productive and transformative change. In this work, they will also take the time to evaluate the changes they have enacted to continually develop and grow their practice. They will also share their successes and failures in order to help peers.
Faculty who are excellent reflectors do the following kinds of things:
Collect feedback about teaching practice as part of an ongoing cycle of reflection.
Analyze feedback to set intentions and make changes.
Prioritize and enact changes to teaching practice.
Intentionally incorporate reflection (process and product) into your teaching practice.
Mentor competency
Innovative faculty are MENTORS. They recognize the value of relationships and spend energy building relationships. These faculty reach out and across and engage with others in meaningful ways. Being a mentor means, at times, being a coach, a leader, and a keeper of different types of knowledge.
Faculty who are excellent mentors do the following kinds of things:
Actively engage in partnerships for the betterment of teaching and learning experience.
Support mentees in goal setting and clarifying objectives.
Participate in leadership opportunities.
Incorporate various types of knowledge into their practices.
Eligibility and process
1. All college professors, librarians, technologists and counsellors are eligible for these awards. Consideration may be given to members of the College community who have demonstrated extraordinary levels of support to teaching and learning at Georgian. The nominator must be Georgian College faculty, administration, or support staff member.
2. Each award will have no monetary value.
3. Past recipients of a Teaching Excellence Award are not eligible for nomination for the next five (5) years.
4. Nomination submissions can be completed by using the online form and should include the following sections:
Nominee information
Description of the nominee’s teaching practices and impact on the larger teaching and learning community at Georgian College based on the criteria noted above – please directly align to the competencies, and
Supporting evidence, in the form of at least three testimonials from three different people (i.e., colleague, manager, community member, past student) describing and supporting the nominee’s exemplary demonstration of award criteria.
5. Select members of the CTL and the Teaching Excellence Committee (TEC) will independently review the submissions and rank the nominees. The recommended award winners will be determined from these rankings.
https://youtu.be/50ZI5rM9Wug
We’d love your help celebrating awesomeness!
Please consider nominating an inspiring colleague today. Winners of the TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARDS will be recognized at the annual Focus on Teaching and Learning Conference on May 2-3, 2024.
Since 2012, Sherry has been a vital member of the Veterinary Technician and Veterinary Assistant team. According to her nominators, she exemplifies inclusive teaching. Sherry consistently goes above and beyond to ensure every student feels seen, valued, and supported. Whether it’s offering extra study sessions or connecting students with necessary resources, Sherry cultivates a safe learning environment for students to thrive. It’s clear that her students’ overall well-being and academic success are her top priorities.
Through her creative teaching methods, students not only meet learning goals but also become active participants in their own education, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the subject matter. Her students have noted how she makes learning enjoyable. Her ability to foster a safe space encourages students to freely ask questions and learn without fear of judgement. Her words of encouragement and genuine care have made a world of difference in her students’ lives.
Read more
Sherry’s leadership style is collaborative and innovative. She has built bridges between the Veterinary Technician and Assistant students, fostering deeper connections and ensuring cross-disciplinary learning opportunities. She has also championed enhanced experiential learning opportunities for these groups, increasing shadowing opportunities for students to apply their learning to real-world experiences that build confidence in their abilities. It is evident that her valuable contributions to curriculum development of these programs have led to better-prepared graduates who are ready to excel in their field.
Sherry’s deep commitment to teaching and learning has profoundly enhanced the success of the Veterinary programs and the success of the student experience at Georgian College. As remarked by one student, “the energy and love she invests into teaching has a big impact on her students.” Another student highlights Sherry’s exceptional attitude in the classroom as being “the best”. Echoing the high praise from Sherry’s students, another emphasizes, “Sherry is a true definition of what a teacher is”.
Tracy Mitchell-Ashley
Through her dedication to changemaking and her innovative approaches to teaching, Tracy Mitchell-Ashley has become the epitome of Teaching Excellence. Her commitment to fostering student success, coupled with her unwavering passion for fostering social connection amongst colleagues, sets her apart as a beacon of inspiration within the college community. Tracy’s teaching exemplifies the transformative power of compassion and collaboration. Her facilitation gifts shine with students in the classroom and with faculty through her work in the Centre for Teaching and Learning.
In the classroom, Tracy seamlessly combines kindness and incredible insight, empowering students to achieve their fullest potential. Whether offering them support or words of affirmation, she instills in students the courage to embrace each moment. With her students, she inspires curiosity, strives for inclusion, and models true collaboration.
Read more
Tracy’s impact extends far beyond the classroom. In her role at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, she is a champion of innovative and inclusive teaching practices. She models teaching practices that are rooted in changemaking – encouraging faculty to embrace inclusion in their approaches, methods, and evaluations. In her collaborative endeavors to ensure students at Georgian College feel belonging, she, in turn, fosters a sense of community the faculty.
Tracy’s colleagues define her in words such as “leader”, “advocate” and “friend”. One of her colleagues states that “Tracy embodies a mentor that develops relationships by breaking down boundaries and providing spaces that embrace a sense of community, inclusion, and belonging.”
Tracy is a passionate and transformative leader that continues to inspire countless individuals, across all campuses, in diverse classrooms, and within numerous departments. Through her unwavering dedication, she continues to model collaborative leadership, leaving a mark on staff and students alike. As her nominator aptly states, “Tracy’s excellence is not brief, or fleeting – but longstanding, and ever-present.”
Stephen Waller
With an open heart and a generous spirit, Stephen embodies teaching excellence through his collaboration, mentorship, and friendship – all aimed at inspiring students and enriching their learning experiences in the Community Safety programs. Stephen is renowned for generously sharing his wisdom, resources, and time with everyone around him. His position as a Coordinator extends his impact both within and beyond the classroom.
In the classroom, Stephen relentlessly pursues innovative learning opportunities for students. As a professor, he is described as “high energy” and supportive, consistently striving to create an environment where students feel empowered to grow both academically and personally.
Read more
To provide students with engaging lessons that foster critical thinking and real-world application, he collaborates with external partners across a multitude of fields, including law enforcement, public safety management, mental health professionals, the Canadian Armed Forces, and more. He has also been a leader in the FlexCDP program where he has developed mindfully-designed, user-friendly, student-centered, accessible, and engaging courses for his students to enjoy.
As his colleagues state, “Stephen understands that collaboration among faculty members is rooted in the belief that collective expertise and diverse perspectives can lead to enhanced learning experiences for students”. In his role as a coordinator, he not only mentors and guides faculty, but also routinely goes above and beyond his coordination duties. He spearheads events, nurtures relationships with community partners, and coaches faculty in their course development.
Words that have been used to describe Stephen include “enthusiastic”, “intelligent”, and “industrious”. Stephen has also been described by his nominators as “not only a great colleague, but a wonderful friend”. He goes the extra mile for his colleagues, students, and the Georgian College community. He builds and sustains meaningful connections with those around him, consistently serving as a friendly face for both faculty and students to turn to in their times of need.
Criteria
The commitment to excellence can be in one or several of the following categories of teaching practice:
Innovative teaching strategies
Implements innovative practices that might involve interdepartmental, inter-program, or interdisciplinary collaborations
Facilitates student learning through collaborations with community partners, professional bodies or other organizations
Employs innovative strategies to engage learners in various learning modalities (e.g., face-to-face, hybrid or online learning)
Educational technology
Skillful and meaningful integration of technology that enhances student learning
Advances educational technology through practice and sharing of evidence-based best practices
Active learning
Implements experiential learning (i.e., project-based learning, case-based learning, simulations, field studies, etc.) in a way that enhances student engagement and retention
Uses ongoing active learning to facilitate development of higher levels of learning
Displays creativity in engaging learners in active learning across learning modalities
Equity, diversity and inclusion
Fosters an inclusive learning environment, in which learners feel a sense of belonging
Demonstrates a commitment to equity by supporting full participation of all learners and removing barriers where they exist
Use of decolonizing, anti-oppressive, culturally responsive, and/or universal design for learning (UDL) teaching practices to support achievement by all learners
Changemaking
Facilitates, leads or structures student opportunities to examine how they make a positive impact related to social or environmental change
Uses teaching strategies that empower students to develop changemaking skills and mindsets – empathy, collaboration, creativity, resilience, systems thinking, leadership
Humanizing/creating connections and community
Demonstrates commitment to connecting with learners, and building opportunities for connection between learners
Leads with empathy, compassion and heart to support students in meeting learning outcomes
Demonstrates commitment to connecting students with course content in meaningful ways, inspiring students to high levels of achievement and personal growth
Research
The research involves the collection and analysis of data or information as well as the synthesis of findings to advance understanding or practice
The research endeavour, in some way, enhances student learning or teaching practice
Eligibility and process
All college professors, librarians and counsellors are eligible for these awards. Consideration may be given to members of the college community who have demonstrated extraordinary levels of support to teaching and learning at Georgian. The nominator must be Georgian faculty, administration or support staff member.
Up to five awards will be given each year.
Each award will have no monetary value.
Nomination submissions can be completed by using the online form and should include the following sections:
Nominee information
Description of the nominees teaching practices and their impact on the larger teaching and learning community at Georgian
Supporting evidence, in the form of at least three quotes from three different people (i.e., colleague, manager, community member or past student) describing and supporting the award criteria
Past recipients of a Teaching Excellence Award are not eligible for nomination for the next three years
Please consider nominating a deserving colleague today. TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARDS will recognize the award winners at the annual Focus on Teaching and Learning Conference.
Mirko Chardin is Novak Education‘s Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer. Before joining Novak, he was the Founding Head of School of the Putnam Avenue Upper School in Cambridge, MA. Mirko’s work has involved all areas of school management and student support. His greatest experience and passion revolves around culturally connected teaching and learning, recruiting and retaining educators of color, restorative practice, and school culture.
He is also a race, diversity and cultural proficiency facilitator & leadership coach for the Aspire Institute at Boston University’s New Wheelock College of Human Development and Education and is a Virtual Module Content Provider and In-Person Technical Assistance Provider for the Dept. of Ed.’s Inclusive Practice Academy.
He is a principal mentor for the Perone-Sizer Creative Leadership Institute, a former Trustee at Wheaton College and is an active hip-hop artist. Mirko presents both locally and nationally on issues of cultural proficiency, equity, Universal Design for Learning and the use of personal narratives. He is also the co-author with Dr. Katie Novak of the bestselling “Equity by Design: The Power and Promise of UDL“.
Watch the highlights of “Inspiring Growth” at our 2024 Focus on Teaching Conference!
FOTC 2023
Keynote Speaker
Michelle Hillier
When was the last time you really felt like your authentic self? This question trips so many people up. But remembering when you last felt truly at “home” with yourself can have a remarkable impact in your work and life. During Michelle’s interactive virtual keynote, she’ll share her personal journey of recovery and provide actionable takeaways to inspire the audience to find happiness within themselves. Using personal reflection, mindfulness and intentional movement, she’ll have us zooming into our authentic self – the self you may have lost along the way. Get curious and come home. Your inner flame hasn’t gone out.
Biography
Finding her own personal Breath & Fire has transformed Michelle’s life. Her inner flame, which was either a pilot light or a blazing inferno, is now a controlled blaze. She’s been on her own intimate healing path of recovery since 2017 from double hip replacement surgery, alcohol use disorder, grief, and a marital separation which has created a deeper sense of compassion and understanding for herself. Essentially, a road to self-love. It’s Michelle’s desire to create experiences for others that hold space for them to find their own Breath & Fire within life’s journey. Over the last two decades, Michelle has been a sought after educator, speaker (TEDx) and published author/content creator. She has transformed millions of lives with her message through large crowd presentations, workshops, trainings, content creation and one-on-one coaching and experiences. Her work has spanned a broad range of industries taking her internationally with her message.
Michelle is a dance and movement specialist, wellness and recovery coach, certified yoga and fitness teacher, mindfulness/meditation teacher, and former professional dancer. She has seamlessly merged all her passions, skills, qualifications and personal experiences to create Breath & Fire to share with individuals, groups and organizations.
Watch the highlights of everyone being “Better Together” at our 2023 Focus on Teaching Conference!
SLT Fieldside Chat – FOTC 2023
In this playful and informative video, our senior leaders discuss the present and future of the educational experience at Georgian College.
FOTC 2022
Keynote Speaker
Sarah Rose Cavanagh
Sarah Rose Cavanagh is the Senior Associate Director for Teaching and Learning in the Center for Faculty Excellence at Simmons University, where she also teaches in the Psychology department as an Associate Professor of Practice. Before joining Simmons, she was an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience (tenured) at Assumption University, where she also served in the D’Amour Center for Teaching Excellence as Associate Director for Grants and Research.
Sarah’s research considers the interplay of emotions, motivation, learning, and quality of life. She is author of The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College Classroom with the Science of Emotion (2016) and upcoming Our Monsters, Our Selves: Encouraging Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge (2022). She gives keynote addresses and workshops at a variety of colleges and regional conferences, blogs for Psychology Today, and writes essays for venues like Literary Hub and The Chronicle of Higher Education. She’s also on Twitter too much, at @SaRoseCav.
Fireside Chat with Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes and Kevin Weaver
We sat down with our past president Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes and incoming president Kevin Weaver to ask them some hot questions while eating even hotter wings!
What do you love about FOTC?
Call for proposals *HIDDEN SECTION*
Call for proposals now open!
The deadline for submissions has been extended until April 10 at noon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6xObhpXzxI
The conference will open with our keynote speaker – Michelle Hillier, of Breath & Fire. Her talk will focus on “Find your Breath. Ignite your Fire.”
In this call for proposals, we encourage all interested presenters to consider sharing their ideas and passions. All types of sessions are welcome. As educators, we are BETTER TOGETHER. Sharing and learning from each other makes everyone better!
We’re offering two session lengths:
Lightning Learning sessions will be 25 minutes in length and will consist of a short, focused presentation (up to 20 minutes) with the remainder of the time allotted to answer questions from the group.
Interactive Workshops will be 50 minutes in length and will consist of a structured session that includes interaction and exchange of information between and among participants.
The majority of sessions will be offered the afternoon of Wednesday, May 3 afternoon. Select sessions will run the morning of Thursday, May 4.
Sessions can be simple and easy. Perhaps you have an assignment or teaching technique that has worked well for you. Maybe your students developed an amazing project, or there’s a tech tool that you think others would benefit from using. Any topics that support faculty growth and development are welcome. Our hope is that educators at Georgian and beyond will find value to sharing and learning from each other.
We’re inspired by the generosity of past presenters, and we look forward to your submissions for this year’s conference. Our teaching and learning community is enriched by your willingness to share your expertise and experiences!
This year, the theme of the conference is Inspiring Growth. Inspiring Growth captures how teachers play a vital role in inspiring students to grow. We encourage all interested presenters to consider sharing their ideas, innovations, and passions. Our teaching and learning community will be further enriched by your willingness to share your expertise and experiences.
We are offering two lengths of sessions:
Inspiring Workshops will be 50 minutes in length and will consist of a structured session that includes interaction and exchange of information between and among participants.
Small Group Inspirations will be 15 minutes in length and offered in a world café format. These could include poster sharing, demos, informational conversations, or anything that can be showcased to faculty during a walk through.
The sessions will be offered on Thursday May 2nd afternoon. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 10 April 2024 at 4pm.
