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What is
Teaching for a Change (TFC)?
TFC is a non-profit
(501(c)3) organization dedicated to faculty and staff development. For over 15 years
we have sponsored an annual conference attracting educators and
administrators who share a common commitment to using a variety of
interactive approaches to support student learning.
TFC relies on sponsorship and
registration fees to fund its operation.
Who Attends the TFC
annual conference?
TFC Participants are
faculty, faculty developers, and administrators, who are passionate
educators and lifelong learners. Most come from community
colleges, technical schools and universities. Participants come
from throughout the United States and Canada with a few other
countries represented each year.
How do TFC conference
participants benefit?
This small, friendly
conference is focused on learner-centered teaching that crosses
disciplines, honors learning styles, and leads from the heart.
Participants benefit in many ways:
- valuable tools and
ideas (exercises, activities, written materials, visuals,
reference sources, models, etc.) to share with colleagues and
implement at their schools
- a resource network
of master teachers and mentors
- a
professional network of high-integrity teachers within similar
disciplines
- access to research
and knowledge from renowned authors, and forward-thinking
educators (featured presenters have included Margaret Wheatley, Parker Palmer,
Stephen Brookfield, Howard Gardner, Sharon Bowman and Chet Meyers)
- a variety of
workshops that include faculty and professional development
topics, as well as reflective experiences for personal growth
- an opportunity for
teachers to develop and present new programs in a nurturing
environment
- 90-minute sessions that are
longer than many conferences and
focused on interactive applications (no panels or people reading
papers)
Every year, our presenters bring
innovative and engaging topics that we can take back to enrich our
college classrooms and campuses. Because of this variety, TFC
appeals to both new and experienced faculty, faculty developers, and
administrators. Topics that have made past conferences such a
success include:
- Active and Cooperative Learning
- Model Faculty Development Ideas
and Programs
- Appreciative Inquiry
- Learning Styles
- Multiple Intelligences
- Teacher Formation/The Courage to
Teach
- Teaching Circles
- Learning Games
- Leadership and Organizational
Development
- Music, Drama, and Poetry in
Learning
- Brain GymŪ and Movement
- Transfer of Learning
- Deep Learning
- Learning Communities
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"This is the
conference that has it all - exciting ideas to use in the
classroom and leading edge ideas for the faculty development
professional."
--- Pam Clarke, Professor, Red Deer
College
"Teaching for
a Change gives me the most bang for my buck of any conference I
have attended. The atmosphere is totally refreshing and
renewing. After being an attendee for three years I wondered if
I would take home as many ideas this year, and the answer is a
resounding YES!"
--- Carmen Ladd, Teacher, Pine Bluffs
High School
"Teaching
for a Change amazed me. How do you entice a bunch of teachers,
worn out from a long academic year, to a June conference, keep them
fully engaged for 4 days, and send them home rejuvenated and ready to
try out new ideas? The people who run this conference know how to
do it! I learned some valuable things, met great people, had fun,
and felt cared about. What more could you ask?" - Miriam
Meyers, Professor, Metropolitan State University
"My first Teaching
for a Change conference came during a low point in my teaching career.
I felt that I had done everything possible for my students and they were
still not understanding my material (chemistry) well. That
conference highlighted the Multiple Intelligences concepts. I came
home overflowing with ideas that worked. They worked so well that
2 years later, I came back to Teaching for a Change as a presenter.
I hope that one of my peers gained just a small bit of inspiration from
my presentation. I credit the Teaching for a Change conference
with giving me a new enthusiasm for teaching and the means to improve
student learning. I truly find Teaching for a Change much more
helpful, invigorating and just plain more fun than (other national
conferences)." - Midge Hall, Assistant Professor, Clark
State Community College
"I met many
wonderful people there, and I learned a lot in just a few days. In
my academic career of over 15 years, this is the best teaching
conference that I attended. I feel that I got my money worth for
just the first day of the conference. I highly recommend this
conference to all the teachers, and staff, especially assistant
professors." - Joseph Vu, Professor, DePaul University
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"This is a 'must attend' conference if you appreciate
conversation with engaged and experienced colleagues who will
help you negotiate the contradictions and challenges of
participatory learning and active teaching."
--- Stephen Brookfield
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