Past Teaching Retreats

Winter 2023 In-Person Teaching Life Retreat: Take a Step Back and Consider

Friday, January 6, 2023

This one-day retreat will be held in person at the Calvin University Prince Conference Center from 9am-4pm.  Lunch will be included. 

Do you ever wish for a respite from your busy schedule long enough to consider the “big picture”?  To quietly reflect on where you’ve been and where you’d like to go?  To have a warm and supportive environment in which to commune with your colleagues?  Join us for a day-long local retreat where you will have time to think, journal, converse, walk, eat, and restore.  Calvin University Prince Conference Center has a beautiful stone fireplace for warmth and relaxation and a gorgeous arboretum (adjacent to the conference center) for a refreshing and peaceful walk.  We will provide brief readings ahead of the retreat that are intended to inspire reflection.  Give yourself the gift of this time before you embark on yet another semester of activity.

Registration is limited to 16 participants and is open to all Faculty.

Registration is now closed.

For questions contact [email protected] or Kathryn Stieler [email protected]. 

 

Thursday, May 19th and Friday, May 20th, 2022

This is a two-day event that requires participants to stay overnight.  Each participant will have their own room for the overnight stay. This retreat is for tenure-track faculty who identify as female.

This overnight retreat is held off-site at the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Hastings, MI. It begins at 1 p.m. on May 19th and closes at 2 p.m. on May 20^th, 2022.

Inspired by the book, Charting Your Path to Full by Vicki L. Baker, this retreat is designed for GVSU mid-career female faculty who are looking to reflect on their professional path in the company of colleagues.  Retreat participants will have time to consider how they can use joy to inform the decisions they make and the paths they pursue. Participants will have opportunities to engage in multiple exercises, including: identifying and addressing conditions, policies and practices that may be getting in the way of their advancement; conducting a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats); assessing mentoring networks and scholarship goals; and, identifying and crafting persuasive narratives. A final session will be devoted to clarifying goals, building networks of support, and devising action steps to move forward. 

Registration is limited to 15 participants and includes three meals, a single room lodging, and a copy of Vicki Baker’s book, Charting Your Path to Full, if you do not already own it.  

Registration is now closed.

For questions contact [email protected] or Kathryn Stieler [email protected]

 

Winter 2022 In-Person Teaching Life Retreat: Are We Spending Time on the Things We Value?

Thursday, January 6, 2022

This one-day retreat will be held in person at the Calvin University Prince Conference Center from 9am-4pm.  Lunch will be included. 

As we prepare to begin yet another semester of teaching in the midst of a pandemic, I would like to invite you to reflect on how you might best use one of your most precious resources – your time.  With so many things vying for our attention and energy, including those things that are beyond our control, how might we thoughtfully prioritize those things we value most?  At this day-long retreat, we will spend time considering what it is we value, why we value it, and how we might better prioritize it in our teaching lives. We will also consider those things that can distract or derail us from living out our values – others’ expectations, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome, among others.  The retreat is designed to provide space for quiet reflection, either while warming next to a beautiful stone fireplace or while walking in the peaceful Calvin University Arboretum (adjacent to the conference center), and for robust conversation with your colleagues.

Registration is limited to 16 participants and is open to all Faculty.

Registration is now closed.

For questions contact [email protected] or Kathryn Stieler [email protected]. 

 

2021 Virtual Teaching Life Retreat: Decompress!

This retreat is held online via Zoom. Large group meetings will be held from 1—3pm on both days.

As we wrap up yet another semester of teaching in a pandemic, I'd like to invite you to take some time to focus on YOU! This retreat is designed to provide a space for you to decompress - to get quiet, reflect on the teaching challenges and victories of the past year, and identify what you need to restore – in the good company of teaching colleagues from across the university.  We will provide brief readings prior to the retreat and will build reflective exercises into the retreat that aim to enhance and deepen your experience of the readings.

Registration is limited to 16 participants and is open to all Faculty.

Registration is now closed.

For questions contact [email protected] or Kathryn Stieler [email protected]. 

 

The 21st Annual Teaching Life Retreat:  How Women Make Decisions: Science that can Shape Our Habits

This retreat is held off-site at the Kettunen Center in Tustin, MI.  It begins at noon on May 15th and closes at 3 p.m. on May 16th.

Have you ever wondered if you make good decisions regarding your students or colleagues?  Have you witnessed a difference in how women and men in your department approach decision-making?  Do you feel as a woman in the academy that you face greater scrutiny for the high impact decisions you make?  Guided by the cognitive psychologist Therese Huston's book, How Women Decide, retreat participants will engage in personal reflection about their decision-making skills and explore strategies that result in making the best choices in the classroom and beyond.

The retreat begins at noon on the 15th and closes at 3 p.m. on the 16th.  Women faculty who are Tenure-track, Affiliate, Visiting, and Part-time faculty are welcome to attend.  

Registration is limited to 14 participants and includes four meals, single room lodging, and a copy of the book.  Priority will be given to first-time attendees.

Registration is now closed.

Visit the Kettunen Center website for more information about the retreat location.

For questions contact [email protected] or Dana Munk [email protected]

 

The 20th Annual Teaching Life Retreat:  Restoring and Replenishing our Authentic Selves in the Classroom

Please join Pew FTLC for this unique retreat that will focus on nourishing and re-energizing our authentic selves—our selves that fill the various roles we take on in our life in academia.   As we enter the classroom and begin to teach, how do we integrate our true selves with our pedagogical practices?  How do we remain true to our authentic selves within our professional identities?  Spending time away from campus in the beautiful nature retreat setting of the Kettunen Center in Tustin, MI, will offer an opportunity to take off the “expert hat” and rejuvenate passions, restore energy and replenish personhood via small group activities, large group dialogue and individual reflection.   This retreat is grounded in the idea that in order to be our best at work, we need to navigate the tension between authentic self and professional self in meaningful ways.

The 2018 retreat will begin with lunch at noon on Wednesday, May 23 and conclude at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 24.  Lodging in single rooms and four shared meals are provided. The retreat is limited to 15 faculty participants with preference given to first-time attenders. We ask that those who register stay for the entire retreat.

Registration is now closed.

For questions contact [email protected] or Dana Munk [email protected]du.

 

Teaching Life Retreat for Full Professors: Connection, Reflection, and Integration

Thursday, June 22 - Friday, June 23, 2017
Kettunen Center, Tustin, MI

Please join us for an opportunity to explore teaching in a special retreat. By choosing to attend this time away from your office and the classroom with other full professors, sharing this stage in your career, you commit your time and energy to the challenge of refreshing your work. Both individually and together, we will explore the following topics: (a) the role of full professor at GVSU and the role of a public institution in a democracy, (b) teaching issues: in-class methods, motivating students, cognitive development and how people learn, and (c) community: discussions with other full professors, creating a thriving culture for all members of our community. We are planning a participant-driven agenda and offer these topics as the most popular responses from a recent interest survey. Possible outcomes of our time together may include shifts in teaching approaches, professional focus, or creation of continuing faculty learning communities. lodging in single rooms and four shared meals at a lovely retreat and nature center. The retreat is limited to 18 participants. We will gather at noon on Thursday, June 22 and conclude by 3 p.m. on Friday, June 23. We ask that those who register stay for the entire retreat. To apply, please send an email to Christine Rener briefly describing your interest in the retreat. If you have any questions about this retreat, please contact Christine Rener. 

 

19th Annual Teaching Life Retreat: Designing for Transformational Learning

Thursday, May 11 - Friday, May 12, 2017
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, Hastings, MI 

Do you plan to design or revise a course or assignment this summer? Are you interested in learning to better apply research-based teaching and learning principles? Do you have a few ideas - large or small - that would benefit from sustained focus and peer feedback? In this Teaching Life Retreat, you will focus on a course design, redesign or refresh project of your choosing. You will have the opportunity to interact informally with a group of colleagues, participate in small group discussions facilitated by the Pew FTLC staff, and also engage in solitary work. Participants will be provided with the text, Building a Pathway for Student Learning: A How-to Guide to Course Design, lodging in single rooms and four shared meals at a lovely retreat and nature center. The retreat is limited to 18 participants, with preference given to first-time attenders. We will gather at noon on Thursday, May 11 and conclude by 3 p.m. on Friday, May 12.

 

18th Annual Teaching Life Retreat: Course (Re)Design and Refresh

Thursday, May 19 - Friday, May 20, 2016
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, Hastings, MI 

Do you plan to work on a course or assignment this summer? Do you have a few ideas - large or small - that would benefit from sustained focus and feedback? In this iteration of the Teaching Life Retreat, we will focus on a course design, redesign or refresh project of your choosing. You will have the opportunity to interact informally with a small group of colleagues from a range of disciplines. Peer feedback and individual consultations with Pew FTLC staff included. Ample time for solitary work is built into the schedule, as well. Participants will be provided with the text, Building a Pathway for Student Learning: A How-to Guide to Course Design, lodging in single rooms and four shared meals at a lovely retreat and nature center. The retreat is limited to 15 participants, with preference given to first-time attenders. We will gather at noon on Thursday, May 19 and conclude by 3 p.m. on Friday, May 20. We ask that those who register stay for the entire retreat. To apply, please send an email to Christine Rener briefly describing the course project you have in mind. 
 

The 17th Annual Teaching Life Retreat

Thursday, May 7 - Friday, May 8, 2015
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute
Hastings, MI

Come to the retreat for reflection and dialogue around teaching. You will have the opportunity to interact informally with a small group of colleagues from a range of disciplines. Participants will chose their own retreat focus and be provided with one of the following three texts: 

1. Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice, 2nd Edition, Maryellen Weimer, 2013
2. Facilitating Seven Ways of Learning: A resource for More Purposeful, Effective, and Enjoyable College Teaching, James Davis & Bridget Arend, 2013
3. The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and responsiveness in the classroom, 3rd Ed, Stephen Brookfield, 2015

These books effectively bridge learning theory and teaching practice, providing a wealth of ideas for discussion. each Participant will be sent a copy of their chosen text in advance of the retreat.

Lodging in single rooms and four shared meals are provided. The retreat is limited to 16 participants with preference given to first-time attenders. We also ask that those who register stay for the entire retreat. For a more detailed retreat schedule, please see below. To register, find the event under the "Teaching and Learning" Category on Sprout.
 

Winter Teaching Life Retreat on Applying the Wisdom of Remarkable Women

December 17th, 10 a.m. - 18th, 2 p.m., 2014
Dominican Center at Marywood, Grand Rapids

The Pew FTLC and the GVSU Women’s Center are pleased to invite you to attend a collaborative retreat designed just for women faculty. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the May Teaching Life Retreat on Applying the Wisdom of Remarkable Women Leaders, we will offer this topic again as a 2 day nonresidential retreat. Guided by the book, How Remarkable Women Lead, participants will actively engage in discussion and activities which encourage personal reflection about their leadership skills in the context of their professional and teaching goals.

Tenure-track, affiliate, visiting, and part-time faculty are welcome to attend. Registration is limited to 12 participants and will include meals and a copy of the book. To register, please go to https://www.gvsu.edu/seminar/ or call (616) 331-3498 no later than Monday, December 1. Preference will be given to faculty who are new to attending a Pew FTLC retreat.
 

The Contemplative Teaching Retreat
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Hastings, Michigan
Wednesday, June 4th - Friday, June 6th, 2014

The Institute offers a “breath of fresh air from the standard meeting place” and is situated on over 600 acres of forests, streams, lakes, and more in southwest Michigan.

This retreat affords us a spacious opportunity to further develop our contemplative practices and identify ways to integrate them into our teaching and learning. We will use the book “Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: Powerful Methods to Transform Teaching and Learning” as the basis of much of our discussions. This volume by Daniel Barbezat and Mirabai Bush has just been published and presents both foundational information as well as practical contemplative pedagogy strategies. Retreat participants will receive a copy of the book in advance of the retreat. Transportation costs, lodging in single rooms, and six shared meals are provided by GVSU’s Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center and FSU’s Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning. The retreat begins at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4th and concludes after lunch (approx.1 p.m.) on Friday, June 6th. 

 

The 16th Annual Teaching Life Retreat 
Applying the Wisdom of Remarkable Women Leaders
Khardomah Lodge, Grand Haven, MI
Wednesday, April 30, 1 p.m. - Thursday, May 1, 2014, 3 p.m. 

The Pew FTLC and Women's Center are pleased to invite you to attend a collaborative retreat designed just for women faculty. Guided by the book, How Remarkable Women Lead, participants will actively engage in discussion and activities which encourage personal reflection about their leadership skills in the context of their professional and teaching goals. Tenure track, tenured/promoted, affiliate, visiting, and part-time faculty are welcome to attend. Registration is limited to 12 participants and will include meals, lodging, and a copy of the book. To register, please go to [https://www.gvsu.edu/seminar/]or call (616) 331-3498 no later than Monday, April 21. Preference will be given to faculty who are new to attending a Pew FTLC retreat.

 

15th Annual Retreat on the Teaching Life
Exploring the Impact of Contemplative Practices on Self and Students
A Retreat for Grand Valley State University and Ferris State University Faculty
June 5-7, 2013

This retreat was a culminating experience for a group of faculty involved in a semester-long Faculty Learning Community around contemplative pedagogy. Held at Pierce Cedar Creek in Hastings, MI, the retreat afforded a group of thirteen faculty a spacious opportunity to further develop contemplative practices and to consider their impact on ourselves and the students we teach. We had opportunities to learn with and from a small group of colleagues from a range of disciplines at Grand Valley State and Ferris State universities. We were fortunate to be joined by a guest facilitator, Dr. Suzanne Klatt from Miami University, Ohio.

 

14th Annual Retreat on the Teaching Life
Faculty at Mid-Career: Reflection, Celebration, Inspiration
May 2-3, 2012

The 14th Annual Retreat on the Teaching Life was held May 2-3, 2012 at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Hastings, MI. This retreat focused on reflection and dialogue around teaching. Each participant received a book "Inspired College Teaching: A Career-Long Resource for Professional Growth" by Maryellen Weimer. Lodging in single rooms and four shared meals were provided.