Camosun College is committed to teaching excellence. Through The Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) a range of teaching resources and learning opportunities are available to instructors to support their pursuit of excellence in teaching practice. This site includes some of the resources available to you. Check out our CETL website for information about other learning opportunities. If there's a resource you'd like to see, please contact CETL with your suggestion. We want to hear from you! CETL depends on the strength of our relationships across the college as we work together to support and enhance teaching and learning at Camosun. We welcome your feedback.
A phenomenal time was had by all in June at the 2024 Great Teachers Seminar, held at the Honeymoon Bay Retreat Centre. This dedicated group of instructors was hard at work learning, playing, connecting, and reflecting. Here are just a few comments that we heard:
“The best thing about the retreat was: Meeting and working with, receiving validation from, and being inspired by colleagues… Seeing others discussing their passion for teaching builds confidence and resilience… Hearing from colleagues from outside my department on their expertise and solutions to common challenges... The co-created curriculum process ensured that we were discussing issues that we all found pertinent… I learned and grew as a teacher and person… Just the right amount of structure, humour, and knowledge to let the magic happen… The facilities exceeded expectations… The facilitators were intentional, thoughtful, well-organized, adaptable, creative and collaborative… It was a transformational seminar for me… Thank you to CCFA for funding this incredible opportunity. It’s such a privilege.”
Read more about the biennial Great Teachers Seminar
Standing from left to right: Martha McAlister*, Stephanie Kirkland-Kuisma, Susie Wieler, Dave Pritchard, Charlotte Sheldrake*, Blair Fisher, Melissa McLean, Sarah-Joy Kallos, Micaela Maftei*, Kristin Ross, Lynnea Jackson, Jennifer Phillips. Seated from left to right: Rhonda Hemstreet, Shea Page, Sian Prytherch, Dulcie Thomson *facilitators
These Camosun employees worked hard and had fun too, as they stretched their teaching and facilitation skills. The ISW focuses on building a strong teaching foundation through creating a supportive, engaged, peer-based community. They won’t soon be forgetting the BOPPPS lesson planning model, or the importance of formative feedback!
April 2024 ISW (top photo - L-R): back row Justin Smith, Martha Thomas, Karen Hutchinson, Jeffrey Denissen, Richard Zajchowski; front row Michael McPartlin, Lauren Nagy, Shea Page, Martha McAlister*, Dustin Pendergast*, Ashleigh Slobodan, Stephan Tuomi
May 2024 ISW (bottom photo - L-R): back row Stephanie Kirkland-Kuisma, Kerry-Ann Dompierre, Joseph Nelson, Lauren Hogarth, Sean Bellerby, Lisa Mann; front row Mavis Smith*, Tarah Craig, Jess Paffard, Shay Forbes, Thuy Nevado*, Kristina Andrew* (*Facilitators)
The following instructors were honoured at the 2024 Teacher Recognition Celebration for Innovation in Student Success: “Recognizing faculty who have gone above and beyond what was expected of them in promoting student success, by using engaging and flexible approaches to better meet the needs of all learners.”
Teacher Recognition started as an initiative of Camosun’s Teaching and Learning Council - a collaborative, peer-based, interdisciplinary group of faculty from across the college with a passion for advancing quality teaching and learning at Camosun, including advocacy, supports and strategies.
A “sparkshop” is a short, active-learning workshop facilitated in a department meeting on a topic targeted to the needs and interests of the group, such as:
Contact cetl@camosun.ca to book your department sparkshop today!
Credit to Boise State University for the “sparkshop” name.