VALDOSTA, GA – Criminal Justice Program Coordinator Dr. Lisa Williams represented Wiregrass Georgia Technical College as 40 Technical College instructors from throughout Georgia gathered for the first Georgia Master Teacher Experience. The event, held in Thomasville at Southwest Georgia Technical College the week of June 8-12, is designed to bring together teachers from the Technical College System of Georgia for an intensive week of focus on instructional innovations, motivational techniques, situational problem-solving, contextual learning, and information exchange. Kristy White and George Scott, from the Alabama Community College System, assisted in the facilitation as Alabama is in the 14th year of the Alabama Master Teacher Experience (AMTE).

Born as a byproduct of Southwest Georgia Technical College’s Quality Enhancement Plan, the Master Teacher event is designed as an experiential learning event developed by teachers for teachers. Claudia Grooms, Matthew Nolan and Summer Washington of Southwest Georgia Technical College attended the Alabama Master Teacher Experience in 2012 and have returned each year to assist in its’ facilitation. Following direct training and support from Kristy White, AMTE Director, they worked with state leaders to bring the event to Georgia. Participants gain cross-disciplinary experiences and have the opportunity to teach and learn from academic, healthcare, business, professional and industry instructors. This type of experience exposes instructors to best practices in a multitude of disciplines, bringing fresh solutions to age-old problems faced in unique fields. “The experience was restorative, innovative, and met its purpose of creating an environment where instructors learn from one another,” shared Dr. Lisa Williams.

The Director of the Georgia Master Teacher Experience, Summer Washington, explains “The strength of this experience is in the support that each teacher receives from the other teachers that have gathered from throughout the state. The week-long exchange of ideas and collaboration develops a network that can be taken back to individual colleges to improve teaching and learning. Seeing the fire return in an instructor who has become weary, or watching an instructor as they realize their worth is an experience that cannot be matched. Georgia was long overdue in joining the many states that offer a Master Teacher Experience and we are proud to have developed the first.”

Source: Wiregrass Georgia Technical College