Housed in Belmont University's Janet Ayers Academic Center, the Teaching Center was established in 1994 from the growing belief that teaching requires both substantial effort and reflection for mastery. The center's goal is to provide the resources, support, and environment necessary to encourage good teachers to become great teachers.
To work toward the goals listed above, the center sponsors a variety of activities and programs throughout the academic year and during the summer. Some of them are:
- Luncheon discussion groups
- Travel grants to attend conferences relevant to teaching
- Midcourse formative feedback from students
- Individual teaching consultations
History of the Teaching Center
Current Director
2012 to present - Mike Pinter (Mathematics) Past Directors of the Teaching Center and their initiatives:
2009 to 2012 - Merrie King (Education)Courage to Teach and Sloan-C Fellows
2006 to 2009 - Kim Daus (Chemistry)
Community Garden and problem-based learning
2003 to 2006 - Mike Pinter (Mathematics)
Collaboration with General Education to implement BELL Core and Faculty Cohort Groups
2000 to 2003 - Pete Giordano (Psychology)
Work with faculty stages of career development and scholarship of teaching
1997 to 2000 - Marcia McDonald (English)
Introduced Belmont to the work and ideas of Parker Palmer and service learning
1994 to 1997 - Mike Awalt (Philosophy), Founding Director
Collaborative learning and peer tutoring, and technology and teaching