Love of Teaching Conference
Love of Teaching Conference
The Love of Teaching Half-Day Conference is an annual professional development event hosted each spring by Montgomery College exclusively for its faculty. Designed to celebrate and reignite faculty members’ passion for teaching. It offers a dynamic space for educators to reflect on their practice, connect with colleagues, and explore innovative instructional strategies.
Organized by the Center for Teaching and Learning in collaboration with the Institute for Part-Time Faculty Engagement and Support (IPTFES), the conference welcomes all full- and part-time faculty across disciplines. Through a keynote presentation or panel discussion, breakout sessions, and collaborative discussions, participants gain practical tools and fresh insights to enhance their teaching.
More than a professional development event, the conference is a celebration of the transformative power of education. It reaffirms teaching as a calling rooted in creativity, connection, and care. The conference is held annually on the last Saturday in April from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For Montgomery College faculty, it’s a cherished tradition, an opportunity to step back, reflect, and renew their commitment to student success and academic excellence.
Saturday, April 25, 2026, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
To love teaching is to create learning spaces where students feel welcomed before they ever ask for support.
This year’s Love of Teaching Conference invites you to explore how small, intentional teaching choices can open learning to everyone from the start.
Learn how removing unnecessary or invisible barriers can improve the quality of a course, create clearer pathways for students, and ensure that every learner has an equitable opportunity to succeed.
Join us to discover how being proactive, rather than waiting until a student request an accommodation or struggles with unclear materials, can help you reach more students, strengthen engagement, and reduce the time you spend remediating resources later. You will leave with fresh ideas, practical inspiration, and renewed confidence.
Register for the Conference new window!
To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Gloria Barron. Requests should be made by at least two weeks in advance of the event.
Erik Swanson, Director of the Institute for Part-Time Faculty Engagement & Support
Professor Erik Swanson began his career at Montgomery College in 2008 when he joined the Media Arts and Technologies department at the Rockville Campus as a part-time faculty member, becoming a full-time faculty member in 2015. He has also taught part-time at the Corcoran College of Art and Design at George Washington University, at the Freer and Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, and for the McLean Project for the Arts in McLean, Virginia.
He served as the coordinator of the digital animation program at Montgomery College, and in 2018 assumed the role of department chair. As chair, he co-convened the Montgomery County Collaboration Board’s committee on arts, media, and communications programs, and he has been a member of the Montgomery College Academic Services Council.
He has served as chair of the Rockville Chairs’ group since 2020. He received a Part-Time Faculty Exceptional Achievement and Service Award in 2012, as well as a 2021 Outstanding Faculty Award for Excellence in Service. Professor Swanson holds a bachelor of fine arts in painting from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University and a master of fine arts and a master of arts in 3D modeling and animation from The Art Academy University in San Francisco.
How to Register for Conference
- To receive Professional Development credit, you must use Workday to register for the Love of Teaching Conference new window.
Zoom
If you have questions or comments, or want additional information about this event, please contact Gloria Barron.
If you need an accommodation based on a disability, please contact Phil Bonner and/or Gloria Barron by email or by phone at 240-483-2634 at least two weeks prior to the event.