History
Gentle Teaching incorporates compassion as an alternative to the reactive and restrictive practices that are commonplace in working with those who present with complex needs. Our central purpose in the lives of others is to nurture, teach and sustain the experience of connectedness, companionship and community.
Gentle Teaching was defined by Dr. John McGee and Dan Hobbs in the 1980s after witnessing the treatment of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the globe. It is a philosophy of building safe, respectful and collaborative relationships with individuals displaying negative or dangerous behaviors. Dr. McGee is often considered the grandfather of Gentle Teaching due to his constant travel, mentorship, and lectures. John built a deep connection with MORC, as it was known at the time, and found likeminded leaders, innovators and advocates who began planning on ways to use Gentle Teaching to support the most vulnerable people in our communities throughout Michigan.
Dr. McGee continued his close bond and relationships with Michigan providers all the way until his passing in 2012, inspiring the next generation of mentors who continue his messages of 'safe, loved, loving and engaged.'
Dr. McGee’s influence provided the tools necessary for MORC staff to devise a plan to tackle Michigan’s 150 year institution problem.
MORC helped form The Center for Positive Living Supports through a grant opportunity at the state level. The plan was to safely and effectively place the most challenging individuals during a period of de-institutionalization. The Center provided a strategic plan to the State of Michigan that would educate community partners on Gentle Teaching, provide a mobile crisis team to help support community transitions, and a transition home to support the person-specific needs in that time of change to build the connections necessary to feel safe, loved, loving and engaged in a world full of choice and control.
A large component to deinstitutionalization in Michigan was The Center’s focus on education and training. The Center traveled the State providing 3-day Gentle Teaching Practicums that would teach direct care workers, providers and advocates the tenants of Gentle Teaching and apply the philosophy on-site with people being supported. Through this work, The Center expanded on Dr. McGee’s 4 pillars (Safe, Loved, Loving, Engaged) to form The Central Purpose and Six Elements(Safe, Valued, Positive Interactions, Demands, Structure and Transitions). All of these efforts culminated into what we refer to today as A Culture of Gentleness.
Dr. McGee’s messages of hope, community, compassion and love reached every corner of the globe and sparked the natural instinct to connect, which grew into an international community of Gentle Teaching advocates - Gentle Teaching International. This group meets monthly to discuss the ways we are all using the philosophy of Gentle Teaching to support all people in our communities around the world.
Gentle Teaching International also holds an annual conference, alternating different locations around the world from which members are building stronger communities. The Gentle Teaching International Conference is being held virtually this year on November 16th and 17th. You can find more information here.
Dr. McGee’s legacy lives on in the United States through Gentle Teaching United. This group provides Americans interested in Gentle Teaching and connecting with others around the country the opportunity to hear from others who are engaged in this culture what’s working, discuss current challenges, and learn how we can better support each other. Gentle Teaching United also meets monthly with quarterly presentations.
Today, at Easterseals MORC, we continue to live the philosophy of a Culture of Gentleness through our training initiatives, presentations and mentorship both internally and externally. In the summer of 2025, Easterseals MORC, in partnership with IMPART Alliance and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, traveled around Michigan providing our 2-day, 10-hour, Culture of Gentleness training called Working with People. Thanks to grant funding, we were able to offer this in-depth training free of cost to the community.
Sustainability is key with a Culture of Gentleness, so Easterseals MORC not only provided the Working with People training free of cost to the community, but also offered a Train-the-Trainer pathway so that the Culture can live on at agencies across the State.
Easterseals MORC and our partners take an immense sense of pride in continuing Dr. McGee’s legacy of connection across Michigan and beyond. We would love for you to come along and be a part of this mission with us.
Gentle Teaching was defined by Dr. John McGee and Dan Hobbs in the 1980s after witnessing the treatment of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the globe. It is a philosophy of building safe, respectful and collaborative relationships with individuals displaying negative or dangerous behaviors. Dr. McGee is often considered the grandfather of Gentle Teaching due to his constant travel, mentorship, and lectures. John built a deep connection with MORC, as it was known at the time, and found likeminded leaders, innovators and advocates who began planning on ways to use Gentle Teaching to support the most vulnerable people in our communities throughout Michigan.
Dr. McGee continued his close bond and relationships with Michigan providers all the way until his passing in 2012, inspiring the next generation of mentors who continue his messages of 'safe, loved, loving and engaged.'
Dr. McGee’s influence provided the tools necessary for MORC staff to devise a plan to tackle Michigan’s 150 year institution problem.
MORC helped form The Center for Positive Living Supports through a grant opportunity at the state level. The plan was to safely and effectively place the most challenging individuals during a period of de-institutionalization. The Center provided a strategic plan to the State of Michigan that would educate community partners on Gentle Teaching, provide a mobile crisis team to help support community transitions, and a transition home to support the person-specific needs in that time of change to build the connections necessary to feel safe, loved, loving and engaged in a world full of choice and control.
A large component to deinstitutionalization in Michigan was The Center’s focus on education and training. The Center traveled the State providing 3-day Gentle Teaching Practicums that would teach direct care workers, providers and advocates the tenants of Gentle Teaching and apply the philosophy on-site with people being supported. Through this work, The Center expanded on Dr. McGee’s 4 pillars (Safe, Loved, Loving, Engaged) to form The Central Purpose and Six Elements(Safe, Valued, Positive Interactions, Demands, Structure and Transitions). All of these efforts culminated into what we refer to today as A Culture of Gentleness.
Dr. McGee’s messages of hope, community, compassion and love reached every corner of the globe and sparked the natural instinct to connect, which grew into an international community of Gentle Teaching advocates - Gentle Teaching International. This group meets monthly to discuss the ways we are all using the philosophy of Gentle Teaching to support all people in our communities around the world.
Gentle Teaching International also holds an annual conference, alternating different locations around the world from which members are building stronger communities. The Gentle Teaching International Conference is being held virtually this year on November 16th and 17th. You can find more information here.
Dr. McGee’s legacy lives on in the United States through Gentle Teaching United. This group provides Americans interested in Gentle Teaching and connecting with others around the country the opportunity to hear from others who are engaged in this culture what’s working, discuss current challenges, and learn how we can better support each other. Gentle Teaching United also meets monthly with quarterly presentations.
Today, at Easterseals MORC, we continue to live the philosophy of a Culture of Gentleness through our training initiatives, presentations and mentorship both internally and externally. In the summer of 2025, Easterseals MORC, in partnership with IMPART Alliance and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, traveled around Michigan providing our 2-day, 10-hour, Culture of Gentleness training called Working with People. Thanks to grant funding, we were able to offer this in-depth training free of cost to the community.
Sustainability is key with a Culture of Gentleness, so Easterseals MORC not only provided the Working with People training free of cost to the community, but also offered a Train-the-Trainer pathway so that the Culture can live on at agencies across the State.
Easterseals MORC and our partners take an immense sense of pride in continuing Dr. McGee’s legacy of connection across Michigan and beyond. We would love for you to come along and be a part of this mission with us.