Mastering Teaching: Recent Episodes
Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning
At the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning (GMCTL) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) we believe that by teaching, we continue to learn. We also believe in sharing those lessons openly so that learning can be passed on. Join us for discussions with instructors from USask about the lessons they've learned and their thoughts on changes happening and those that should happen in higher education.
Liv Marken is a Learning Specialist and Writing Help Coordinator for the Writing Centre at Murray Library, and recipient of the 2023 University of Saskatchewan Provost’s Support of Teaching and Learning Award. Our conversation focuses on student advocacy, obstacles to student success, and how to cultivate a sense of community in the classroom.
Roslyn Compton is the College of Nursing recipient of this year’s annual USask Provost's Award for Outstanding Teaching, which recognizes an outstanding teacher in each College at the University of Saskatchewan. They are a prominent researcher focusing on gerontological nursing, a collaborative co-worker, a graduate student supervisor, and an exceptional mentor for learners. Their teaching philosophy is Teaching is Relationships. In this episode, we discuss their approach to narrative inquiry and how facilitation, rather than lecturing, helps fuel relationships and learning in her classroom.
Courtney Charles is a Lecturer in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and is the winner of the Provost's College Award for Outstanding Teaching in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. Our discussion focuses on the balanced use of kindness in teaching through design and practice, including elements of universal design and accessible learning environments.
Lorelei Nickel is a Lecturer with the Department of Management and Marketing at the Edwards School of Business and recipient of the 2023 University of Saskatchewan Provost’s College Award for Outstanding Teaching. Our conversation focuses on students’ conceptions of integrity and how instructors can support the development of this competency.
Simonne Horwitz is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Saskatchewan, where her research and teaching focus on African History and the History of Medicine in Africa. Simonne has won 3 Provost’s Teaching awards and the George Ivany Internationalization Award for her focus on Internationalization in her teaching. As an openly queer, neuro-diverse teacher and scholar who lives with mental illness,
Simonne uses her lived experiences to connect with a diverse group of students and create accountable spaces where all students can learn and thrive. This episode focuses on inclusivity and accountable spaces where everyone belongs.
Al Chicoine is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, a veterinarian specialised in Clinical Pharmacology, and recipient of the 2023 University of Saskatchewan Provost’s New Teacher Award. Our conversation focusses on promoting student success by actively building resilience and adaptability in learners.
Carly Priebe is a Lecturer at the College of Kinesiology and winner of both the 2022 Sylvia Wallace Sessional Lecturer Award and the 2023 Provost's College Award for Outstanding Teaching in the College of Kinesiology. This episode focuses on inclusion in teaching, including universal design for learning, using more inclusive case studies and examples, and using feedback and reflections as tools to build one's teaching practice over time.
Soo Kim is a Professor at the School of Rehabilitation Science and is the 2022 University of Saskatchewan Distinguished Teacher Award winner. Our conversation focuses on the topic of innovation, specifically the use of technologies in teaching innovation, finding strength in communities of fellow education innovators, and how to introduce innovations into your teaching intentionally and well-planned.
Vicki Squires, the winner of the Provost's College Award from the College of Education joined us to talk about wellbeing in teaching and learng including the need for flexibility and providing students with needed boundaries. She also talked about the Okanogan Charter and provided an example from the University of British Columbia - https://wellbeing.ubc.ca/
Joe Rubin, who was awarded the 2022 Provost's College Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, spoke with us about his innovative approaches to teaching and suggestions for how others may begin to incrementally innovate to grow their own teaching.
Elemir Simko is the recipient of the 2022 Provost's Outstanding Teacher Award in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. We discuss how teaching is a pursuit of lifelong learning, balancing the teacher-scholar model, and bringing passion for sustainability into the classroom, even within proscribed curriculum.
Fran Walley, the winner of the Provost's College Award from the College of Agriculture and Bio Resources joined us to talk about being passionate about soil science and teaching, looking forward to the challenges of teaching large classes, why she led up a Canada-wide project to create an open textbook and the importance of being genuine with your students.
Assistant Professor Amrinderbir Singh is the winner of the Provost’s College Award from the College of Dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan. We discuss valuing students' individual identities, building self-reflective practices, and co-constructing criteria of assignments with, by, and for all students
Lisa Birke, who was awarded the 2022 Provost's New Teacher Award, is an Assistant Professor of Digital and Extended Media in the Department of Art and Art History. She spoke with us about her innovative and inclusive approaches to teaching and how to engage students actively in their learning.
Jen Loewen, who was awarded the 2022 Provost's New Teacher Award, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. She spoke with us about the importance of authentic and experiential learning to developing future professionals in her field, and how innovating her teaching supports her students to develop the skills they will need.
Alison Oates, recipient of the Provost’s College Award for Outstanding Teaching in the College of Kinesiology, joined us to talk about how she creates conditions for successful collaboration in her classes.
Vince Bruni-Bossio, one of the 2022 3M National Teaching Fellowship winners joined us to talk about innovation in teaching, walking with students in their learning, and being willing to fail as an educator.
Joanne Leow, who was awarded the 2021 Provost's New Teacher Award, Department of English, College of Arts & Science, spoke with us about communicating and upholding clear academic expectations and standards.
Patricia King, who was awarded the 2021 Provost's College Award for Outstanding Teaching in the College of Nursing, spoke with us about the importance of gathering and learning from peer and student feedback in developing her teaching practice.
2021 Provost's College Award for Outstanding Teaching in the College of Arts and Science, Ulrich Teucher spoke with us about how attending university turned his life around and fuelled his desire to teach, and how he shares his excitement for learning with his students.
Jory Longworth, who was awarded the 2021 Provost's College Award for Outstanding Teaching, College of Dentistry spoke with us about performing fair and relevant assessment for and of student learning.
Katelyn Halpape, who was awarded the 2021 Provost's College Award for Outstanding Teaching in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, spoke with us about bringing research, scholarship, artistic work and professional activities, as well as her dog, into teaching and mentorship.
Sarah Donkers, the 2021 Provost's College Award for Outstanding Teaching in the School of Rehabilitation in the College of Medicine talked about being an early-career professor, the power of learning about learning, and the privilege of shaping the next generation
For the first episode of the the Mastering Teaching podcast, Lee Swanson, who was awarded the 2021 Spring Master Teacher Award spoke with us about embodying learning behaviours we are teaching others, including our students and peers.