The Laurier Teaching Podcast
The Teaching Excellence and Innovation team at Laurier help shape, inspire and celebrate exceptional teaching and learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. Our podcast celebrates incredible teaching, tells stories about impactful educational experiences, and provides insight and a deep look at critical avenues of higher education.
Episodes
Maryam Khan from Laurier's Faculty of Social Work, and recipient of the 2025 Faculty Mentoring Award, brings authenticity, care, community, and courage into every aspect of their teaching and mentorship. Maryam builds classroom and mentoring relationships rooted in trust and accountability where students take ownership of their learning and engage in critical conversations. Maryam shares advice for creating pee...
Christos Shiamptanis, from Laurier's Economics department in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, and recipient of the 2025 Innovation in Teaching Award, shares how he transforms economics education through experiential learning, storytelling, and inclusive classroom design. From rethinking assessment rubrics to creating opportunities for quieter students to shine, his approach is about building conf...
Steve Risavy, from the Lazaridis School for Business and Economics and recipient of the 2025 Sustained Excellence in Teaching Award, shares his approach to teaching and learning, centred on authenticity and the importance of having fun in the classroom. Steve creates a classroom environment where students can take risks, feel safe asking questions, and see their feedback put into action. Leaning into the energy...
2024 Hoffman-Little Award winner Elizabeth Mitchell from Laurier's Faculty of Music shares her journey into music therapy and the connective power of music in helping people express emotions, memories, and experiences.
She discusses the importance of improvisation, versatility, and self-awareness, skills that allow practitioners to meet clients where they are and engage them in dynamic ways...
Marybeth White from Laurier's Religion and Culture Department and recipient of the 2024 Sustained Excellence Teaching Award, shares insights on fostering a student-centered learning environment grounded in compassion, flexibility and inclusive design.
Marybeth discusses the changes she's seen in students throughout her career, including what students are better at now than when she started ...
Join 2024 Faculty Mentoring Award recipient Michael Woodford from Laurier's Faculty of Social Work as he shares how some of the mentors along his personal and professional journey impacted him, the importance of sharing power in mentoring relationships, and the value of creating spaces where students can thrive as their authentic selves. Whether navigating difficult conversations, developing adaptable work plan...
Avis Beek from Laurier's Faculty of Education and the recipient of the 2024 Early Career Excellence Award shares her hands-on, kinesthetic approach to STEM education. Through creative activities that include slime-making, terrarium building, and even live animals(!), Avis sparks curiosity and fosters collaborative and inclusive learning environments. Informed by her international teaching experiences, she integ...
Jeremy Hunsinger from Laurier's Communication Studies department and recipient of the 2024 Innovation in Teaching Award, shares his approach to creating a student-centered, studio-like classroom environment. Jeremy discusses how he integrates active learning from the very first class by having students co-create the course syllabus. His approach to grading, which focuses on specification grading and intrinsic m...
Elaine Cheng from Laurier's Archaeology and Heritage Studies program and 2024 Early Career Excellence winner shares how she guides students through classroom and field experiences that blend real-world challenges with a mix of career-integrated and experiential learning. Elaine emphasizes the importance of both hands-on fieldwork and in-class activities to help students develop critical skills in teamwork, adap...
Simona Pruteanu from Laurier's Languages and Literatures department and recipient of the 2024 Excellence in Internationalization Award, shares her passion for creating a multicultural and inclusive curriculum that incorporates guest speakers, creative assessments like storytelling and comic book creation, and career-integrated learning opportunities. She discusses how teaching entirely in French helps students build linguistic conf...
Max Gwynn from Laurier's Psychology Department and recipient of the 2024 Sustained Excellence in Teaching Award reflects on his mentors and the teachers who have shaped him as an educator, and discusses the importance of stories, humour, and personal anecdotes on engaging students. He shares how his focus on increasing students' self-efficacy allows them to overcome their math anxieties and carry their newfound...
Sara Klinck from Laurier's Music Therapy program and recipient of the 2023 Sustained Excellence Award in the Part-time Category shares her journey from a clinical music therapist to an inspiring educator, emphasizing the importance of self-discovery, humility, and lifelong learning in her pedagogical approach. Sara's commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment shines through as she p...
Professor Scott Nicholson from Laurier's Game Design and Development program shares his passion for creating unique and inspiring learning experiences through games. Not only does Scott teach about games, he also weaves meaningful gamification principles throughout his teaching, igniting students' interest in both the subject matter, and their own learning. Scott discusses his student-centred approach to mot...
Danielle Law from Laurier's Psychology and Youth and Children's Studies programs and recipient of the 2023 Faculty Mentoring Award, shares her mentorship philosophy rooted in trust, support, and mutual respect. She explains how her emphasis on "red means love" in her grading shifts the way students receive academic feedback, fostering a positive, student-centered and growth-oriented environment.
Robert Ame from Laurier's Human Rights and Human Diversity delves into his comprehensive approach towards enriching educational experiences through internationalization. He shares his journey as an international student from Ghana to Norway and Canada and how those experiences shaped his teaching philosophy centered on the value of cross-cultural knowledge. Robert highlights the significance of creating inclusi...
Amilah Baksh from Laurier's Faculty of Social Work shares her holistic approach to education, which acknowledges the significance of positionality and identity and invites both educators and students to bring their entire selves into the classroom. Amilah discusses how establishing classroom community guidelines sets a foundation for respectful and supportive discussions on challenging topics. Explore how Amilah incorporates critic...
2023 Early Career Excellence Award recipient Lisa Kuron from Laurier's leadership program discusses her student-centered teaching approach which emphasizes being a 'guide on the side', utilizing classroom space creatively for diverse learning experiences, and instilling excitement about learning right from the first class. Lisa highlights the importance of creating a sense of belonging using strategies to get t...
2023 Hoffman-Little award recipient Hind Al-Abadleh from Laurier's Chemistry and Biochemistry Department discusses integrating science with societal and environmental issues, employing effective strategies for large classes, and promoting a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving. She reflects on her approach to self-care, how she helps students build patience and perseverance, and discusses the importanc...
2023 Staff Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Anne-marie Joy Henry from Laurier International shares the travels that have taken her across Canada and around the globe. These foundational intercultural experiences deeply inform her approach in her current role at Laurier, where she engages students in rich discussions of complex issues in the classroom and supports their preparation for internationa...
2023 Innovation in Teaching recipient Jonathan Finn, from Laurier's Communication Studies department, reflects on how his unique self-tracking pedagogy not only fosters ownership among learners but also encourages reflection beyond the classroom. Jonathan helps students to co-create their learning environments and personalise their learning, and discusses how low-tech innovations and getting students off screen...
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