One of the important parts of my career thus far has involved teaching courses at Thompson Rivers University, MacEwan University, University of Vermont, Mount Royal College, and the University of Alberta. I am passionate about teaching and am just as comfortable teaching online as I am in the classroom. My philosophy of teaching is rooted in learner-centred pedagogy. I do not position myself in the classroom as the expert who knows everything, but rather as guide or mentor for my students as they explore the works I (or they) have chosen for us to examine in any given course. I have yet to teach a course that has not ended with me feeling like I have learned more from my students than they have learned from me. Students are capable of doing amazing work and I feel fortunate every day to be able to share a classroom with them.
Throughout my teaching, the use of course blogs has helped me to make my classroom as open as possible. Rather than hiding course syllabi or online discussions behind the safe walls of “learning management systems” such as Moodle or Canvas, I make all my course materials publicly available. On this part of my website you will find information about some of the courses I have taught, along with past course evaluations, which I make freely available primarily for the use of students interested in taking courses with me in the future.
English 005: From Pucks to Parliament: Exploring Canadian Culture
English 086: Critical Approaches to Literature
English 180: Topics in Canadian Literature
English 182: Colonial and Postcolonial World Literatures