Today the University of Alberta honours its great teachers with one of the most sought-after prizes, the Rutherford Award. The Award, which lauds excellence in undergraduate teaching, is a feather in the cap of Dr. Billy Strean whose off-beat humour, respect for students and the ability to unravel the most complex concepts so they?re easily understood, have in turn earned him the respect and affection of students across campus.
?I?m thrilled,? he says simply of the award that annually honours just five recipients from the university?s professoriate. ?There?s a concept in the education literature called ?the impostor syndrome? and I think we all have moments when we wonder how well we are teaching and if we are truly qualified, so this recognition by the University has been very affirming.?
Strean says he?s humbled to be numbered in the company of Rutherford Award winners and has been inspired by many of them himself. ?I have looked up to and revered many great Rutherford Award winners like Dave Wangler (professor emeritus from Education). I?ve had the opportunity to learn about using groups from Roger Beck, who was in the first group of Rutherford winners in 1982 and I?ve had wonderful conversations with David Barnett from Drama who won last year,? he says.
But Strean has no need to feel shy in the company of other Rutherford winners: his classes have every student sitting up and paying attention in seconds. ?Good afternooooooooon!? he bellows with a devilish grin as he greets his class. The students love it and they respond with equal enthusiasm. By the end of the first class he knows them all by name, and he?s very likely to hand out treats and trinkets for thoughtful answers and participation in the class.
This is no random act for Strean, who is also a certified laughter yoga leader and winner of the Faculty Teaching Award of Excellence in 2005. It is, in fact, all in a day?s work and purposely geared to increase the quality of the students? learning experience.
?I try to create an atmosphere of play and fun because it?s not only more enjoyable, it?s also how people learn best, ? says Strean, who sometimes coaxes reticent students into asking questions by having them play Jeopardy, complete with the television show?s signature theme tune, ticking clocks and buzzers!
?Creating trusting relationships and a non-judgmental environment in the classroom is what great teaching is all about,? says Strean. ?I want students to feel safe, appreciated, challenged and inspired.?
A safe environment doesn?t mean cocooning students from the rigours of academic debate by any means, he cautions. ?You have to balance the safety aspect ? feeling positively regarded and appreciated ? with courage and challenge. People need to challenge their perspectives and assumptions or it?ll be pretty shallow learning.?
?A great teacher brings passion, enthusiasm and excitement about content and learning to the classroom,? he says. ?They relate to the teaching moment, the teaching process, as something special, if not sacred.?
Strean, who has served as a peer consultant with University Teaching Services for a dozen years says improving the quality of the learning experience pays handsome dividends for both instructor and student. ?The moment where I get the biggest kick is when I?m reading a student?s reflective paper, or they write something on an exam, the crux of which is, ?I?m going to teach differently because of what I?ve learned here.? There?s a conceptual shift in their core approach.?
For Strean, it?s teaching?s finest moment. ?Ultimately, the greatest gift that you can give another person is the opportunity to let him or her make a difference with you. When I see people shift, that?s when I go, ?Yeah!??
Strean returns to the classroom this fall after a sabbatical, but, in his role as a certified laughter yoga teacher (and Professional Humour Dude as he calls himself, hamming up the PhD letters behind his name), he?s been in hot demand as a speaker and laughter workshop leader across Canada and the USA. It?s a role he?s warmed to considerably and it has earned him accolades from fellow academics, business groups, professional organisations and others.
?I really enjoy this type of work in the community and I?d like to do more ? perhaps with Staff Learning and Development, HPaWS and Development and Alumni Affairs,? says Strean, who admits the import of the award still hasn?t struck home.
Reflecting on the award, he says, ?I never want to feel as though I?ve arrived. I always want to be learning and I?d like to contribute to the University by doing anything I can to enhance teaching, wellness, and happiness on campus.?
?I?m thrilled,? he says simply of the award that annually honours just five recipients from the university?s professoriate. ?There?s a concept in the education literature called ?the impostor syndrome? and I think we all have moments when we wonder how well we are teaching and if we are truly qualified, so this recognition by the University has been very affirming.?
Strean says he?s humbled to be numbered in the company of Rutherford Award winners and has been inspired by many of them himself. ?I have looked up to and revered many great Rutherford Award winners like Dave Wangler (professor emeritus from Education). I?ve had the opportunity to learn about using groups from Roger Beck, who was in the first group of Rutherford winners in 1982 and I?ve had wonderful conversations with David Barnett from Drama who won last year,? he says.
But Strean has no need to feel shy in the company of other Rutherford winners: his classes have every student sitting up and paying attention in seconds. ?Good afternooooooooon!? he bellows with a devilish grin as he greets his class. The students love it and they respond with equal enthusiasm. By the end of the first class he knows them all by name, and he?s very likely to hand out treats and trinkets for thoughtful answers and participation in the class.
This is no random act for Strean, who is also a certified laughter yoga leader and winner of the Faculty Teaching Award of Excellence in 2005. It is, in fact, all in a day?s work and purposely geared to increase the quality of the students? learning experience.
?I try to create an atmosphere of play and fun because it?s not only more enjoyable, it?s also how people learn best, ? says Strean, who sometimes coaxes reticent students into asking questions by having them play Jeopardy, complete with the television show?s signature theme tune, ticking clocks and buzzers!
?Creating trusting relationships and a non-judgmental environment in the classroom is what great teaching is all about,? says Strean. ?I want students to feel safe, appreciated, challenged and inspired.?
A safe environment doesn?t mean cocooning students from the rigours of academic debate by any means, he cautions. ?You have to balance the safety aspect ? feeling positively regarded and appreciated ? with courage and challenge. People need to challenge their perspectives and assumptions or it?ll be pretty shallow learning.?
?A great teacher brings passion, enthusiasm and excitement about content and learning to the classroom,? he says. ?They relate to the teaching moment, the teaching process, as something special, if not sacred.?
Strean, who has served as a peer consultant with University Teaching Services for a dozen years says improving the quality of the learning experience pays handsome dividends for both instructor and student. ?The moment where I get the biggest kick is when I?m reading a student?s reflective paper, or they write something on an exam, the crux of which is, ?I?m going to teach differently because of what I?ve learned here.? There?s a conceptual shift in their core approach.?
For Strean, it?s teaching?s finest moment. ?Ultimately, the greatest gift that you can give another person is the opportunity to let him or her make a difference with you. When I see people shift, that?s when I go, ?Yeah!??
Strean returns to the classroom this fall after a sabbatical, but, in his role as a certified laughter yoga teacher (and Professional Humour Dude as he calls himself, hamming up the PhD letters behind his name), he?s been in hot demand as a speaker and laughter workshop leader across Canada and the USA. It?s a role he?s warmed to considerably and it has earned him accolades from fellow academics, business groups, professional organisations and others.
?I really enjoy this type of work in the community and I?d like to do more ? perhaps with Staff Learning and Development, HPaWS and Development and Alumni Affairs,? says Strean, who admits the import of the award still hasn?t struck home.
Reflecting on the award, he says, ?I never want to feel as though I?ve arrived. I always want to be learning and I?d like to contribute to the University by doing anything I can to enhance teaching, wellness, and happiness on campus.?