Gill and Reid Honoured for Excellence in Teaching

October 27, 2005

Source: University of New Brunswick - Saint John:
http://www.unb.ca/news/view.cgi?id=881

Gill and Reid Honoured for Excellence in Teaching

October 27, 2005
UNB Fredericton News Release: D440
Sandra Howland, Public Relations Officer, (506) 458-7968

Barbara Gill and Allan Reid are recipients of the 2005 Allan P. Stuart Awards for Excellence in Teaching at the University of New Brunswick. Both were honoured at the university’s fall graduation ceremony on Oct. 20.

Barbara Gill has been a teacher for nearly 40 years, and a teacher of teachers for 30 of those years.

"I am honoured and humbled to be a recipient of the Allan P. Stuart Award for Excellence in Teaching," she said. "I’m honoured that a group of students would think so much of my teaching that they would put the time and effort into preparing a nomination that would lead to the award, and humbled because there are many fine teachers in the faculty of education and in the university as a whole, people I admire and have learned from."

Since joining the faculty of education in 1992, she has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in educational administration, supervision of instruction, school law, and women in education.

Dr. Gill is well-known for the exceptionally high quality of her courses. An early adopter of technology, such as computer conferencing, she regularly teaches courses to large numbers of students located at off-campus sites throughout New Brunswick. She believes that students need to be actively involved in their own learning, and designs her courses for maximum student activity and interactivity.

Dr. Gill asks that her students be accountable for their own learning and challenges them to think critically. She values the contributions and opinions of all students, and uses their experiences to enhance learning.

In his 14 years as a professor in the faculty of arts, Allan Reid has earned a reputation as a teacher who values excellence in teaching.

"Because teaching is, or should be, the most important face of the university and of being a professional educator, it is both genuinely humbling and highly satisfying to have been chosen for this award, especially because the nominations come primarily from students," he said.

Chairperson of the department of culture and language studies, Dr. Reid teaches courses in introductory, intermediate and advanced Russian; in Russian culture; and in both world and Russian literature.

Dr. Reid has been described by students as "an amazing professor who makes each student feel important." Not only does he take time to help students learn Russian, but he also encourages participation and openness in his classes. In the words of one student: "He makes a very difficult language fun and interesting!"

Of his own teaching philosophy, Dr. Reid says: "One of the things that can interfere with learning in the classroom is the implied hierarchy between instructor and students. While it is trivial to suggest that it can or even should be totally removed, it can certainly be diminished. I attempt to do this by bringing with me a little bit of humility and as much humour as I can."

The Allan P. Stuart Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes outstanding teaching on the basis of nomination from students and faculty members at UNB. It is named in honour of Allan Stuart, a respected UNB professor of chemistry from 1946 to 1973 and one of the first recipients of an excellence in teaching award at the university.

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