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 and what they need more support on. She reflects on how teaching is a continual process of learning and adaptation, responding to the evolving needs of students through flexibility and innovation. Marybeth shares ways she’s creatively reimagined her course design to focus on essential takeaways and diverse assessment methods, such as quizzes, reflective journals, presentations, and an optional final exam based on a student’s individual learning journey. Marybeth explores the importance of creating brave spaces for discussion and how she encourages students to engage critically and compassionately with diverse perspectives as keys to growth, as well as how she uses Universal Design principles to provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate their learning.

Laurier’s Donald F. Morgenson Awards for Teaching Excellence honour those who, through their commitment to exemplary teaching, have made significant contributions to the educational experience of Laurier students. Learn more about award-winning teaching at Laurier: https://bit.ly/award-winning-faculty

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