Jackie Hope, TLC Program Coordinator, welcomed attendees. “Today, we gather to celebrate a remarkable journey,” she said. “The TLC program is more than a certificate; it’s a community of educators who have dedicated themselves to deepening their practice, embracing mentorship and reflecting on what it means to teach with purpose.” 

The TLC certificate program is offered through The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. At its heart is the Centre’s commitment to ensuring that teaching at the University of Manitoba is informed by evidence-based practices and grounded in compassion, inclusion and innovation.  

The program combines workshops, mentorships and classroom observations to help faculty develop the knowledge, skills and reflective practice that enable them to increase their competency level in the teaching-learning process. 

Centre Director, Dr. Erica Jung, thanked graduates for dedicating their time and energy to the program. “You are all busy folks—you have not only your work here but also your own lives, so to add this program demonstrates a commitment and desire to help students with their learning, and I really want to congratulate you for that.” 

Dr. Xiaoxiao Du, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education, was one of this year’s 12 graduates. She shared insights at the event of her experience in the program.   

“I believe the TLC is the right place to be, to learn, to grow – because there is a supportive community, there are experts, mentors, developers, but most beautifully, are the fellow peers I go to for positive, professional relationships,” she said.  

She also encouraged her peers to embrace differences and uncertainty. “Continuously promote multiple ways of knowing, being, thinking,” she said.  

TLC graduate Dr. Juliana Marson, Assistant Professor in the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, spoke about how the program helped her to make her classes more student centred, and the joy and excitement she felt with each positive change.   

“The TLC program, and expressly with [mentor] Cintia’s guidance, helped me transform my teaching philosophy from a collection of inherited conventions to a deeply personal, reflective practice,” she said.  

The TLC program is built on a foundation of mentorship—where experienced educators walk alongside new faculty and instructors, offering guidance, feedback and encouragement. Two mentors also spoke at the graduation ceremony. 

Juliana’s mentor, Cintia Costa, Senior Educational Developer at The Centre, fondly recalled a professor who was a steady source of encouragement during her own undergraduate studies in Brazil, and how she felt honoured to work with Juliana and witness her transforming her teaching strategies.   

“I have this huge dream of changing the world,” she said. “It’s big. If we can change the life of a student, like my professor did for me, then I think we are already changing the world.”  

Dr. David Mandzuk, Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus, Faculty of Education, served as a TLC mentor for five years. He described mentors as “warm demanders”—people who are both empathetic yet not afraid of challenging others. “Being an effective mentor is more about provoking thinking than providing answers. And to keep the student perspective front and centre,” he said.  

He also thanked UM’s Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) for continuing to support the university’s teaching mission. “That takes effort, and it takes resources at a university that prides itself on the quality of research, and I think that speaks volumes of the university.”  

See the full list of 2025 TLC graduates   

Learn more about the TLC program

This year’s STRR reception was held on May 5, 2025 with Cody Buhay selected as the Faculty of Law’s Outstanding Student. In turn, Buhay chose his Grade 11 and 12 Math and Chemistry teacher, Sabrina NganTian-Angeles and UM Faculty of Law Clinical Counsel, Allison Fenske as teachers who had the most lasting impact on his education and life.

“Both of these teachers have taught me the same and valuable life lesson: the power of compassion,” Buhay said in his reception speech, explaining that he chose law as a career because he wanted to have a career where he could help people by using his critical thinking skills.  

He was drawn towards criminal defence law because it involved advocating for marginalized people who could not advocate for themselves. “The most important thing I’ve learned to best prepare to practice in this area of law is to have compassion for clients,” he said.

…Fenske taught me about the importance of compassion for clients when working as a lawyer. In her classroom, compassion was not just talked about. It was demonstrated.
– Cody Buhay, 3L

When he was chosen as the Faculty of Law’s most outstanding student for The Centre’s STRR event, Buhay chose NganTsen-Angeles and Fenske because they best taught him the power of compassion. In high school, Buhay shared that he was not a very good student. “I would describe myself as a bit of a trouble-maker back then. I tested patience and pushed boundaries. However, Madame NganTsen-Angeles never gave up on me. Instead of frustration, she met me with kindness and calm, day after day.”

In retrospect, he said, “I will always remember the kindness that Madame NganTsen-Angeles showed me and I will try to carry that forward to my future clients.”

STRR awards 2025 outstanding law student Cody Buhay (middle) with (left to right) Dr.  Jennifer L. Schulz, Faculty of Law Associate Dean (Academic), Sabrina NganTsen-Anderson (K-12), Allison Fenske (post-secondary) and Dr. Diane Hiebert-Murphy, UM VP Academic.

When considering his post-secondary instructors, he realized that it was Fenske who best taught him about compassion. Fenske was his supervisor at the University of Manitoba Community Law Centre UMCLC during the summer after his second year of law school, and then taught him throughout his clinical experience course at UMCLC during his third year.

“[Allison] Fenske taught me about the importance of compassion for clients when working as a lawyer. In her classroom, compassion was not just talked about. It was demonstrated,” he said. “She taught me that being a good criminal defence lawyer means more than knowledge of the law. It means understanding your clients. Many come from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. They might not trust easily or communicate clearly. Some may have things going on in their lives that prevent them from fully engaging in the legal process. Despite these challenges, these clients still deserve to be heard and understood.”

More than once, Fenske reminded him of the importance of compassion when working with specific clients. She especially reminded him to “give clients some grace and the benefit of the doubt.”

He concluded, “Both of these educators that I have spoken of tonight have taught me that compassion is not a weakness: it is a strength. And it is one I will carry with me as I pursue a career in law.”

Please watch Cody Buhay’s full speech (starting at 1:12:20) on the University of Manitoba’s YouTube Channel.

Students shared powerful reflections on the impact their chosen teachers had on their lives, highlighting the dedication, compassion, and humour these educators brought to the classroom. For some, the most influential teachers were also the toughest—those who held them to high standards because they genuinely believed in their ability to succeed.

“My mom went to a parent-teacher conference. I had an excellent report card—except for all the classes I had with one teacher, Ms. Margaret Wiens. My grades in her class were thirty percent lower than every other class,” shared Christine Hay, the outstanding student selected from the Faculty of Education. “The rural school I attended was a Grade 4 to 12 school, with no high school art programming at all. Margaret Wiens was a teacher who saw the value of art in education. So, when I decided in Grade 12, four years later, that I wanted to apply to the School of Art at UM with no arts training at all, it was Ms. Wiens who learned how to build an entrance portfolio and mentored me through the entire process—during her lunches, her preps, and after school. I did end up getting direct entry into the School of Art. It is with deep gratitude that I stand here today and thank you, 23 years later, for showing up every day with grit, for showing me grace, and for being an example of how I hope to show up for my future students.”

Left image from left to right, Yvonne Fenner, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding student, Ms. Margaret Hart, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding teacher. Right image from left to right, Mr.  Ron Constant, Joe A. Ross School, outstanding teacher, Yvonne Fenner, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding student

This year’s Students’ Teacher Recognition Reception was held on May 5 bringing together students, their selected teachers, faculty representatives, and invited guests for an afternoon of meaningful celebration. The event was hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and emceed by the Centre’s Director, Dr. Erica Jung.

Dr. Diane Hiebert-Murphy, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) brought greetings and shared her own reflections on the educators who made a lasting impact in her life. “I think back to my high school teachers’ who encouraged me to recognize potential that I didn’t fully see in myself, and some University Professors who helped shape the direction of my academic life, and ultimately my professional life. These individuals will never fully appreciate or know the impact that they had on me, but I certainly think about them every year when I come to this reception.”

Throughout the afternoon, students spoke not only about the academic guidance they received but also the personal support their teachers offered—support that extended beyond the classroom. Many shared stories of educators who cared deeply, often becoming mentors, role models, and even friends.

Yvonne Fenner, the outstanding student from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, spoke with heartfelt appreciation about the many ways her selected teachers supported her. “It wasn’t only the educational part of this journey that she helped me with. Ms. Margaret Hart was there for me on a personal note, as I have called on her many times in the last two years.” Ms. Margaret Hart, a First Nations Indigenous educator in the health sciences, shared that the presence of Indigenous students carries deep personal significance. “I’m there to nurture the students’ learning, but also, I’m there to nurture their identities too”—a sentiment that reflects a commitment not only to academic growth but to personal and cultural growth as well.

Following the ceremony, attendees had a chance to mingle, take photos, and reflect on the meaningful connections that helped shape their journeys.

Faculty of Law student Alessandro Potenza put it best: “I know that we were not uniquely smart, but instead, that we had a uniquely exceptional teacher.” A sentiment echoed by many—while talent may open the door, it’s great educators who help students walk through it.

For a full list of award recipients, please visit our webpage.

Join us Thursday, March 6, 2025, for the third session of the Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series. Dr. Matthew Quesnel [B.A./13, M.A./15, Ph.D./20] (The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning) will share his research examining the connection between international students’ metastereotypes and seeking out peer support and support services offered by their postsecondary institutions. Quesnel will share his research findings and explore how they can inform strategies for fostering a more inclusive campus environment, promoting accessing UM support resources, and improve academic success and well-being for international students.

The Teaching and Learning Colloquium Series, hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, supports educators in creating a learning environment that responds to the changing needs of learners and strengthens student supports. It provides a platform for UM scholars and educators to share knowledge, research, and success stories to empower learners.

The series was designed “to provide an opportunity for faculty and higher education professionals to gather and talk about students’ support needs, barriers students may face in seeking help, and effective strategies for supporting and enhancing student learning,” says Quesnel, Teaching and Learning Colloquium Series chair.

Register for Barriers to Support: Metastereotypes and Help-seeking Among International Students. 

Location: Room 325, Education Building 

Date: Thursday, March 6, 2025 

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

Session details: 25-minute presentation, followed by discussion and refreshments. 

Join one or all of the four 50-minute sessions designed for professors, instructors and graduate students committed to exploring Pedagogies of Care. Sessions are standalone and alternate between in-person (Fort Garry) and remote modalities. Whether you’re teaching in-person or in an online format, this series will equip you with pedagogical approaches that cultivate caring and inclusive educational spaces. 

The design of this workshop series embraces the same attributes the workshop aims to infuse into faculty teaching practices across UM. Each session will provide practical tools for creating inclusive, engaging, and empowering learning environments. The facilitators will look to learn from the participants on how the community wants to be supported. 

“This series will engage in a conversation around Pedagogies of Care and how they can be practiced at the university” explained John Bevan [MA/21] facilitator and educational developer from the Teaching Initiatives and Innovation Team. As a change agent “Pedagogies of Care allows for us to be flexible and adaptable and recognizes that the individual contexts in which students learn are an important factor in their learning.” adds Dr. Lori Doan [BA(Hons)/05, MA/07, PhD/14] facilitator from the Science of Teaching and Learning team. 

Pedagogies of Care was sparked by Cintia Costa, senior educational developer on the Programs and Curriculum Development Team, who saw the need to incorporate neuroscience into learning strategies workshops. What began as a single workshop grew after Costa’s team lead suggested connecting with Doan. A casual conversation with a colleague about upcoming projects had Bevan eagerly joining the series to contribute his skill. Each facilitator helped shape the workshop into a four-part offering, focused on changing to a more caring teaching environment. 

While this series does not directly address faculty wellness or care, Costa believes there are indirect benefits of Pedagogies of Care in changing classrooms: “it will be better for instructors, faculty, and professors if they see that their students feel safe to ask questions instead of feeling afraid. I have a feeling that the classroom atmosphere is going to feel lighter and more supportive” 

This workshop series hosted by The Centre for Advancement of Teaching and Learning continues our support of Empowering Learners. By identifying flexible practices to incorporate into courses, it will help us move towards a more supportive and sustainable education system. 

Our February storytelling theme, Agents of Change, highlights those driving meaningful change in their communities and beyond. Through bold ideas and actions, these change-makers challenge the status quo, spark transformation, and shape a better future. 

Pedagogies of Care series – Winter Term 2025 

Cultivating Liberatory Spaces 

Date and time: Tuesday, February 4, 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.  

Location: Remote – UM Zoom 

Description: This session with focus on key elements of relational and emancipatory teaching approaches that foster inclusivity and empowerment in the classroom. 

Register for Cultivating Liberatory Spaces 

Universal Design – Curb Cutting the Academy 

Date and time: Tuesday, February 25, 1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. 

Location: Room 223 – The Centre (65 Dafoe Road) 

Description: This session with focus learning activities that incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, evaluate existing course materials improvement opportunities. 

Register for Universal Design – Curb Cutting the Academy   

Science of Learning – Firing and Wiring the Neurons 

Date and time: Thursday, March 13, 10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. 

Location: Remote – UM Zoom  

Description: This session will focus on how the brain processes information and that influences learning and memory retention. Then they will explore brain-based strategies to generate environments that enhance cognitive engagement and student learning. 

Register for Science of Learning – Firing and Wiring the Neurons   

Bringing it All Together – Sharing Our Stories 

Date and time: Tuesday, April 1, 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. 

Location: Room 223 – The Centre (65 Dafoe Road) 

Description: Participants will create an integrated teaching approach based on their experiences over series or insights from their classrooms. 

Register for Bringing it All Together – Sharing Our Stories   

Gradual change path  

If you’re looking to make changes at a gradual pace, the series Small Shifts: Significant Gains might be the right choice for you. In this brown-bag lunchtime series, you’ll learn about the micro improvements UM colleagues have made to their practices and discover how you can apply them.  

“This series is packed with beneficial components to make it well worth the one-hour time commitment,” says Anna Nekola, Education Developer and session facilitator. Each session includes 2-lightening presentations (less than ten minutes each) and extensive connection time. The sessions were designed intentionally to build stronger UM instructional support. Nekola explains, “By creating spaces where instructors share teaching wisdom and intermixing departments and disciplines, we are also seeking to foster faculty community across the campuses of UM.” Nekola continues, “Our faculty are terrific teachers and it’s really exciting to see all the innovative, practical strategies they are using on a daily basis.”   

Begin a small but powerful journey by registering for a Small Shifts: Significant Gains session. 

Removing barrier path 

Are you interested in learning how to reduce barriers to learning in your classroom? The new workshop series Universal Design for Learning in practice is the choice for you. Each session is stand alone and focuses on one UDL element, helping you integrate UDL concepts into existing course materials while gradually including UDL into your course design. “Taking the time to work through an individual UDL principle will help you understand where there are barriers in your practice.” says facilitator Johnathan Bevan, an Educational Developer with The Centre. 

Begin your UDL journey with session one: Optimize Relevance, Value, and Authenticity Learn more about the series in the UM Today story Explore how to apply Universal Design for Learning in the classroom.  

Planning pedagogical research path 

Are you a faculty member looking to explore pedagogical research? Then the Plan your SoTL Study workshop is a great way to start your journey. “It turns curiosity about teaching into action, helping educators craft thoughtful research questions, design impactful studies, and uncover the stories hidden in student learning outcomes—transforming classrooms into spaces of discovery and innovation.” says Halyna Malyk, SoTL Developer. 

Join the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning path by registering for Plan your SoTL Study  

Learning foundational teaching skill path

Are you a graduate student who is new to teaching in post-secondary education in Canada? If so, then the Graduate Teaching Program (GTP) is the path for you. The GTP was crafted to build foundational skills in graduate students who are new to teaching. Renato Bezerra, PhD candidate in Engineering Education and a recent participant in the GTP pilot explains “the program is valuable to any graduate student interested in teaching. Whether you have never taught or learned about teaching in higher education before, or you have taken courses, taught, or researched about education, the GTP has something for you.” 

Begin your teaching journey by registering for the Graduate Teaching Program. To learn more and register, please visit the GTP website. Registration opens on February 4th, 2025, 

Our commitment 

The Centre for Advancement of Teaching and Learning is dedicated to offering a range of supports that give faculty and staff opportunities to customize their own teaching and learning journey, while collectively working towards UM’s goal of Empowering Learners. Each service (workshop, series, presentation or resource) offered is specifically designed to support the elements of Empowering Learners.  

Small Shifts: Significant Gains and Plan your SoTL Study workshop support intra-UM faculty collaboration to improve student success and create high-quality learning experiences for students. The Graduate Teaching Program and the UDL in Practices series provide faculty and graduate students with tools to adapt to changing learning environments. The UDL in Practice series, specifically provides practical and attainable strategies for faculty to incorporate inclusive teaching methods into their practices. 

Read more about how we support Empowering Learners, including workshops, support, research and technology support on The Centre’s website 

January 9 — As more students with learning disabilities pursue post–secondary education, the needs of the UM student population continue to evolve. When needs are not met, students with learning disabilities are more likely to trail behind their peers in academic achievement and graduation rates.

Join us on Thursday, February 6, 2025, for the second session of the Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series. Dr. Lauren Goegan (Educational Administration, Foundations and Psychology, Faculty of Education) will share her research about inclusive pedagogies and strategies to nurture success of students with learning disabilities more effectivity. Goegan and her team explore how basic psychological needs, such as autonomy, relatedness, and competence, impact postsecondary success. 

The Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (The Centre) is one way The Centre supports advancing pedagogies that respond to the diverse needs of learners. The colloquium series creates an opportunity for UM faculty to share their knowledge, research and success stories within the UM instructional community to empower learners. 

The Colloquium Series was designed “to provide an opportunity for faculty and higher education professionals to gather and talk about students’ support needs, barriers students may face in seeking help, and effective strategies for supporting and enhancing student learning,” says Dr. Matthew Quesnel, Colloquium Series Chair and Faculty Specialist – Science of Teaching and Learning, The Centre. 

A final session for 2024-2025 academic year, focusing on Metastereotypes and Help-seeking Among International Students, will take place in early March.

Register for Fostering Success: Addressing Basic Psychological Needs for Students with Learning Disabilities in Postsecondary Settings.

Location: Room 325, Education Building 
Date: Thursday, February 6, 2025 
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Session details: 25-minute presentation, followed by discussion and refreshments.

Developed by CAST, a nonprofit education research and development organization, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve teaching and learning, based on scientific insights into how humans learn. The framework includes three principles and nine sub-categories, each with individual elements.

“When you first engage with the UDL framework, it can be overwhelming because there’s so much to look at, it can be hard to know where to start,” says facilitator Johnathan Bevan, an Educational Developer with The Centre. “Our goal with this series is to break down the overall framework and look at the discreet elements, one at a time, and work through how to put them into practice.”

Each workshop will include a brief presentation on a framework concept, followed by working through an exercise on how to apply the concept to course materials. Each workshop explores an individual consideration. Each event in the series is self-contained, you do not need to attend the entire series to understand and participate.

“It is important that we start to dismantle the ableism that exists in higher learning. For those who do not experience barriers to engaging in education, it is difficult to perceive how people are being excluded,” says Bevan. “Taking the time to work through an individual UDL principle will help understand where there are barriers in your practice. Incorporating one element of UDL to your pedagogy will influence other aspects of your teaching. This is because each element functions individually and is also complimentary to the wider philosophy.”

Bevan notes that integrating UDL is an ongoing process of learning and refinement. “Universal design should not be understood as a destination or a checklist. It is a process that exists in conversation with the people who are engaging with our practice,” he says.

Bevan is hopeful this series helps faculty, both in integrating concepts into existing course materials and to look at including UDL in their course design—something Bevan can also support.

“The whole point is to engage critically with pedagogical practice to remove barriers,” he says. “The more we practice implementing UDL principles, the more meaningful our pedagogical design will be for the students we are seeking to teach.”

Universal Design for Learning Workshops – Winter Term 2025

UDL in Practice: Optimize Relevance, Value, and Authenticity
Thursday, January 30, 12 – 1 pm

Description: The session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of optimizing relevance, value, and authenticity and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice.

Register

UDL in Practice: Clarify the Meaning and Purpose of the Goals
Thursday, February 27, 12 -1 pm

Description: The session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of clarifying the meaning and purpose of the goals and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice.

Register

UDL in Practice: Recognize Expectations, Beliefs, and Motivations
Thursday, March 27, 12 – 1pm

Description: The session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of recognizing expectations, beliefs, and motivations and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice.

Register

UDL in Practice: Represent a Diversity of Perspectives and Identities in Authentic Ways
Thursday, April 24, 12 – 1pm

Description: The session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of representing a diversity of perspectives and identities in authentic ways and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice.

Register

The certificate, offered through The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, combines workshops, mentorships and classroom observations. Participants learn pedagogical principles and foundational knowledge that can be applied in the classroom.

“One of the challenges that new faculty can face is that they come into the classroom as experts in their field of study but may not feel confident that they have a strong a foundation in the science and pedagogy of being an educator,” says Joanna Koulouriotis, Educational Developer with The Centre and TLC Program Coordinator. “This program helps them develop their knowledge, skills and reflective practices to improve the classroom experience for both students and themselves.”

Dr. Jenna Tichon, an instructor in the Faculty of Science, began taking TLC workshops during her PhD, when she was working as a sessional instructor and then took the full program when she transitioned to a faculty position.

She says it was the mentorship and the connection to a community of other instructors that was transformative for her in her early years in the classroom.

“Community was the biggest thing for me,” says Tichon. “Being able to go for a walk with my mentor and talking about what I was doing or things I wanted to try. Your first couple of years of teaching can be overwhelming—and when everything is feeling overwhelming and too much, to have someone who you can talk to and who listens and understands is so important. I think doing the program was one of the best decisions I could have made.”

While the program was designed to provide support to new faculty, it also has incredible value for mentors. Colleen Plumton, an instructor with the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, has served as mentor since the program began and has seen the benefits for both participants and the mentors who take part.  

“One of the fabulous things about this program is the reciprocal component of it,” says Plumton. “I learn so much from the individuals I’ve mentored because their areas aren’t my areas of expertise and there’s ideas and approaches they use that I’ve been able to take and adapt to my teaching—it continues to inspire me.”

99 faculty members have completed the program, which offers an annual intake. The graduates and mentors make up a community, which both Tichon and Plumton say is one of the best things about the program.

“Having people you can call up and talk through challenges you’re having, or ask questions to, makes you feel like you’re part of something larger,” says Plumton. “It’s about supporting each other and continuing to learn and get better. That’s what it’s all about—you never, ever want to stop learning.”

Registration for the next intake of the TLC program opens in April 2025. Learn more about the TLC program.