My career is marked by a commitment to working at the confluence of practice and theory, and my pedagogical approach is no different. My teaching relies heavily on recent, relevant, real-life case studies, and whenever possible I invite my students to problem-solve actual environmental communication issues I am working on through my consulting practice (preserving client confidentiality).
As an instructor, I rely heavily on comedy to introduce both levity and critical thinking to the learning process, and as a former amateur stand-up comic, I am known for my entertaining presentation style.
As a TA, I routinely had students attend more than one tutorial per day (repeat attendance) and my student evaluations trended high above the average in terms of student satisfaction.
Tutoring Experience
Through first hand experience, I know that teaching is as much about inspiring confidence and interest in a subject, as it is about explaining concepts…and it should also be fun.
My tutoring experience lies primarily in the humanities and social sciences and focuses on writing skills (essays, research, critical thinking, grammar, writing style, APA formatting etc.).
I worked as a writing tutor at the Ryerson University Writing Centre for two years during my undergraduate degree, and most recently I have worked as a teaching assistant at Simon Fraser University in the Communication Department, including the development and co-instruction of a new communication course titled, “Environment, Media & Communication,” with Dr. Bob Anderson.
As part of my professional development I have also completed the 24hr Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) at Simon Fraser University.
Laugh & Learn
I love making people laugh, and it makes learning a lot more fun and interesting.
At Simon Fraser University, I’ve had a blast with the students, and apparently they’ve learned something as well. Here are some samples of anonymous feedback I solicited halfway through one of my courses:
“This is the best tutorial I have ever had. It is interesting and fun to participate in. You are very knowledgeable and bring great insight to the articles. Great job Andrew!”
“Most entertaining, yet informative tutorial I’ve had.”
“I love this tutorial, it’s my favourite one. Discussions are great and I feel like we can talk about everything and give honest opinions of the readings. Keep up the great work!”
“…the best part of this class is the tutorial sessions. Not only are they really fun, but I actually learn stuff. So I say don’t change a thing. You’re doing great!”
