Taking teaching seriously

Authors

  • Dale Roy McMaster University
  • Erika Kustra University of Windsor
  • Paola Borin Ryerson University

Abstract

Most universities claim their role as educators is taken seriously. But what observable activities occur in these institutions to substantiate the value of teaching? This reflective piece is based on our combined 75 years of experience at McMaster University, the University of Windsor, and the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). We consider approaches employed in the past to take teaching seriously and propose strategies all universities can use to increase the degree to which teaching is valued: (1) preparing potential university teachers; (2) investigating teaching abilities during hiring; (3) providing teaching resources; (4) ensuring the best teachers are known, celebrated, and rewarded; and (5) encouraging teachers to talk about the relationship between teaching and student learning. This chapter contributes to the anthology’s goal of grappling with the ongoing challenges and opportunities universities have in valuing teaching and learning, situated within the past 50 years of McMaster’s own journey.

Author Biographies

Dale Roy, McMaster University

Director Emeritus, Centre for Leadership in Learning, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1.

Erika Kustra, University of Windsor

Centre for Teaching and Learning. University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4

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Published

2022-12-07

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022): Where learning deeply matters: Reflections on the past, present, and future of teaching at McMaster University

Section

Introduction