Why I Teach
When I was in grade school, the only times I was sent to the principal’s office happened when my creative writing teacher Michael Jack liked a story of mine enough that he thought the principal should hear it too. How wonderful it was to have such an appreciative audience at my young age. I’ve been in love with writing for a very long time, and I have been fortunate enough to have made my living as a professional journalist for more than 40 years. What has been even more satisfying is that I have been also able to pass along my love of writing to hundreds of students over many years. At the heart of whatever writing course I teach is the notion that I want my students to love writing as much as I do.
As a university teacher – and I prefer that word to “lecturer” – I see myself as a coach/mentor. Throughout my teaching career, I’ve adhered to the philosophy that journalists are made, not born. The one promise I make to students is that if they practise the craft regularly, they will become better writers. To do this, I emphasize the practical side of writing, giving students a variety of hands-on assignments inside and outside the classroom, individually and in small groups, and not always for marks. Learning by doing is the whole point; it helps them appreciate what goes into making a piece of writing readable, enjoyable, and publishable. The more they practise and determine what works and what doesn’t the better they become. Based on evaluations I get from the students, this approach is one they embrace and enjoy. Several students have commented that all that practice they receive, along with my patient guidance, made them better writers. I teach in Western’s Faculty of Information and Media Studies and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities as well as in the Department of Continuing Studies.
Awards
Throughout my teaching career I have been honoured to receive several awards and/or nominations which speak to my effectiveness in the classroom:
Nominated for the Dean’s Award of Excellence, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, 2020
Dean’s Honour Roll for Excellence in Teaching, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, 2019
Winner, Dean’s Award of Excellence, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, Part-time Instructors, 2018
The Arts and Humanities Faculty Nominee for the Angela Armitt Award for Excellence in Teaching by Part-Time Faculty, 2016-17 and 2017-2018
Nominated for Dean’s Award of Excellence, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, 2017
Dean’s Honour Roll for Excellence in Teaching, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, Part-time Instructors, 2016
Winner, Dean’s Award of Excellence, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, Part-time Instructors, 2015
Dean’s Honour Roll for Excellence in Teaching, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, Part-time Instructors, 2014
Winner, Dean’s Award of Excellence, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, Part-time Instructors, 2013
Nominated for Dean’s Award of Excellence, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, Part-time Instructors, 2012
Nominated for Dean’s Award of Excellence, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, Part-time Instructors, 2011
University Students’ Council Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence, 2010-2011
USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence, 2016-2017
USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence, 2009-2010
USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence, 2008-2009
USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence, 2007-2008
USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence, 2006-2007
Nominated for Bank of Nova Scotia, University Students’ Council Award of Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, 2006
USC Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence, 2003-2004
Current Teaching Position
Lecturer, Western University, Department of English and Writing Studies and Faculty of Information and Media Studies, London, ON
Current and Recent Courses
Faculty of Information and Media Studies
Introduction to Journalism, Masters of Media in Journalism & Communications program
Journalism Practices and Principles, undergraduate Media and Information Technology course
Western’s former Masters of Arts in Journalism Program
Theory and Practice of Print Journalism
Media Specialization: Print
Introduction to Print
Department of English and Writing Studies
LOL: Humour Writing
From Deadlines to Headlines: Writing for Publication
The Inside Track: Sports Writing
Let Me Explain it to You: Exposition and Visual Rhetoric
Writing in the World: Introduction to Professional Writing