> Prof honoured for teaching – and leadership
Prof honoured for teaching – and leadership
March 23, 2007
He may score high marks in the classroom, but Dennis Krebs, SFU’s newest recipient of a prestigious 3M Teaching Fellowship, likes to think his role in shaping the “bigger picture” capped the honour.
The national award recognizes both teaching excellence and educational leadership.
Krebs, a psychology professor and former department chair, devoted the past five years to the formation and follow-through of SFU’s landmark curriculum initiative.
“The reach of this initiative and its impact on learning here at SFU is so much broader than anything I could do as an individual teacher,” says Krebs, who headed the review of SFU’s undergraduate curriculum and later, a task force to implement recommendations.
“I like to think that this award reflects the hard work that has gone into this endeavour on the part of the entire campus community.”
Krebs earlier chaired the president’s advisory committee on university priorities, leading a sweeping evaluation of all SFU programs.
Back in the classroom, Krebs admits he wasn’t always at the top of the teaching ladder. “My first lecture course was an utter failure,” he recalls.
“I tried in vain to model the style of the professors I admired. My worst fears were realized when the course was featured in the students’ ‘blue book’ under the heading, ‘For Masochists Only.’”
Becoming an effective lecturer involved making a large number of small changes. “I try to make it clear to students that my goal is to help every single one of them improve their knowledge and thinking abilities in deep and enduring ways, that I am willing to make the commitment necessary to achieve this goal, and that I expect a commensurate commitment from them in return.”
As many as 10 fellowships are awarded across Canada annually. Since its inception in 1986, 208 individuals have been honoured. Previous SFU recipients include Gary Poole, a former psychology lecturer, Peter Kennedy, economics, and Andrea Leibowitz, English.
The national award recognizes both teaching excellence and educational leadership.
Krebs, a psychology professor and former department chair, devoted the past five years to the formation and follow-through of SFU’s landmark curriculum initiative.
“The reach of this initiative and its impact on learning here at SFU is so much broader than anything I could do as an individual teacher,” says Krebs, who headed the review of SFU’s undergraduate curriculum and later, a task force to implement recommendations.
“I like to think that this award reflects the hard work that has gone into this endeavour on the part of the entire campus community.”
Krebs earlier chaired the president’s advisory committee on university priorities, leading a sweeping evaluation of all SFU programs.
Back in the classroom, Krebs admits he wasn’t always at the top of the teaching ladder. “My first lecture course was an utter failure,” he recalls.
“I tried in vain to model the style of the professors I admired. My worst fears were realized when the course was featured in the students’ ‘blue book’ under the heading, ‘For Masochists Only.’”
Becoming an effective lecturer involved making a large number of small changes. “I try to make it clear to students that my goal is to help every single one of them improve their knowledge and thinking abilities in deep and enduring ways, that I am willing to make the commitment necessary to achieve this goal, and that I expect a commensurate commitment from them in return.”
As many as 10 fellowships are awarded across Canada annually. Since its inception in 1986, 208 individuals have been honoured. Previous SFU recipients include Gary Poole, a former psychology lecturer, Peter Kennedy, economics, and Andrea Leibowitz, English.