Prof rewarded for making others better teachers; Reid 'humbled' by national fellowship

When University of Calgary geoscience professor Dr. Leslie Reid started teaching a decade ago, little did she know what the future had in store for her.

The Tamaratt teaching professor and Project Engage team lead has spent the past five years helping other professors improve their courses and engage with students -things that have contributed to her being awarded a 3M National Teaching Fellowship today in Saskatoon.

"I actually feel very humbled by the whole process. . . . I kind of have this mindset that it's never good enough," said Reid.

"To have that punctuated with, 'Hey, what you've been doing and working on and spending your time and energy on -we recognize that,' it's pretty neat."

Reid is one of 10 Canadian postsecondary professors receiving the award at the annual Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education conference. The event is being held this year in Saskatoon.

Since 1986, the fellowships have sought to reward exceptional teaching and learning at Canadian universities.

Reid received the U of C's Tamaratt Teaching Professorship in Geoscience in 2007.

Since then, Reid has focused on improving the educational environment at the U of C for both students and professors alike.

Helping profs evaluate and improve their teaching through initiatives such as the Evolve pilot project, Reid said the most important thing she's learned herself has been to take the time to listen to what students are saying.

"The greatest lesson I've learned that has improved my teaching is to listen to students," Reid told the Herald.

"Sharing the responsibility, the power and the learning with students has allowed me to really use feedback in a meaningful way."

In addition to receiving the award, Reid will join the other recipients in Banff this fall for a four-day educational retreat.