At times, teaching can feel isolating. With so many demands on our time and desiring to do the best for students, we can set high expectations for ourselves. And – we are expected to be life-long learners, by adapting our teaching approaches during the pandemic and now again in the wave of AI. In this workshop, participants will receive a teaching resource that was developed by the 2024 3M National Teaching Fellows to create a sense of community and rediscover the joy of learning. Some instructors may like to use this resource as a daily planner or notebook, while others may use it to journal about their teaching practices. 

Through the workshop, participants will explore how they use time and space, what some barriers to joy might be, engage in conversation to build community, and utilize a resource so that we can collectively rediscover the joy of learning.  

Learning outcomes include: 

• Understanding the existing research on common challenges faculty and teaching staff face in academic settings, and the importance of rediscovering joy as a route to flourishing. 

• Understanding ways to create time and space in one’s work by implementing the time saving tips, technologies/tools, and self-care tips or brain breaks shared in the resource. 

• Applying strategies shared during the session to build community in the classroom. 

• Creating opportunities to be a life-long learner by engaging with our reflection prompts, and reading recommendations, and practicing reframing teaching failures as learning opportunities. 

There are two workshop options to choose from:  

• Monday Sept 22 at 9:00 am in the Teaching and Learning Centre - Robertson Library Annex - Room 230

• Monday Sept 22 at 11:45am in the Teaching and Learning Centre - Robertson Library Annex - Room 230

Please let us know which workshop session you plan to attend.  We have space for 20 participants in each session – RSVP.  Come a few minutes early to enjoy refreshments, conversation with colleagues and to celebrate two 3M National Teaching Fellows. 

Libby Osgood is an Associate Professor in Sustainable Design Engineering at the University of Prince Edward Island and a religious sister of the Congregation of Notre Dame de Montreal. She is an aerospace engineer who worked on two NASA satellites as a systems engineer with Orbital Sciences. She holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Dalhousie University and is a member of the 2024 3M National Teaching Fellowship and International Federation of National Teaching Fellows. She researches faith & science, humanitarian engineering, and engineering design teaching practices.  

Erin Austen is an Associate Professor and Chair of Psychology at Saint Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. She completed a PhD in Perceptual Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests are varied; much of her research is connected to health and health promotion. She is invested in teaching and in creating institutional supports for faculty development. Her teaching-relevant leadership roles include Chair of the Faculty Development Committee and Co-Chair of the Maple League Teaching and Learning Committee. She is a member of the 2024 3M National Teaching Fellowship.