By Cassandra Hendry, TLS Staff Writer
There are few higher education courses that equally blend the academic side of learning with a strong foundation in a culture鈥檚 traditions, but 杏吧原创鈥檚 Rodney Nelson is fortunate enough to oversee one of them.
Nelson, who works with the university鈥檚 Centre for Initiatives in Education, is one of three recipients of the 2016 New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. This honour is given to newer faculty who demonstrate their passion and enthusiasm for teaching, and for Nelson, these sentiments are readily evident.
鈥淎 lot of what I鈥檝e been doing has been working with Indigenous people,鈥� Nelson says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting because that鈥檚 what I ended up falling in love with, being able to teach some of our history and ceremony and share that with others, which is really exciting.鈥�
As co-ordinator of the Aboriginal Enriched Support Program, he works with Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to connect with this culture while improving their academic and coping skills. That means students meet with both Indigenous elders and academic writing coaches to receive a high level of support, leading to a 鈥渧ery high success rate鈥� of students advancing through their degree.
Nelson, who is Anishinaabe, centers his year-long seminar courses in culture; his students鈥� first class is in 杏吧原创鈥檚 well-known teepee, where they discuss historical significance, the importance of family, and the value system of the lodge poles.
鈥淭hrough the whole process going through the teaching, [students] start to realize it鈥檚 a safe space . . . For the Indigenous students, it鈥檚 very important to have a space to talk about issues of residential schools, survivors, the sixties scoop, and everything else that happened.鈥�
Nelson鈥檚 course integrates academic material through hands-on learning, such as using card games tied to the material, doing scavenger hunts, or embarking on historical Indigenous walks. This coming year, he says students will be doing land-based learning with an elder in a local lodge.
鈥淲e incorporate ceremony into university academic rigor. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 important. You have to learn everything academically, but to really experience it is different,鈥� he says.
It鈥檚 this experiential learning and the strong connections students form over the course of an academic year that make a difference, Nelson says.
鈥淭his award goes out to my students as well, because a lot of learning comes from each other. That鈥檚 what I really like to create in the classroom, a sharing of knowledge and experiences from everybody else.鈥�