By Cassandra Hendry, TLS Staff Writer
When neuroscience professor Michael Hildebrand welcomes students to his classroom, he has one overarching goal in mind.
鈥淥ne of the main things is a commitment to student success and doing whatever it takes to help students feel safe; that means creating a safe and mentoring environment in class and outside of class too,鈥� Hildebrand says.
This dedication to creating a positive environment in the classroom has helped Hildebrand win one of 杏吧原创鈥檚 2016 New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Awards. This award recognizes new professors who demonstrate a strong commitment to student success and show innovation in their teaching methods.
Hildebrand focuses on a student-centered approach, where he strives to create connections with his students through sharing personal stories, providing career advice, and always having an open door policy.
鈥淪omething I do in class to help students feel free to contribute, take part, and lead discussions, is to share a bit about myself and my life lessons along the way, including stories from my family if they apply to lecture material,鈥� he says.
Some of these personal stories include lessons from his career path, which Hildebrand describes as non-linear, as he started out teaching, switched to a research focus, then came back to teaching again.
Hildebrand鈥檚 student-centered focus doesn鈥檛 only apply to a student-professor dynamic, either. Using a pedagogical method he learned while studying at the University of British Columbia, he tells his students to think of their class as a sports team.
鈥淚鈥檓 the coach and they鈥檙e the players. They鈥檙e the ones that will be on the field or ice and I鈥檒l give them tips over the first few weeks as a sort of training camp where I鈥檒l get everyone comfortable with each other,鈥� he says.
鈥淏ut after that, they鈥檙e the ones leading the seminars together and facilitating questions. It really is a student-run class.鈥�
While he admits this type of learning can be more difficult in a large class, he says he鈥檚 still found success through incorporating miniature experiments and activities to foster that environment. As well, Hildebrand notes that there are always dedicated students visiting him during office hours or connecting over email to discuss career plans and to use him as a sounding board.
鈥淚n the big classes it鈥檚 tougher, but in the seminar class, they really do respond. I feel very connected to these students, invested in their lives the same way I hope they鈥檙e invested in the course at the end of the semester.鈥�