The Laurier Teaching Podcast

Teaching and Learning at Laurier

The Teaching Excellence and Innovation team at Laurier help shape, inspire and celebrate exceptional teaching and learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. Our podcast celebrates incredible teaching, tells stories about impactful educational experiences, and provides insight and a deep look at critical avenues of higher education.

  1. 05/09/2025

    In Conversation with Elizabeth Mitchell: Making Music Guided by People at Laurier

    2024 Hoffman-Little Award winner Elizabeth Mitchell from Laurier's Faculty of Music shares her journey into music therapy and the connective power of music in helping people express emotions, memories, and experiences. She discusses the importance of improvisation, versatility, and self-awareness, skills that allow practitioners to meet clients where they are and engage them in dynamic ways, whether in hospitals or community settings. She prepares students for clinical settings by integrating theory with hands-on experience, ensuring students develop both technical musical skills and interpersonal competencies to best serve the diverse clients that these students will support. A passionate advocate for decolonizing music therapy, Elizabeth shares how she works to amplify Indigenous voices and ensure that diverse musical traditions are valued in musical therapy practices. She weaves these perspectives throughout the curriculum to foster a more holistic and inclusive approach to music therapy education that leaves a lasting impact on both students and community members. Laurier's Donald F. Morgenson Awards for Teaching Excellence honour those who, through their commitment to exemplary teaching, have made significant contributions to the educational experience of Laurier students. Learn more about award-winning teaching at Laurier.  Explore more from Teaching Excellence and Innovationn at Laurier >>

    43 min
  2. 04/25/2025

    In Conversation with Marybeth White: Teaching as a Continual Process of Learning at Laurier

    Marybeth White from Laurier's Religion and Culture Department and recipient of the 2024 Sustained Excellence Teaching Award, shares insights on fostering a student-centered learning environment grounded in compassion, flexibility and inclusive design. Marybeth discusses the changes she's seen in students throughout her career, including what students are better at now than when she started and what they need more support on. She reflects on how teaching is a continual process of learning and adaptation, responding to the evolving needs of students through flexibility and innovation. Marybeth shares ways she's creatively reimagined her course design to focus on essential takeaways and diverse assessment methods, such as quizzes, reflective journals, presentations, and an optional final exam based on a student's individual learning journey. Marybeth explores the importance of creating brave spaces for discussion and how she encourages students to engage critically and compassionately with diverse perspectives as keys to growth, as well as how she uses Universal Design principles to provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate their learning. Laurier's Donald F. Morgenson Awards for Teaching Excellence honour those who, through their commitment to exemplary teaching, have made significant contributions to the educational experience of Laurier students. Learn more about award-winning teaching at Laurier: https://bit.ly/award-winning-faculty Explore more from Teaching Excellence and Innovation

    34 min

About

The Teaching Excellence and Innovation team at Laurier help shape, inspire and celebrate exceptional teaching and learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. Our podcast celebrates incredible teaching, tells stories about impactful educational experiences, and provides insight and a deep look at critical avenues of higher education.