Kevin was the successful recipient for the University of British Columbia for 2015.
The purpose of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Fieldwork Educator Award of Excellence is to acknowledge the contribution of a practice educator who demonstrates exceptional performance in student practice teaching and in student mentoring in the workplace, and who represents a gold standard in inspiring students to passionately pursue professional practice.
The recipient needed to have made a significant contribution to practice education of student Occupational Therapists through:
- Inspirational teaching,
- Innovative teaching with diverse learners,
- Contributing to the student practice education process throughout the academic year (i.e., through
- involvement in fieldwork advisory committees, etc.),
- Providing teaching opportunities over many years,
- Helping students in difficulty, or in need of additional support,
- Mentoring students and recent graduates and
- Will have received positive feedback from students regarding the practice experience.
Kevin has educated a record 18 students over his 7 years as a Fieldwork Educator. He encompasses all of the above criteria and to quote one of his nominators: “Kevin, through his admirable teaching style and genuine concern for me, was able to empower me, build my confidence and motivate me to strive to become a successful occupational therapist. He did this by understanding who I was as a person and a learner”.
Other words used to describe Kevin’s ability to teach include:
- always available and receptive to questions and feedback
- provided “teaching moments” during the work day.
- actively sought students’ feedback to help improve their learning experience and how he could improve his role as a preceptor.
- timely and consistent feedback throughout the placement, often immediately after each incident, and during formal weekly feedback sessions.
- skilled at facilitating clinical reasoning
- able to modify his teaching methods
- easy-going and trusted students
- required me to use guided self-reflection and self-motivated learning
Congratulations Kevin. A recognition well deserved!