For Professor Allison Glazebrook, teaching is about creating a dialogue with students.

The recipient of this year’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Faculty of Humanities believes teaching is about fostering a community of learners who support each other while learning how to disagree respectfully.

“I value an inclusive classroom that engages and empowers students,” says Glazebrook, a professor in the Department of Classics. “I am always game to try new teaching methods and embrace the challenges teaching offers. It is as much about my own growth as the growth of my students.”

Glazebrook, who was honoured with the teaching award at Friday’s Spring Convocation ceremony, encourages regular discussion in her classes and offers students options in how they demonstrate research literacy and competency in their final assignments.

Carol Merriam, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, awards Professor Allison Glazebrook with the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching at the Friday, June 8 Spring Convocation ceremony.

“As a professor of Humanities,” she says, “my goal is for students to come out of my classes with greater confidence in their abilities as thinkers, public speakers and writers, as well as enthusiasm for learning in general.”

Glazebrook takes teaching beyond the classroom, supporting students in their yearly scholarly symposium, mentoring students and twice leading summer study tours of Greece.

“She has a reputation for excellent mentorship both in and outside of the classroom,” says Department Chair and Associate Professor Angus Smith. “Her teaching brings her influential research into the classroom.”

Glazebrook’s research focuses on women, gender, sexuality and slavery in the Ancient Greek world, and particularly on how prostitution affected women’s lives across ancient Athenian society. She doesn’t shy away from teaching these difficult topics in her courses.

“Such material provides an opportunity for thinking critically about topics that remain controversial or socially problematic today,” she says.

Incorporating her research into her teaching and involving students in her research by examining texts and images in class with students has also led her to many new projects.

“Letters and evaluations from her students and colleagues demonstrate how well respected she is as an educator,” says Associate Dean Brian Power.

“It is clear to the Office of the Dean that Professor Glazebrook embodies all the qualities we value as educators in the Humanities.”