Huma Khalid is on a mission to promote student mental health.

Growing up in Pakistan, her educational journey wasn’t always easy, leaving her struggling to feel good about herself. But since starting her PhD in Education at Brock, she’s never felt more supported.

In recognition for consistently striving to provide a safe environment for Brock students to learn and excel, Khalid was recognized with the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation’s (CPI) International Teaching Assistant Award at the Teaching Assistant Reception on Tuesday, April 9 in the Goodman Atrium.

“I am feeling so happy that as an international student who only got here in September that I received this award,” says Khalid, who completed many of the CPI workshops to improve her teaching and class management abilities.

Tim Kenyon (front centre), Interim Provost and Vice-President, Academic, was among Brock leaderships that came together to celebrate the dedication and accomplishments of the University’s teaching assistants at a reception hosted by the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation on April 9.

Reflecting on how her teaching has evolved since the fall, Khalid says she’s more confident in her ability to converse in English and has a broader understanding of strategies that most benefit Canadian students in the learning environment.

“Many of the strategies for being a good teacher include the promotion of student-centred learning,” says Khalid. “For me, this means creating an inclusive environment for students to be able to respectfully voice their opinions and listen to each other.”

Guiding Khalid on her journey to become a better teacher has been Dolana Mogadime, Professor of Educational Studies.

“I was very lucky that to have Dolana supporting me because we have the same mindset,” says Khalid. “She really helped me to see a lot of the different ways students think and would tell me she trusts me and my capabilities.”

As part of Khalid’s doctoral journey, she hopes to make changes in Pakistan’s education system to make it more student focused and responsive to individual needs.

Also recognized was Master of Education student Richard Trotter (BEd ’22), who received the Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, and Child and Youth Studies doctoral student Sandra Kroeker (BA ’09, MA ’19), who received the Teaching Assistant Award.

Natalie Currie-Patterson, Associate Director, Educational Development, said Brock’s teaching assistants play an important role in providing students with the best learning experience possible.

“The outstanding award recipients and number of certificates conferred demonstrate how TAs have embraced the professional learning opportunities from CPI to create equitable, accessible and inclusive classrooms,” she said.

More than 70 certificates were also awarded as part of the Brock University Certificate Programs in Teaching and Learning. More information about these professional development opportunities can be found on the CPI website.