In this interactive, participatory workshop, Erica Mohan and Jude Walker (EDST) showed how creativity, play and spontaneity is an attitude we can adopt in our teaching rather than something to add onto our already packed syllabi. They shared their own experiences and introduced participants to activities they have used in their classes, from games to role-plays to improv and artistic playful engagements, all of which support risk-taking, make teaching and learning more fun and further the learning of both teachers and students.
Date:
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Time:
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Location:
Neville Scarfe, Room 1007
Presenters (click/tap on name to see bio):
Erica Mohan is an adjunct faculty member in the Educational Studies department. She is also the Founder of Community Education Partnerships (CEP), a non-profit that provides educational support to Pre-K – 12th grade students facing homelessness and housing insecurity in the San Francisco Bay Area. Erica holds an MEd and a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia. When not working, Erica enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and taking improv and comedy classes.
Jude Walker is Associate Professor & Program Chair of Adult Learning & Education in the Educational Studies department. She loves teaching adults and is constantly looking for new ways to make teaching and learning less boring. She also has a PhD from EDST; in fact, Erica and Jude suffered through the PhD program together and managed to find the humour in it and, at times, even playfulness! While Jude would likely bomb as a stand-up comic and is not very good at improv (unlike her co-facilitator), she believes strongly in the pedagogical power of doing silly things.