Ben Duinker wins the 2018-19 Teaching Award in the TA/graduate instructor category
Congratulations Ben Duinker, one of two winners of Schulich鈥檚 2018-19 Teaching Awards in the teaching assistant/graduate instructor category!
At Schulich, Ben has completed a MMus in percussion performance and a MA in music theory, and he is currently finishing up a PhD in music theory. His diverse teaching experience spans from classes designed for non-music students to advanced theory classes for Bachelor of Music students. No matter the musical level of the class, Ben is described by his students and supervisors as a natural teacher with a genuine passion for music. His extensive background in a variety of styles of music as well as his highly developed musicianship allows Ben to effortlessly respond to student questions with appropriate examples as well as contextualize answers within the larger progression of course topics. This, combined with his focus on classroom engagement and personalized material, is a winning combination.
In celebration of this achievement, we asked Ben to elaborate on his teaching approach over email.
What is your teaching approach?
I hope to create an encouraging environment for students, leaving them inspired, fulfilled, and eager for further inquiry. I want students to understand music analysis as a creative activity, and I emphasize not just the analytical techniques that they learn, but how these can be used. Analysis is, after all, an interpretive, subjective practice. The sooner students understand this, the sooner they develop the agency to participate actively, having become willing to construe music theory as a fulfilling avenue of musical engagement, rather than a series of abstract tasks to complete for letter grades. Furthermore, bilateral engagement with students forms the core of my approach. I strive to make the classroom a forum for investigation and discovery. To encourage this spirit, I present subject matter to students in the form of a series of problems that need to be solved. We then work together to uncover the theories required to tackle these problems. In this way I endeavour to make the journey to the most appropriate solution an inclusive, participatory experience.
What does this award mean to you?
As an aspiring post-secondary educator at the professorial level, this award means a great deal to me. It represents a validation from students that my contributions to our collective learning environment have been valued by them; I can think of no greater complement as a teacher.
About the Schulich School of Music Teaching Awards
Each year the Schulich School of Music recognizes faculty members and student instructors for their outstanding contributions. The Schulich School of Music Teaching Awards recognize excellence, commitment and innovation in teaching, and the importance of these qualities in the academic experience of students at 黑料不打烊. Prizes are awarded annually to each winner at Spring Convocation.
