Dawson College proudly honours four exceptional faculty members: Michael Duckett (History), Felix Fuchs (English), Jennifer Koopman (Humanities), and Meghan Waugh (Interior Design). They are being awarded the Director General’s Teaching Excellence Award for 2024-2025. The award presentation will take place on Jan. 14 at the Winter 2026 Ped Day.

This award recognizes their outstanding dedication and excellence in teaching, as nominated by their students and colleagues. Michael has long been passionate about history and open classroom discussions. Felix, originally from Munich, brings expertise in postcolonial literature and critical social theory; Jennifer has been enriching humanities education since 2013 with a focus on literature; and Meghan, a Dawson graduate, combines design expertise with teaching.

Their commitment to inspiring, engaging, and supporting learners enriches the academic community and embodies the highest standards of education at Dawson. They each shared insights in a Q & A with the Communications Office.

How would you describe your teaching philosophy? 

Michael Duckett: I hope my material can guide students in their lives.  To encourage a healthy learning environment, I aim to make the courses as stress-free as possible, to make place for them to do their best. Celebrate successes and otherwise constantly guide them to improve.  

Photo: Michael Duckett

Felix Fuchs: As a teacher, I believe in “teaching with the class, not at [them],” as one of my students once put it in an evaluation. In other words, I aim to create a shared learning experience that involves students in their own learning outcomes and those of their peers. This encourages them to develop their critical reading and writing skills and gives them the motivation they need to explore their own creative approaches to literature. This also means creating a safe space for discussing difficult topics like political violence, systemic injustices, and Canada’s colonial past and present.

Jennifer Koopman: At the heart of my teaching is curiosity.  Learning is a kind of play.  It’s experimental and absorbing.  It works best when we are free to take risks, get lost, and be surprised by what happens. Of course, learning takes effort, but it’s effort sustained by joy.  I want students to experience the fundamental pleasure of discovery: the exhilaration that comes from wrestling with ideas and seeing the world differently than before.

I don’t think of myself as someone who “instructs” in a strict sense, but more as someone who guides, like an enthusiastic tour guide pointing at things and saying, “Look at this!  Isn’t it strange and wonderful!” The students are the ones doing the true work of learning; I mostly cheer them on and ask annoying questions.

For me, the classroom is a space of transformation. Dialogue changes us. Each encounter—between teacher and student, between students themselves, between reader and texts—alters how we see and who we are. You walk in one person, you walk out a little different, myself included.

Meghan Waugh: I come from a family of teachers and have always gravitated towards education myself. Though I spent much of my career working as a commercial interior designer, I knew that I would eventually find my way back to education.

My own teaching philosophy has been heavily inspired by my dad who spent his career as an educator. He taught me that students might not remember all the content, but they will remember how they felt. I strive to create an open environment where students have the freedom to explore their creativity without the fear of failure. Learning anything new can be daunting, so allowing room for imperfection, trial and repetition is so important for building confidence, especially for emerging designers.

What makes teaching at Dawson special? 

Michael Duckett: The whole world inhabits Dawson.  The students bring experiences that enrich all our lives. They give me so much hope for the future.

Felix Fuchs: I have had the pleasure of teaching students from many different countries and backgrounds who all contribute their own unique stories and perspectives. So many of my students are also actively involved in politics, which is exciting to see in an age of political apathy. Beyond that, I also want to highlight that to me personally, it is the Continuing Education classes which make Dawson special. ContEd students care so deeply about getting an education that it makes teaching night classes really rewarding.

Photo: Felix Fuchs

Jennifer Koopman: First, the students. They come from everywhere, and they see the world in more ways than I could imagine. Their diversity gives the classroom depth and richness.  It turns discussion into discovery.

Then there are my colleagues, who continually inspire with their brilliance and generosity.  Hallway chats and impromptu exchanges are a constant source of ideas and support. Honestly, most of my best teaching ideas come from them.

Meghan Waugh: I knew when I graduated from the Interior Design program at Dawson College that I would be back again to teach. Returning to Dawson to teach alongside the instructors who taught me the profession was such a privilege! Our small program has always felt very much like a family, and I am honoured to now be sharing in creating that same community experience for this generation of interior design students. 

What is your favourite thing about teaching?

Michael Duckett: It is a dream come true for me to make a living through never-ending learning.

Felix Fuchs: I enjoy teaching because it allows me to get to know the texts I care about at a much deeper level. Through the discussions with my students, I discover facets of the texts I had never considered before, and I like to think that the students have a similar experience of realizing that there is much more to be gained from reading a text collectively than on your own. I also care deeply about the political messages of the literary texts I teach, and it is exciting to see when students start to engage with a text because it offers them a genuinely new perspective on the world.

Jennifer Koopman: Although I always begin class with a plan, my favorite moments are the ones that transcend it: when discussion takes an unexpected turn, or when someone’s question shifts the conversation entirely.  It reminds me that the classroom is a creative space—alive, and full of wonder.

Photo: Jennifer Koopman

Meghan Waugh: The relationships, community and the shared creativity! I’m inspired by my students and colleagues every day!

Photo: Meghan Waugh