H. Noel Fieldhouse Award for Distinguished Teaching (Faculty of Arts)

Michael Bisson

Department of Anthropology

1) In archaeology, observations of material remains are used to reconstruct prehistoric human behaviour, something which is not directly observable. Challenges in teaching archaeology differ depending on the objectives of each course. At the introductory level, the main problem is to find the right balance of factual information and explanatory concepts to provide students with a solid background in the data and a picture of how scholars make interpretations. In more advanced courses, the goal is to encourage students to analyze problems from multiple theoretical perspectives and to recognize the complex factors that influence all behaviour.

2) Good teaching always begins with a thorough knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, your subject. Enthusiasm is necessary to show students that a topic is both worthwhile and interesting. The best teachers I know are effective communicators and, most important, do not underestimate the ability of their students. Most students will respond positively, even to very difficult material, if you are able to convey your excitement about the subject to them.