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

Kay Sibbald

Department of Hispanic Studies

1) The university, if it is to be deserving of its name, is one of the few places left for the exercise of the intellect in our busy modern lives. The challenge for us as teachers in such an institution is how to give our students not only the tools but the passion for such an endeavour. This is always difficult but never more so than when the current mindset runs from "boring" to "what's it worth?"

2) Teaching is a partial, passionate and political affair. Consequently, if the good teacher is opinionated, committed and enthusiastic, students should feel as though they have come in contact with a sensitive steam-roller. Neither deaf nor lacking a sense of humour, the best teacher always goes to class expecting to learn something new and is rarely disappointed.