UTSC psychology professor Steve Joordens sings in class.
It’s one of many diversions and sideshows he gives the 1,500 students in his introductory psychology class, many of whom watch his lectures online. His interesting and thought-provoking approach is what students say makes Professor Joordens fun to learn from.
And it seems they are not the only ones who think so. A panel of judges, including the Globe and Mail’s Margaret Wente, selected six U of T faculty members as top-ten finalists in TVO’s Top Lecturer competition, which is in its second year. Last year, a Ryerson history prof took the top spot.
Joordens, who also placed in the top-30 in last year’s competition, has risen to become one of the most well-known professors at the Scarborough Campus, with many students choosing to take his class in introductory psychology as one of their electives.
Here’s what some students had to say about his memorable methods of teaching:
• “I remember one time when Professor Joordens pretended to faint in class and no one went to help him up. It was a really practical way to explain the power of the ‘bystander effect.’ Overall, he’s enthusiastic, full of energy, has a great passion for teaching and is just really knowledgeable. He’s pretty much a perfect professor.”
-Matthew Chuk (Master’s student)
• “He incorporates various forms of media, like children’s cartoons, as well as stuff that has gone on in the news to provide greater insight on how psychology permeates the everyday life of students. I gave him a Youtube link of them singing the parts of the brain, [and] he actually used it in class!”
-May Kwan (first-year social science)
• “He can bring in his own experiences and flawlessly relate them to course material, such as his vacation video of sharks to help explain conditioning. People think sharks are scary because of movies, but he showed us that they’re friendly and it caught our attention because it was him and his wife in the video feeding them.”
-Anonymous student
