Vanier College is extremely proud to announce that Physics teacher Rhys Adams is the 2024 recipient of the Prix de la ministre en Enseignement supérieur 2024 : volet Reconnaissance de l'excellence en enseignement, Prix Paul-Gérin-Lajoie. The prize, that recognizes educational innovation and excellence in Quebec's colleges and universities, was announced on May 9, 2024 when the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, presented ten awards and one honour at a special ceremony. The winners shared bursaries worth a total of $110,000.
Since 1978, the Minister's Awards recognize both the quality of educational resources developed by people with a passion for teaching as well as excellence and commitment in teaching at both college and undergraduate levels.
"I am proud to see what extraordinary teachers we have in Quebec. This year's winners have all put their knowledge and expertise to work for students. Quality teaching materials are made here, and it's important to underline that. I'm also delighted to have presented awards for excellence in university and college teaching to exceptional people. We are fortunate to be able to count on such passionate people who are committed to the quality of our higher education system. Congratulations to all," said Pascale Déry, Minister of Higher Education.
In presenting the award to Rhys Adams, the selection committee wanted to recognize his impressive career and his incredible commitment to his colleagues and students and stated the following: "By orchestrating out-of-class and collaborative activities, Rhys Adams fosters an enriching interaction between the environment and course content, anchoring his teaching at the heart of reality. This back-to-basics approach to hands-on learning was appreciated by the entire committee for its educational, social and relational benefits. This teacher's devotion to his students is clearly evident in his sense of innovation and his inspiring approaches, which are changing the face of science teaching."
"Finally, the members of the committee highlighted Rhys' commitment to his peers, and his remarkable contribution to the dissemination and sharing of knowledge. In this respect, the international impact of his work demonstrates his high level of collaboration in the advancement of science education, and testifies to the community's recognition of his pedagogical excellence."
Rhys who has been teaching at Vanier since 2006, is a teacher who relentlessly develops creative and innovative ways to stimulate his students' interest in Physics. Indeed, his originality and passion for teaching have been recognized in the past with numerous other awards. In seeking new ways of engaging students, Rhys was one of the first teachers to develop active learning activities in the classroom. He has organized many field trips for students to experience and discuss physics outside of the classroom and has implemented many active learning strategies shown to increase physics motivation and conceptual understanding. Thanks to his teaching and his influence many of his students have gone on to pursue careers in science and research.
Upon receiving his award, Rhys Adams stated, "I don't usually like praise for my teaching. I just do my work and I love my work. I love being in the classroom with my students, I love doing research, and I love the communities to which I belong.
Being better in my work means that I must always try new approaches. Experiment, ask for help, fail, often even, and rely on data that tells me my students are improving in physics. At the end of the day, I worry more about their learning than my teaching - I am there for them!
Today's recognition would not have been possible without the extraordinary people who surround me. People who inspire me, support me, mentor me, who encourage me to try new approaches and to improve myself. People who are very dear to me."
Congratulations to this truly outstanding teacher.
