Laura Stoutenburg
An English language educator and accredited teacher trainer for more than 25 years in Manitoba and then Ontario, I have taught, coordinated and developed curriculum for community-based ESL, workplace English, English for Academic Purposes, TESL and Intercultural Studies programs. With a B.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in TESL, I began a PhD program at Martin Luther University College in the Fall of 2020.
I’ve been with Teaching and Learning since 2018 under the leadership of Kathryn Brillinger. It is a joy to work with an amazing group of colleagues with such a diverse range of talent and expertise! The team has grown and adapted over the last few years…
As part of my role in Teaching and Learning, I am certified to facilitate Instructional Skills Workshops, and to train facilitators. These workshop series provide both new and experienced faculty with the opportunity to hone their teaching skills in a focused, intensive and yet supportive environment. I recommend ISW for anyone who looking for a new avenue to grow professionally.
One of my main focus areas as a Teaching and Learning Consultant is intercultural teaching skills. This includes creating videos for our Youtube channel, experimenting with new resources for intercultural teaching (such as this SWAY created with international student Susmita Ghosh, facilitating micro-credentials such as Intercultural Teaching Skills and Teaching College Courses in Canada, and developing opportunities for international students to share their experience and insights with faculty, such as the 10+10 +10 initiative bringing together coordinators and international students to eat and learn together which we ran in 2019.
Before joining the Teaching and Learning team, I worked in the Conestoga Language Institute as a professor, program coordinator of several different programs, and for three years as Chair of the Language Institute. There were many opportunities over the years, including doing language assessment for Conestoga in spots such as Bakhu, Azerbaijan and learning how to produce effective asynchronous courses through moving the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program fully online. I have to admit, thought, that the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program is close to my heart.
Over the years, I have served on a number of professional boards and community committees including Teaching English to Adults in Manitoba (TEAM), TESL Waterloo-Wellington, TESL Ontario and the Waterloo Region Immigrant Partnership. I was active for many years in TESOL International – several Conestoga TESL students volunteered with me when the annual conference came to Toronto.
Laura is an Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) Facilitator and Facilitator Development Workshop (FDW) Trainer. See ISW Network