York psychology course director Oren Amitay has won two teaching excellence awards this year — one from Glendon, where he is psychology course director, and one from Ryerson’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, where he has taught for four years.
Right: Oren Amitay
Amitay, who graduated from York in June with a PhD in clinical psychology, has been teaching at York for six years. In September, Glendon announced he was the winner of this year’s Principal’s Teaching Excellence Award.
Earlier this month, Ryerson presented him with its 2006 Teaching Excellence Award for the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education.
The Ryerson citation says Amitay’s students commend him for his ability to integrate his clinical practice, research, and current events and issues into an interactive, innovative and engaging learning experience. “The classroom of Oren Amitay is anything but a ‘lecture’ hall,” says one student. “His classes are always interactive.” Says another: “He supports every claim by giving more than just statistics or data. He provides interesting analogies and examples of the subject matter.” And from a third student: “He strongly encourages us to think about, question, reflect on, and challenge what we are learning. And he tries very hard to make sure that we carry what we learn in class with us and apply it in the ‘real world’”.
The citation includes Amitay’s teaching philosophy: “It is my hope that seeing me invest so much time and energy into my courses, due to my love of teaching, dedication to my field, high standards, and desire for them to succeed, will inspire students to exert themselves and capitalize on the opportunities available to them.”