Lauren Spring is an Educational Developer at the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (term position) with a specific focus on supporting Academic Assistants and the Graduate Teaching Development Program.
Previously, Lauren worked as a Teaching and Learning Consultant with Conestoga College where she supported faculty across 9 campuses and designed and delivered professional development workshops and micro-credential courses on a wide variety of topics. Lauren also created and hosted the podcast series "My Favourite Lesson" (external link) where she spoke with faculty from across the college about their teaching challenges, strategies, and how and when aspects of their identities intersect with class content and conversations. Season 2 of the podcast inspired a SoTL-based research project that Lauren and her collaborator recently wrote about for a chapter in a book (external link) that is part of Palgrave Macmillan's series on the Politics of Mental Health and Mental Illness.
Lauren has also taught in many different programs and departments at the undergraduate and graduate levels (Education, Leadership, Sociology, Equity and Critical Disability Studies, Global Studies, Social Work, Critical Studies in Improvisation, and with the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health and Society and the School of the Environment) at various post-secondary institutions (University of Toronto, Brock, Wilfrid Laurier, University of Guelph, Conestoga).
Lauren's doctoral work and SSHRC-funded post-doctoral fellowship research focused on arts and community-based approaches to adult education about complex and emotionally-charged topics (military trauma and human sex trafficking, respectively) and Lauren continues to be fascinated by, and deeply engaged with this work.
Lauren has also been an Art Educator at the Art Gallery of Ontario since 2008 where she designs and leads programs for diverse adult groups and K-12 students.
Outside of work, Lauren enjoys doing pretty much anything with her daughter Amélie and partner Thomas, and can usually be found trying to convince family members and friends to join her on outdoor adventures, or to see experimental theatre or art exhibits.
Oh, Lauren also went to a physical theatre/ clown school in Paris and will happily show you a really neat arm trick if you bump into her on campus and want to see it! (It feels especially life-affirming these days to have a talent--albeit a silly one--that AI can not yet emulate...)