Education's President's Prize Winners for Teaching Excellence

Celebrating excellence in the classroom 

President’s Prize honours educators who ‘inspire curiosity, nurture talent and prepare our students to thrive in a complex world'

At the afternoon Fall Convocation ceremony on October 14, McGill awarded the President’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching to four outstanding educators, half of whom were Faculty of Education instructors.

Faculty Lecturer category: Michael Creamer

Michael Creamer, Faculty Lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, has a dynamic approach to teaching and a commitment to student development. Drawing from his experience as both an educator and Olympic-level coach, Creamer bridges theory and practice by integrating experiential learning into his courses that mirror the challenges students will face in the field. His leadership within the B.Ed. program and dedication to continuous pedagogical growth have further elevated the student learning experience. Creamer’s investment in mentoring future physical educators is grounded in his belief that learning should be authentic and meaningful. As one former student reflected: “His lessons didn’t feel like theory, they felt real. They were rooted in personal experience (…) which helped me picture what those concepts would look like in my own future classes.”

Associate Professor category: Marta Kobiela

Associate Professor Marta Kobiela, of the Department of Integrated Studies in Education, was honoured for her inclusive, intellectually rich teaching and her unwavering commitment to student learning and development. Students praise her for creating classrooms that are collaborative spaces where they are invited to engage deeply with ideas, reflect critically and take ownership of their learning. Kobiela empowers students to become co-constructors of knowledge. Her leadership in curriculum innovation was especially evident during the pandemic, when she successfully redesigned two foundational mathematics methods courses – first for remote delivery, then into a blended format – while preserving hands-on, practice-based learning. As Director of the Visualization, Interaction and Reasoning Lab, Professor Kobiela explores how learners develop reasoning, visualization and agency in mathematics, particularly in geometry and spatial reasoning. As one student noted: “She consistently surpasses the expectations of a teacher, mentor and academic leader, embodying the principles of excellence, empathy and equity in everything she does.”