1997 - Dr. Elizabeth McKim

Department of English
BA (UNBSJ), MA (Concordia), PhD (York)

Dr. Elizabeth McKim has been a member of the St. Thomas faculty since 1991. Her scholarly interests include English and American poetry and the interdisciplinary area of literature and medicine. She has published several articles in major journals about the poetry of S. T. Coleridge and Elizabeth Bishop, and is currently working on a literary history of headache. After winning St. Thomas University's Excellence in Teaching Award, Dr. McKim was nominated for the 1998 Association of Atlantic Universities' Distinguished Teaching Award.

Dr. McKim's teaching philosophy is simple: "Whatever works!" There is no one method, she has learned, that will suit all of her students, so she tries to be sensitive to their needs and structure her classes accordingly. A teacher may need to be something of a chameleon, one who senses the environment and adapts, but according to Dr. McKim, "underneath, the same qualities must always be present: thorough knowledge and love of the material being studied, a clear sense of purpose and an understanding of how to achieve it, and a genuine interest in the students." Dr. McKim has found that the most important thing she can convey to her students is her love of literature. "Poetry, said Horace, is supposed to teach and delight." She finds that her students' extensive discussion and writing about poetry, combined with her infectious enthusiasm for it, lead to classes that are helpful and fun.

Dr. McKim tries to be sensitive to her students' needs outside of class, as well. She maintains an open-door policy and also advises the English Department's Honours students. She has also been active behind the scenes as a member of the committees that have developed and guided new programmes at St. Thomas, such as the Aquinas Programme and Humanities 1003, and was one of the authors of the University's statement on the Goals of a Liberal Education.

"For me," says Dr. McKim, "teaching is an ever-changing, ever-evolving activity. It's always challenging, always exciting, and always satisfying."