An Interview with Centennial College Teacher Dimitrios Papadopoulos

Introduce yourself and the courses you teach. What, in your opinion, is the best thing about being a teacher at Centennial College?

My name is Dimitri Papadopoulos and I teach a variety of course in the Department of Social Science at the college. This term I am teaching Macroeconomics, two sections of World Views, a course on the Politics of Globalization and a survey course, Introduction to Political science. In the winter term I will also teach Knowledge, International Politics and Contemporary Issues.

The best thing about teaching at Centennial College is being able to monitor and give feedback to my students on a weekly basis. Students are well prepared for and know the expectations for class, their assignments, and their results. This means that teachers do all that is possible to give students a chance to succeed, and students can do all that is possible to give themselves a chance to succeed.

What differentiates the college from other colleges/CEGEPs in Quebec in terms of the approach and the educational frameworks that we use at Centennial?

There are many differences, but let me mention three:

1. The first and most important difference between our college and other colleges is that we systematically, as a teaching staff, organize and deliver our courses to ensure no student is left behind. All the materials are posted with full explanations and rubrics, which detail what and how all of the assignments will be marked. Students regularly sit down with us to go over their assignments so that their key questions are answered before they hand in their work.
2. Courses are organized so that evaluations are directly linked to the materials being studied and used in class, allowing students to extend what they are learning in class in a seamless fashion.
3. Finally, students at Centennial College are not alone in their educational journey. Teachers feel it is their job to do all they can to help students, because their individual success is also our success. We do all we can to vary the nature of the materials we use in class and the methods of evaluation to give all students a better chance of success.

Describe a typical classroom experience or a typical day at Centennial College?

A typical classroom experience worth mentioning here is the presentation by students of their group research and assignments for each of the sections of the course. After students are introduced to a concept, one that will lead to an assignment, students form groups to do research on elements of the concept that was introduced. Students work and present their research to the class, enhancing each other’s learning, bringing in personal knowledge and experience to the course, and enabling them to better perform on the major evaluation that is to come.

What is C-Space and what are the advantages of having this in college?

C-Space is an opportunity for all students to work on key elements of the course in a guided context. This allows them to see if they understand the work and how to do it. The fact that the teacher is available in class means that the immediate feedback allows them to learn without lags or gaps. It also allows teachers to monitor if what they have been doing has been effective. In the end, students accomplish key tasks in a shorter and more efficient manner, allowing them to be more successful.

 What is the culture like at Centennial College?

The culture of Centennial can best be described demanding yet accessible. Students are made to feel like they are at home, and everyone is working to enable them to achieve success. At the same time students know that our culture is demanding as it requires that they attend, work regularly and systematically, under guided supervision. It is a culture of caring efficiency.

Tell me about one of your favorite teaching memories/story?

In my Knowledge course students have to take pictures of Montreal architecture and show its roots in older styles embedded in our culture that we have studied. In the first year one of my students took pictures of our old school on Prud’homme and pointed out that it mirrored the Art Deco style of the 1920’s. What was instructive was that I had never noticed it. I used my student’s insight in my class from then on. It was instructive.