My name is Bhuvinder Vaid (he, him, his), but most everyone calls me by my nickname, “Beev”. I am so excited to be joining the CTE at CapU, but perhaps most importantly, joining a team of passionate and supportive colleagues.  

Before the last 16 months of teaching from my dining room table with my trusty “teaching assistant” cocker spaniel at my side, I spent the last decade working (solo) as an undergraduate classroom instructor at Simon Fraser University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and Alexander College. My teaching assignments have varied from Education to English to Academic Writing and Preparation courses, through which I try to develop strong supportive relationships with students to encourage in them a comfort to ask questions.  

Alongside my teaching, I have published on learning spaces, technology adoption, and online learning. I have also worked at Learning Centres to develop learning and study strategies with students and their instructors, often focusing upon the instructor’s intended goal versus the (mis)understanding of students. These teaching and learning experiences have also influenced the consulting practices that I have been developing, working with clients from around the province to develop new curricula or training practices, or most often, reviewing existing practices and then facilitating change to improve outcomes.  

All of these experiences have been influenced by my graduate work, first in the pedagogy of teaching with technology, and currently in educational philosophy considering, what exactly is meant versus what is understood, when we call our classes safe spaces within the ongoing dialogues of equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education. Our intentions when we teach, versus what our students understand that we want for them, goes to the heart of who I am and how I engage other: the stronger and more supportive our relationship as colleagues, co-workers, student-teacher, the easier it is to ask questions when we do not understand.  

When not working in the CTE, you may find me and my partner learning to build a cabin from YouTube videos, supporting the local arts community by aimlessly wandering around galleries or watching live performances, playing tennis, trying out new coffee blends, and volunteering with groups trying to help food insecure families.