Glen Thielmann has a long teaching career in secondary and post-secondary classrooms, and as a provincial curriculum and instruction leader in social sciences and humanities education.
He has been steadily sinking deep roots into teaching and learning environments: the aliveness of school spaces, the nature and culture of learning communities, the connections between knowledge and place, and the acknowledgement that young people have important stories to tell and can themselves become adept storytellers.
Glen examines the experience of educators and their students as they navigate the possibilities of place (and seek out hope) amidst a global polycrisis.
Experience
Glen taught social studies, geography, and English in the secondary schools of SD57 Prince George from 1996-2019. During that time he was also a student leadership coordinator, technology leader, secondary humanities curriculum coach, and professional development coordinator.
More recently, Glen has taught in teacher education at SFU, UBC, and UNBC. He is currently a lecturer at the UNBC School of Education and working on his PhD in Environmental Studies, with a focus on the experiences of place-responsive educators in North Central BC.
Memberships and Committees
- Western Division, Canadian Association of Geographers: Executive member (Student Rep / BC Education Committee), 2019-present
- Barkerville Heritage Trust, Director, 2019-present, vice-chair 2020-2022
- Prince George Social Studies Teachers' Association (PGSSTA), President, 2017-present
- BC Social Studies Teachers’ Association, executive member-at-large, 2016-present
- British Columbia Geography Articulation Committee, Secondary Representative, 2016-present
- Prince George District Teachers' Association (PGDTA) Executive, Professional Development Chair, 2014-present
- Pacific Slope Educational Consortium (Social Learning, Critical Thinking, Environment and Citizenship Initiative): founding member and director, 2010-present
Education
2019 -
PhD candidate: Natural Resources and Environmental Studies
University of Northern British Columbia
2004
MEd: Curriculum, Instruction and Leadership
Simon Fraser University
1995
PDP: Teacher Education
Simon Fraser University
1994
BArts: Geography and English (double major)
University of British Columbia
Awards
2024
University of Northern British Columbia Excellence in Teaching Award
Annual student-nominated award for four exceptional educators at the university
2022
Association of BC Deans of Education Teacher Educator Award
Recognizes distinguished contributions to teacher education in BC
2022
SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship
The award supports high-calibre students engaged in doctoral programs in the social sciences and humanities in Canada
2018
BC Retired Teachers Association Golden Star Award
Recognizes and rewards established school programs in the public system that have, as the focus, the interaction of BC students with seniors
2018
Western Division Canadian Association of Geographers J. Alistair McVey Award for Teaching Excellence
Recognizes a geography instructor (secondary or post-secondary) known for quality of their teaching
2017
Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching
Recognizes outstanding contributions to history education in Canada; presented by the Governor General at a ceremony in Ottawa at Rideau Hall
2015
Government of Canada History Award for Teachers
Recognizes outstanding contributions to history education in Canada; awarded by Canada’s History Society on behalf of the Canadian government
Research
Research interest
Place-based Education
Climate Change Education
Social Studies Education
Publications
Giroux, S., Thielmann, G. (2022). Book review: Teaching global citizenship: A Canadian perspective. Canadian Journal of Education. 45(3) xvi-xviii. https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.v45i3.5797
Thielmann. G., Lewis. R, Martin, J., Pereira, J. Truant, V. (2018). Thinking it through: A social studies sourcebook. Pearson Canada
Cranny, M., Moles, G., et al (2010). Counterpoints: Exploring Canadian issues, 2nd Ed. Pearson Canada
Lapadat, J., Brown, W., Thielmann, G., and McGregor, C. (2010). Teaching with blogs: A case study of technologically mediated literacy. International Journal of Learning and Media. 2010 2:2-3, 63-79