Peter Pelzer wins national teacher prize
Peter Pelzer, associate professor at the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning (Faculty of Geosciences), has been elected as Teacher of the Year by the jury of the Dutch National Student Association (ISO).
On 25 March, this prize was presented to Peter at DE KOM in Nieuwegein during this special tenth edition by outgoing minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf. In addition to a physical prize, he will receive a scholarship for educational innovation and an honorary position within the Comenius network.
In addition to teacher, Peter is also the programme director of Continuing Education at the Faculty of Geosciences, and he is involved in the Urban Futures Studio and the Utrecht Young Academy. In 2023, Peter already received Utrecht University’s Teacher of the Year Award.
I am incredibly honoured to have been named Teacher of the Year. This title is a wonderful recognition of my teaching, in which I involve students in the big social questions of our time. I try to make them aware of what they can contribute.
New teaching methods and concepts
As an innovator, Peter knows how to apply all kinds of new educational forms and concepts in his teaching. Imaginative skills often feature in his courses, such as designing 'a museum of the future' or writing a fictional book from the future. Peter is also a connector: between theory and practice, abstract and concrete, learning and experience, and between students and the field.
As a teacher, Peter is a real innovator and connector. He also finds it important to make students feel part of something bigger. Peter knows how to give students a sense of responsibility and how to adapt teaching methods to this. I warmly congratulate him on this honourable award.
ISO Teacher of the Year election 2024
The aim of the ISO Teacher of the Year election is to spotlight inspiring and great teaching in higher education. This year, the election paid extra attention to innovation within the teacher’s field.
Very deserved that teachers are put in the spotlight with this election. Students know better than anyone how important a good teacher is. A good teacher can awaken something in you, give you confidence, open up new worlds for you. Education is ultimately about the magical connection between students and teachers.