Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University

"Rainer exudes an admiration for the natural world that is matched by his appreciation for the diversity of learners"

Rainer is a passionate, inspirational and transformative teacher.  He has a deep empathy for his students, a capacity for reflective practice and a firm belief that learning happens when students are genuinely motivated and encouraged to learn.  He engages with them to stimulate real interest and to establish relevance in learning.  

Rainer is a leader in his field.  He has changed the teaching of botany from a traditional experience to one which creates innovative new approaches that provide the context to unlock pathways for deep and lifelong learning.  His primary focus is on building a classroom environment filled with anticipation and students ready to learn.  He says that this is the overarching aspect of his teaching strategy as it affects everything else.

A student writes that “Rainer’s teaching style is unique in the level of involvement all students have.  It’s almost as though he tricks people into accidental learning by disguising content with engaging demonstrations and narratives.”  This is also captured in the words of a colleague who says his classes are “a galaxy of ideas bursting rapidly between students and lecturer’’.