In this post, I reflect on the article on “Improving Teaching: Enhancing Ways of Being University Teachers” written by Dall’Alba in 2005. The author argues for the need to improve not only our teaching practice, but also who we are as teachers. The article made me think about the importance of bringing our lived experiences into the teaching, but also creating space for students to customise their learning journey through their own lived experiences as well as learning from other people. The article reminded me that, beyond a mere transmission of knowledge, teaching is also about developing soft skills, building relations, fostering a desire to learn, and promoting learning.
Discussing the article with my colleagues in the PgCert course highlighted that some students engage with us in a very transactional way, just to get a degree, or high grades, and this is often at odds with our desire to craft meaningful learning experiences. We are also witnessing a trend towards ‘technologizing’ education, as highlighted in the article. We reflected on the need to also consider that some students face significant financial challenges and are very worried about getting a job after their studies; therefore, we need to equip them with both the technical and soft skills required to succeed professionally and thrive personally.
Another interesting point that emerged in the group discussion is that, even if we tend to challenge the hierarchy between teachers and students, most education is currently still about knowledge transfer or acquisition. To shift towards a paradigm in which we are all learning, we can engage in reflexivity and foster dialogue. However, considering the growing students’ numbers, it becomes more and more difficult to create space for customisation of teaching by bringing lived experiences into the learning journey. Nevertheless, I will continue to challenge certain top-down strategies, question my own practice, and strive to enhance who I am as an educator.