The trickiest thing about teaching in my discipline area is…
The most challenging thing about my discipline area, transdisciplinarity, is that it encompasses multiple discipline areas. Transdisciplinarity is about crossing single discipline boundaries in order to create new knowledge, methods and practices which solve open, networked and complex societal problems. Teaching into this space requires you to be a discipline shapeshifter and know when to move from one discipline into another, which isn’t always an easy thing to do.
The thing that gives me the most joy in teaching is…
The light bulb moment – when you have a student who doesn’t understand a concept you have been teaching, and you sit with them and explain it in a different way and then it suddenly clicks to them. Those moments for me are the golden moments. I had some fabulous tutors when I was at university who spent time sitting with me to explain things I didn’t understand and it was the most valuable thing – I strive to be like those who helped me when I didn’t understand.
My best time-saving trick or shortcut for teaching is…
The one thing I have found can really save time is collaborating with other academics in the teaching and learning space. As a new academic, I quickly learned that most of the things I was experimenting with in class were also being tried and tested by other academics, and networking with others and sharing experiences it dramatically reduced the amount of time I would spend trying out new things.
My friends and family think my job entails…
My friends and family think I teach in a very traditional way by standing up the front of a class lecturing and not knowing who any of my students are. In fact, I very rarely lecture – I teach in an experiential way and allow students to participate in workshops or activities instead of sitting in lectures so rather than being told information, they experience it firsthand. I also take the time to get to know my students and know most of their names and a little about them.
In three words, I would describe my workplace as…
Organised, colourful and leafy.
Feature image by Terry Vlisidis.
I would love to be in one of your classes Jaqui!
I had trouble learning the traditional way- first hand experience sticks with you and is easy to recall.
It sounds like your providing an amazing learning experience to some very lucky students.