It’s taken me a while to reconcile with the lesson structure on the PG Cert. Fixed on the standard format of a classroom, I often found myself wondering when the tutor was going to ‘teach’ something. That sounds silly now when I think back to all of the nuggets of wisdom dropped each time a tutor opens their mouth. Each session was filled with discussions where new ideas, shared practices and thought provoking conversations were sparked. This was always followed by a succinct, yet thought provoking, observation with related resources from the tutor.
For some this may sound like a dream, having the freedom to discuss and share endless ideas. For me, it created conflict. I left each session with a new, unanswered question. Parts of me felt uneasy, wanting someone to just tell me the answer, while other parts felt excited for the adventure. In these moments of uneasiness, I realised, what I was truly seeking was comfort. I craved for moments where my brain could rest and simply absorb information.
“While risk-taking is central to the critical thinking process, this behaviour is unlikely to occur unless those involved have no sense of fear”
Macfarlane, B (2004) Teaching with integrity: The ethics of higher education practice
The task of needing to repeatedly ‘conceptualise an intellectually coherent response’ compounded with the unanswered questions was unsettling. On the other hand the fear of never getting an answer to my question pushed me into new territories. This juxtaposition pushed me to let go of my preconceived notions of teaching in search for new ways to redefine my own classroom. Once I gave into the structure I was able to fully dive into the land of the unknown where risks can be taken.
“In other words, when the familiar is made unfamiliar, we can facilitate transformation of the self. We do this in the course by examining our teaching anew, drawing upon the research literature, the experience of our colleagues, and critical reflection on our practice. When we examine our teaching anew in this way, we can contribute to transforming our ways of being university teachers”
Dall’Alba, G. (2005) Improving teaching: Enhancing ways of being university teachers
From analysing my own feelings on the PG Cert, more questions have arisen:
- Do teachers need to have all the answers? Does not having the answers leave more room for student intrigue and exploration
- Do you need to have a level understanding to be able to exercise critical thinking and risk-taking, or does this actually hold you back?
- Is there such a thing as going ‘too far’ in risk-taking?
Although I leave this with more unanswered questions, one thing is certain;
“You need a sense of fear and fearlessness in order to take risks”
Matthew Needham – Designing for learning workshop 2023