workshop 2 – hand out
Aphorism | ˈafərɪz(ə)m |
A pithy observation which contains a general truth.
(Oxford Dictionary)
Becoming
I loved this idea that learning is something that you can incite, and that there is some truth in it. The aphorism above, which I picked from the handout given to us in Workshop 2, is followed by a series of annotations related to my teaching practice: “materials and stories that inspire, …briefs and situations that expose students to real-life struggles, …place at their hands the responsibility to investigate and respond, …take their personal views as starting points, …incite them to think and act = learning”.
Why does this idea capture my imagination? I think it is because many times, in my teaching career and learning journey, I experienced moments of intellectual euphoria, of breakthrough, or of clarity, when a new connection is made, and I can see a sparkle of light into the student’s eyes. These moments of authentic learning, which bring participants (students and tutors) into new relationships with the world (Barnett 2007), are the moments of exchange that fuels me to continue to teach year after year.
If “by locating when and why we have felt excited or fulfilled by an experience, we gain insight into the conditions that allow our creativity to flourish” (Amulya, 2004:1), then I can say that authentic teaching and learning is my call, it is what enables my creativity to flourish.
References
Amulya, J. (2004) What is reflective practice. [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229021036_What_is_reflective_practice (Accessed 17 Mar 2025)
Barnett, R. (2007) A will to learn: Being a Student in an Age of Uncertainty. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Raven, L (2025). Reflective practice – Developing Personal and Professional Insights. Lecture – Wednesday 12th February [online] Available at:< https://moodle.arts.ac.uk/mod/folder/view.php?id=1378604> (Accessed 17 Mar 2025)