Edoardo shares more detail about their practice us and how they felt about being shortlisted for a Bristol Teaching Award.
- Which Award were you shortlisted for?
Inspiring and Innovative Award – PGRs who teach
- How did you feel when you found out you had been shortlisted for an Award?
I was happy, but at the same time being shortlisted does not mean much if you will not win the award in the end!
- Can you tell us a little bit about your practice and why you were nominated?
I have been nominated by my students in my tutorial group for a module in Marketing. At the beginning of terms I told them that this session, the tutorial, is for them, a place where they have have a discussion and learn from each other – I am just there to facilitate and moderate the conversation. I think that set them up knowing the expectation that I wasn’t going to just do all the talking for them and so the class became about them all sharing their ideas together.
The students are from a wide variety of backgrounds and so I make a concerted effort to make everyone feel comfortable. I think it is really important to create an atmosphere where students feel comfortable to share their opinions and make mistakes, while supporting them and giving them positive reinforcement. You have to reach the balance between stretching them and pushing them outside their comfort zone while still ensuring they feel supported.
- What inspires you to go the extra mile with your teaching?
I have worked in the marketing industry so I know how important it is to be able to share their ideas and express themselves effectively. It motivates me to get my students to do it as I want them to be successful when they leave! I also reflected on my own experience at university and thought about how I would have wanted my lecturers to be and try and deliver in this way. University is expensive and I want my students to leave feeling like they got good value for money and it wasn’t a waste of time.
- What would you like to share with others about your teaching practice?
Get the students involved and let them know why you are there, make them feel comfortable and push them out of their comfort zone (but not too much!).