Summer is all but over, and in many places the new term has already started, or will be starting this week. It is an exciting time as we greet new and returning students and embark on the next chapter of our learning journeys.
But before we immerse ourselves in that, it’s worth taking a few minutes to reflect on our last chapter, written in the summer sun. What lessons did we, as teachers and researchers, learn from our students, studies, and colleagues over the summer? And what can we take forward with us to deepen our understanding of the role we play in the lives of our students, our institutions, and our communities?
For me, this summer underlined the importance of connection. My classes ranged in number; the largest had 25 students, while the smallest had just three. Most had 10-15 students. Once again, I found that it was in the smaller classes that I was best able to connect with my students. While I appreciate that the economics of three-student classes is not necessarily the best for budgets, smaller classes do offer the opportunity to really connect with our students – to understand where they excel, and celebrate that, as well as where they are struggling, and work on that. We learn what they are interested in, what concerns them, and then we can build those things into our lessons. I strongly believe that connection is the very heart of teaching, in more ways than one. Students who feel seen, understood, and appreciated will engage more, learn more, grow in confidence, and leave knowing that they have achieved their goals, and often with a clearer idea of their path forward.
The other thing I (re)learned is that sometimes, you have to be willing to pivot from your lesson plan. One warm and sunny Friday, my students were really having trouble focusing on the vocab and writing exercise I had planned. It became clear that this was not going to work. And so I closed down the projector, asked them to put away their notebooks, and said “Let’s go for a walk.” We are very lucky to have a beautiful forest and open grassy spaces, fountains and gardens and beautiful architecture on our doorstep. The students appreciated being out in the fresh air and having the opportunity to explore. Pedagogically perhaps we did not achieve our (my) goals that day, but what we did achieve were stronger connections with each other. These moments of connection feel especially important now, as our universities face unprecedented challenges.
We cannot deny that it is becoming harder than ever to survive, never mind create connections, within our schools. Universities across the English-speaking world, in the U.K., U.S., Canada, and Australia are all facing multiple, serious, and urgent issues. In the name of scoring political points, governments have capped international student numbers and slashed funding. This twin blow has unleashed a whole cascade of consequences. Reduced budgets have led to the loss of many colleagues as research projects are shelved, classes cancelled, and whole departments closed down. We are, essentially, being asked to sacrifice academic community for financial viability. But without community, what is left?
And so we find ourselves facing an identity crisis: what, exactly, is the role of universities anyway? It is very easy to focus on the negatives: there seems to be a persistent and growing disaffection with what universities offer, and whether it is worth it, in time and money, to bother with university at all. And I get it: the job market is changing much more quickly than our ability to respond. In many cases AI is replacing student and entry-level jobs. More students are, understandably, turning to the trades as a quicker and more lucrative career path. Classes are increasingly taught in large lecture halls, or online. The opportunities to create connection are eroding, and we are all the poorer for it.
But we might gain more by focusing on solutions. If we hope to lobby for a restoration of funding we need to find a new economic framework. I am not an economist, but I work with many excellent and innovative economists and I have faith that they can figure out that side of things. Beyond that, we need to focus on what makes university worthwhile. One of the main reasons is that it fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Over the summer, I discovered TED Ed riddles and began every class with a riddle. It is a most excellent way to wake up sleepy brains! We went through how to solve each riddle step-by-step, and as the course progressed, the students slowly began to figure them out for themselves, collaborating with each other, without having to see the solutions. (If you haven’t come across these riddles, I highly recommend them! You can find them here: https://ed.ted.com/ted_ed_collections/can-you-solve-this-riddle .)
Universities also bring opportunities for leadership and team work, especially in research projects. These help to create community and, importantly, connection. One advantage that my students said they valued most was the mentorship and guidance we offer. These mentorships also create connections, often lasting far beyond the university years, connecting students with guidance and job opportunities when they graduate.
Just as importantly, universities lead the way in research, development, and innovation. Breakthroughs in fields as diverse as medicine, ecology, psychology, technology, astronomy, and more bring myriad benefits to our societies and countries. We live in an imperfect world and there are still many issues and problems to resolve; without continued research we cannot hope to find solutions.
But what we can find, within ourselves and each other, is hope. I leave you with this quote from Albert Camus:
“In the midst of hate, I found there was within me, an invincible love.
In the midst of tears, I found there was within me, an invincible smile.
In the midst of chaos, I found there was within me, an invincible calm.
In the midst of winter, I found there was within me, an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me,
within me there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”
Albert Camus, “The Stranger”, 1942
