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For module 3260: Professional Practice we have been encouraged to reflect on Brookfield's (2015) Truths of Teaching and come up with some of our own.
I think a great starting point is listing Brookfield's truths that I could see as my own, so I shall do just that. I'll also offer some insight into why I have chosen the ones I have.
Brookfield's Truth No. 1
I will always feel like an impostor and will never lose the sense of amazement I feel when people treat me as if I have something valuable to offer.
This one hits close to home!
Imposter syndrome is defined as the, "believe that they are undeserving of their achievements and the high esteem in which they are, in fact, generally held" Psychology Today (N.D.). Even though I have over two decades of a wide variety of hospitality experience, I have been training Jiu Jitsu for over a decade, and teaching for over 5 years, I still feel this whenever I'm about to deliver training, whether it is in a hospitality setting or on a Jiu Jitsu mat.
The way I overcome this is to have some self-talk before the training and to remind myself that I have valuable things to share and I wouldn't be delivering this training if others didn't believe in the value of it.
Brookfield's Truth No. 2
I will never be able to initiate activities that keep all students engaged all the time.
Engagement is certainly a buzzword right now! Are your learners engaged, are your staff engaged, are you engaged... Barkley and Major (2020) define student engagement as "The mental state students are in while learning, representing the intersection of feeling and thinking" (p.6). They also quote Velden (2013) who offers this definition, "Engaged students are viewed as taking ownership for their own learning, working together with [faculty] on ensuring academic success and accepting the role of engaged and willing apprentice to an academic master" (p. 78).
This for me ties in rather nicely with...
Brookfield's Truth No. 3
I cannot motivate anyone to learn if at a very basic level they don’t wish to. All I can do is try to remove whatever organizational, psychological, cultural, interpersonal, or pedagogic barriers are getting in the way of their learning, provide whatever modeling I can, build the best possible case for learning, and then cross my fingers and hope for the best.
Engagement and Motivation go hand in hand. Students that aren't engaged won't be motivated, and vice versa. I think that our job as teachers is as Brookfield says above, we have to remove any barriers to learning and hope that our learners are motivated to learn. Merriam and Bierema (2014) state, "Adults are motivated by wanting to improve their situation in life” (p.12), so if we keep this in mind when delivering training and link the training to how it will help them improve, then I think they are more likely to be both motivated and engaged, so long as we have removed all the barriers to learning.
And finally...
Brookfield's Truth No. 4
Attending to my credibility at the outset of a new course is crucial so I need to watch out for my tendency to engage in too much self-deprecation.
Humor is a large part of my delivery, and self-deprecation is something I use a lot. I think it shows that I'm human, I'm fallible, and mistakes aren't the end of the world. However, I recognize that when teaching or training people for the first time, who haven't had the chance to get to know me, this can erode my credibility.
When training at work I have the luxury of having established my credentials beforehand, as well as being able to "walk the talk" and demonstrate my hospitality skills on the daily. When it comes to Jiu Jitsu, as part of our warm-up up we have one part nicknamed "the plank of introductions" where we perform a plank and introduce ourselves, thereby establishing our experience and credentials. As an aside this is a great way to hone your delivery (and core strength) because when you have a big class this can be a very intense exercise!
I'm sure that the more I teach and the more I reflect I will come up with some truths of my own, but for now, I'm going to give a nod to the greats and stick with the four above.
Having read this and reflected on your experience please feel free to share any of your truths in the comments!
References
Barkley, E., and Major, C. (2020) Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass
Brookfield, S. (2015) The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass
Merriam, S., & Bierema, L. (2014) Adult Learning; Linking Theory and Practice (1st ed.). Jossey-Bass
Psychology Today (N.D.) Imposter Syndrome. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/basics/imposter-syndrome
Velden, G. (2013). Staff perceptions of student engagement. In E. Dunne & D. Owen (Eds,), The student engagement handbook: Practice in higher education (pp. 77-91). Bingley, UK: Emerald
Very well written and thoughtful .