Transition for master to teacher

How do experts in a field become teachers of that field? This question has fascinated me for my entire academic career. In tertiary education, and for many training roles in industry, you do not need to have a teaching credential. So what happens when an expert, hired for their expertise in the area, is suddenly asked to teach? Many of the people I’ve worked with as an educational developer had no prior teaching experience before becoming an academic.

Over the last 20 years, I’ve developed a large suite of research-based techniques and support mechanisms to facilitate the transition from master of the craft to teacher of the craft. I support new and experienced teachers to become critically reflective practitioners. The aim is for them to use the same rigour and dedication as they would in their area of expertise, to questions about teaching and learning.

Key to my success in this area has been in practicing manaakitanga, a deep respect for the knowledge that the colleague brings. For example, it is not my place to tell a master carpenter how to teach carpentry. I don’t know the first thing about carpentry. What I can do is offer my knowledge of teaching, learning, assessment, and the psychology of the classroom to support the colleague find their way. I can also provide critical and constructive feedback on practice, help them understand why things are happening the way they do in the classroom, and question assumptions and beliefs the colleague may hold about teaching and learning. We blend the colleague’s knowledge of their discipline with my knowledge of education, and together create knowledge and ideas on how to teach the discipline. We create something that is bigger than both of us, that neither could create on our own, for the benefit of the students.

At the core of supporting the transition is the question I’ve been so fascinated with for so long: Why do people teach the way they do, and why do they think that that is the right way to do it? Unpacking this with a colleague is a wonderful experience that builds teacher confidence, competence, critical reflection on practice, and leads to better teacher and student experiences.