One of my favourite sayings is that of Pablo Picasso:
The meaning of life is to find a gift, the purpose of life is to give it away.
I have been given the gift of teaching, and as a teacher, I daily give to my students through my teaching. Through the years I have found a teaching style that works for me and for the subject area I teach, as showcased in my teaching philosophy. It is therefore always wonderful to be able to share my teaching style with fellow colleagues in order to contribute to a better management accounting teaching practice in which students can learn through visualisation.
Sharing of my teaching style with new staff members
I currently share my teaching style through the Staff-development programme as discussed in the staff development programme section of this portfolio. In this programme I annually share my teaching style, tips of what works and lessons learned over the years.
Sharing of my teaching style with Management Accounting lecturers
On 9 March 2016, I presented my first workshop to all Management Accounting staff of the School of Accountancy in which I shared my teaching style in Management Accounting. In this workshop I highlighted the five areas on which I try to focus during my lectures:
- Visual stimulation – During my lectures I strive to provide students with visual material that will assist in them understanding the basic principles and practical relevance of the subject. I do this by working with colour, pictures and videos in my presentation slides.
- Interaction – I strive to be interactive with students by talking with them, rather than talking to them. I do this with what I call ‘Let us think’ sessions, in which I ask a question and students have to think about it for a while, or even discuss it with their fellow students.
- Each lecture has a story – I believe that each lecture has a story, with a beginning, body and end. I structure all my lectures so that there is a proper introduction to what the lecture will be about and where it fits in with the entire course, the main academic content and an end in which the main principles are confirmed.
- Everyone must understand – I also believe that it is my task to ensure that all students in my class understand the work. I do this by repeating difficult concepts, explaining concepts from difference angles and asking students whether they understand before I go on to the next principles.
- Explain to the average student – I always ensure that my explanations of concepts are done in such a way that the average student will understand.
Sharing of my teaching style with other university staff members
On 26 May 2017, I presented my teaching style in an iByte session to other lecturers in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. In this session I showcased how I use my iPad as a presentation tool.
William Arthur Bishop 