TTES Session 1 - What Makes Teaching "Excellent" in Your Context by Ritchie, Tom

Stories of Hope

2026-02-11 16:36:42 UTC

Bringing together a diverse range of educators and practitioners, this open-access collection showcases real-world innovations that challenge the status quo and offer glimpses of a more humane and inspiring educational future. From rethinking systems and curriculum design to fostering imaginative collaboration and exploring the role of technology, the book highlights practical, hopeful interventions that are already making a difference.

https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0462

We aim to design learning opportunities with our relevant contextual factors being identified, considered and valued (with students at the center)

dmhinton1 — 2026-02-11 16:40:17 UTC

Time & Space

2026-02-11 16:40:43 UTC

Time and space for connection, collaboration and co-creation is often missing.

Abegglen, S., Burns, T. & Sinfield, S. (Eds.) (2023). Higher education collaboration: A new ecology of practice. Bloomsbury. https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/collaboration-in-higher-education-9781350334052/

Tension around limited flexibility - in the curriculum, assessments, and in the classroom. How to encourage and incentivize innovation?

2026-02-11 16:47:45 UTC

The impact of AI on students and staff

2026-02-11 16:47:52 UTC

We don't seem to have a good grasp on whether the impact of AI will be positive or negative overall (HE is not the only sector grappling with this problem, of course!)

Parity of esteem across different ranks/roles of educators across the institution

2026-02-11 16:48:20 UTC

Seeing the importance of Professionalism in Teaching Practice

dmhinton1 — 2026-02-11 16:48:58 UTC

Competence - generally and in our disciplines

eg. PSF2023Guide-to-the-PSF-2023-Dimensions---Fellowship-February-2023.pdf

How excellent teaching is recognized

2026-02-11 16:51:38 UTC

We talked a bit about how good teaching is identified and recognized and the tension with scholarship roles and educator roles. One example that came up with that even as great educators, we present course content in a way that is friendly to learning, but then go to conferences in present in a 15-minute research presentation style that isn't necessarily conducive to deeper learning.

Fear of the unknown or change?

2026-02-11 16:52:00 UTC

There is a fear around change. Innovating takes time (and needs capacity), and there is comfort in doing what we have always done...so there is cultural shift needed.

How to engage with alumni about what they did/didn't learn in courses but learned on the job... and how to bring that back into our curriculum to transform modules?

2026-02-11 16:52:46 UTC

differences in personalities

2026-02-11 16:52:49 UTC

More outspoken folks are more likely to be rewarded with awards by self-nominating or other self-promotion

Cultural Tensions - How the HEI Values and (doesn't) Reward Teaching

dmhinton1 — 2026-02-11 16:53:07 UTC

Lots of similarity across institutions in terms of feeling like there is an ever-growing need to do more... how to do that while actually doing things well?

2026-02-11 16:53:20 UTC

Critical vs performative reflection

2026-02-11 16:55:38 UTC

In our conversation, we talked a bit about a how excellent teaching is more a process than a product, a journey rather than a destination. That means sustained, critical reflecting on your teaching is essential to excellence. But in institutional processes for faculty/staff review (such as promotion/tenure) there's a tension between critical and performative self-reflection. Do I trust the process and my colleagues enough to be open and vulnerable in my reflections, or do I use the reflection process to signal what a great teacher I am?

Lack of Cross-Communication of "Good" and Precariousness of Teaching Related OER Repositories institutionally and cross-institutionally

dmhinton1 — 2026-02-11 17:00:14 UTC

Contradictions

learnhigher — 2026-02-11 17:13:43 UTC

The talk about teaching excellence is often accompanied by an increase in teaching hours - a removal of possible research hours - but no allocation of time, space, or other resoources to think about and develop your teaching practice. The climate then punishes you for what you are actively prevented from doing.

Teaching as Private vs Public and the emotionality that accompanies

dmhinton1 — 2026-02-12 09:40:02 UTC

Where disciplinary "experts" feel threatened / uncomfortable around their identity, skills and beliefs about self as an "Educator" and therefore reduces teaching conversations, learning from others (Peer and Student Len - ala Brookfield), reflection in, on and about practice etc.

Where Peer Observation and the like can feel like weaponised rather than a learning tool to support continuous improvement/enhancement

Where are all the Teaching / Education Focused Sabbaticals, Celebrations (with the same esteem and recognition as research), Professors, Exchanges etc?

dmhinton1 — 2026-02-12 09:45:58 UTC

Long term institutional recognition, support, funding and leadership in terms of scholarly Centres for Teaching & Learning (held with equal esteem)

dmhinton1 — 2026-02-12 09:49:52 UTC

Give us time and love and respect

Supporting critically reflective educators

dmhinton1 — 2026-02-12 09:56:53 UTC

Link to Session One Recording

tomritchie1 — 2026-02-12 21:27:39 UTC

Session One Transcript

tomritchie1 — 2026-02-12 21:37:35 UTC