Teaching leadership

PM Schrijnen

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeConference contributionScientificpeer-review

Abstract

Looking back at my education, at what I like to cherish from those years, what then comes to mind is the way some teachers were as a person, more than what they taught. I hardly remember the content of their lessons, but I do recall them telling stories, being compassionate or reflective. Of course I can also recall the boring lessons, the many days that passed in routine, the many teachers hardly present to their classes. In retrospect, one can observe that the long and boring lessons probably shaped my competencies more than the few inspiring moments. We get used to people functioning on a lower level than they might. We get used to not addressing each other in our highest aspirations and competencies. Long ago, we accepted to live with moderate solutions and compromise. As Hämäläinen & Saarinen recently observed, most human interactions are subdued, by the system of holding back, by a behaviour of re-straint more than by a behaviour of inspiration and aspiration [Hämäläinen & Saarinen 2004]. This paper explores education and teaching as a means to catalyse competencies of students and pro-fessionals. Society puts many challenges to professionals. This paper describes some of these chal-lenges, on the level of society, human interaction and self-image. Students need to develop profes-sional competencies in all three realms. Most courses still have a focus on discipline based knowledge and skills, and a staff that has its major competence in specialist knowledge. But the new requirements for higher education as developed in the EU do also elaborate these three competencies. The paper ends with some reflections on the role of teachers as an element in the systems of learning.
Original languageUndefined/Unknown
Title of host publicationResearchCafé on Decision Making
EditorsE. Mitleton-Kelly, R. Hämäläinen
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherSociety for Organisational Learning, London School of Economics
Pages1-8
Number of pages8
Publication statusPublished - 2007
EventResearchCafé on Decision Making, London - London
Duration: 20 Sept 200721 Sept 2007

Publication series

Name
PublisherSociety for Organisational Learning, London School of Economics

Conference

ConferenceResearchCafé on Decision Making, London
Period20/09/0721/09/07

Keywords

  • Civiele techniek
  • conference contrib. refereed
  • Conf.proc. > 3 pag

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