Nexus Editor Toby sat down with Teaching Fellow, Paul Ashman, to discuss his perspective on education.

Who taught the teachers that taught teachers how to teach teachers?


Aaah, the chicken or the egg in an educational context. For me, Mr Aldridge was my inspiration to teach and now I’m teaching the teachers.

How do you learn to learn?


I am a visual learner – I need to read/see. However, learners all learn in their own ways and our role is to ensure that we teach our student teachers in a variety of ways so they can pass this on to their students.

Best study methods?


I’m super-prepared so prefer the timetable planning out the month, repeated note writing and memorising! Worked for me but my wife would break out in hives at this!

Thoughts on AI entering education?


I think it’s a new tool and one we need to grab hold of and utilise. I’m sure there were people against the overhead projector being introduced in schools! It’s here, so how we use it to enable our learners effectively is the challenge.

Are teaching careers threatened by AI and technology like Neuralink?


I don’t think so. Students need a face and someone who clearly cares for them. Although AI might be able to put up a good face for this (pun intended), it will never replace our teachers.

How can lecturers keep students engaged in class?


Since throwing dusters and chalk is frowned upon (!), making sure that they are engaging themselves! Nobody wants to listen to Paul for two hours, so I ensure that there are discussions, questions, challenges, and them sharing their thoughts and opinions. Students need to own the class, believe in what they are learning and see the point of it –must be relevant!

What’s your favourite thing to sneak onto a PowerPoint slide to confuse new students?


Hahaha! I don’t think I have done this, but you do have me thinking.

Any other unconventional methods of engaging students?


The poor timetable people trying to fit us all in has meant that my lectures are all over the place –they have to be engaged to know where we will be! Other than that, as above –them doing the lecture, using different tools, etc… I have used chocolate bars very successfully!

How can students keep themselves listening to a two-hour lecture on what ‘stake holder’ means?


Again, it’s about that relevance. If this is important for the student to know, then they’ll want to know –and that’s the lecturer’s role to ensure students are hungry to know. It’s actually an important term in education with students, whānau, community, and many other groups being involved as stakeholders in schools. It’s important that our student teachers do know that –probably at least 2 two-hour lectures!

How much of class content should be decided by student interest, teacher interest, and career applicability?


All of it! I’m in education so I’m going to assume we’re talking about uni students not our high school students. Student interest dictates the papers they enrol in. I know as a teacher, I know stuff that students might not know they need to know it (or want to know) so I need to be sure to ‘sell’ it to them. We also review our TEPRO papers carefully and adapt the student work accordingly –if students don’t see the relevance, they won’t do it! And isn’t everything about getting a job at the end of the day?

From a teaching perspective, what does uni get right that high school didn’t?


I think there’s more freedom at uni for students to express themselves in their own ways. I’m excited to see lecturers talking about different ways assignments could be completed. And I enjoy hearing from the students in my classes –they’re ‘proto-colleagues’ with a developing teaching practice and their insights are invaluable. I think having more space in the timetable helps too –students get a break to mull things over rather than rushing to the next class.

What did high school get right that uni doesn’t?


Such a good question! Perhaps there’s more a whanaungatanga in schools? I worry that having so many students in a class (for me) means some may escape through and if this was high school, I’d contact whānau. The wrap around service is here at uni but I feel it’s much less utilised than it is at high school. However, lecturers do worry about their students just as much as high school teachers!

Funniest ways teachers wake up students sleeping in a lecture?


Shout! Ask a question to them, stand in front of them until they realise, or let them sleep, the poor thing! I have been known to report a car with their headlights on in the carpark and that seems to work!

Thoughts on online courses and students graduating without ever being on campus?


Having done both, I think we need the kanōhi ki te kanōhi across all papers. It’s the rich conversations, making friends, collaborating, and doing life together whilst on the course that provided the rich memories and the means to succeed. Where I’ve completed papers online and never been in, everything seems disconnected. Perhaps this would work through online but even then, real people are so much better! I am a huge fan of our distance learning and work hard to involve students so I can get to know them a little better.

Should tertiary education be accompanied by debt?


No. Tertiary education enhances our whole nation.

How accurate are grades at displaying a student’s proficiency?


As well as they can. It’s a limited way of demonstrating proficiency but with such large numbers of students, I’m not sure what else you could use. I think if the assignments meet the various learning needs of our students and all are able to succeed in ways they can, then the grades will fit. If our grade reflects only essays and students have learning needs that aren’t met, I feel it’s less reflective.

Should philosophy or history be taught more in NZ’s high school curriculum?


Yes, and yes. What’s that old adage about those not knowing history being doomed to repeat it?

What are the main differences in teaching across primary, middle school, high school, and university education?


So much! This is ‘writing a book to reply’ territory. Having been across ECE, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary education, they are all unique with their own issues, concerns, and rewards. The students are so different at each level and there is learning needed to be able to teach in each environment.

How is teaching different in rural locations compared to cities?


Rural is where my heart is. Schools are smaller, so class subjects can be limited but there can be such a warm feeling in those rural schools, a real sense of whānau and belonging.

STEM Vs. PHLEGM (philosophy, history, languages, English literature, geography, music)?


Sorry, but I’m going to say both! My heart is in science and maths but I’m a huge fan of philosphy and history… and geography… and music… Why do we need to choose? Besides a terrible acronym (phlegm?!?!), I would love to see this promoted and encouraged in schools as much as STEM or STEAM (which is sort of introducing the Arts).