Reflections on My Experience Teaching Architecture

Next year around March, I’ll have taught for 5 years. Here are 9 observations I’ve made from this experience of teaching architecture: 

During one of the studio sessions at FoBE, UMU

1. Every time a good student starts falling behind, usually something else is happening in the background. It can range from family dynamics to a bad breakup. Sometimes the students need grace to sort themselves and navigate the situation—hopefully quickly! Sometimes they get stuck in that phase.

2. That thing of shouting at students and breaking models and insulting them to toughen them up is unnecessary. An educator can be firm and direct to correct a student without making things personal. 

3. Sometimes, when the students aren’t getting it, the instructor’s method is the problem.

4. When students are overwhelmed, school is stress, daunting etc it almost always is a time management problem. Students generally glorify the grind in a pointless manner… ooooh I’m in arch school; the hardest course on the campus, I don’t sleep, I’m stressed blah blah, I complain but I like saying it out loud that I’m worthy of such a hard task. Stop. If they just used their time sensibly they’d be fine. Still tough, just better. 

5. The learners’ environment matters. If they are in an uninspired environment, uninspired designs can only come of that. That goes for the ideas they listen to as well. Public lectures are essential. Field trips make a difference. Mentorship programs help. 

6. Educators must acknowledge that the toughness they had in their day and so the training they could endure is different from what these chaps can. These learners were born when the internet was present, they were raised by parents practicing gentle parenting; they learn and are inspired differently. Expectations of them, and training methods must be different. 

7. Sometimes educators are not in the mood. And that’s okay. Everyone must remember that for some people, it’s just a job. And people who try to paint it as a divine calling…ah.

8. Some students just don’t want to be there, and an educator can’t make them want to be there or have fun. 

9. Educators rarely have a personal vendetta against a student. When they leave the studio, they think about other things— rent, the 200 other pending bills, exes, but they are human and students can rub an educator the wrong way and they can mentally reject them. But just as that can happen, a student can also make an educator happy— by being a good, assertive student. It actually helps the student. Educators are more inclined to support them through their journey, to listen to their queries after classes, review their portfolios, help them get internships etc. “Oh, but they should do that for everyone…” They won’t. They are people with emotions. But best believe that at the end of the day, they are professionals who will be impartial in the things that matter- like grading assignments.