Methods, Strategies and Objectives
We, as teachers fall in love with our subject, adore it and want to present it to our students in the best possible shape. We project our own soul and our deep understanding of the material. We must know ourselves first as this is as crucial to good teaching as knowing the students and the subject. This focus on the passion for teaching is the engine that motivates teachers and attracts the students to persist in their approach to problem solving type of education. It is through deeper sense of identity and integrity that educational dilemmas are solved, and new techniques are adopted and curricula are changed. What subjects to teach and how to teach them should be less critical than the process by which we relate to our students, our subject, our colleagues and the world. Hence, the notion that good teaching can only be realized with good research and good clinical practice. It is this old/new desire to discover and spread knowledge that is truly human. The intellectual approach focus on the way we think about teaching and learning, about our students and the material we teach. The emotional approach explores the feelings our students and ourselves share in the process of teaching/learning. The spiritual approach goes beyond all of that to connect our hearts and souls with the largeness of life.
The journey to deepen our understanding of the teaching self is life long. AUB as an educational institution can help us sustain and deepen our selfhood and it should guide students and encourage them to seek new ways of thinking about the subject matter at hand and even at the methods of teaching it. Growth in our profession as teachers requires an ongoing process of reflection and constant renewal of the mind, heart and spirit. For the soul to come forward and speak its truth, a practice of openness to each other with exploration of our inner reality is essential.
Our physical settings may not be able to always provide a comfortable atmosphere without distractions nor interruptions. A scheduled time is set aside and adhered to in a strict sense. The Operating Room is our holy shrine and it is treated with utmost respect. Surgical disciplines are as tough as the military in their physical restrains. Nonetheless, meeting in non-conventional places tend to deepen the conversation considerably. The aim is always to promote an open and honest dialogue. Privacy is important when it comes to discussion of medical issues and we insist on it in every place, all the time. Round table discussion in an unbroken circle is most helpful in giving the sense of access to one another. This is done on a daily basis sitting in the ICU conference room, standing at the bedside with a surgical patient or in a corner in the Emergency Room.
The leadership role in modern teaching is nothing more than convening and facilitating a group inquiry about a subject. Fruitful sessions can be conducted within the boundaries of the space keeping it open for all and resolving conflict in a creative manner and yet reaching consensus while allowing individual differences. I find that writing notes and formulating agenda with priorities help focus the discussions and streamline the thoughts leading to a meaningful conclusion. There is an inherent tension between the conceptual boundaries that keeps the focus on a topic and the openness that is necessary to explore that topic. It is a difficult task to introduce the concepts and subjects clearly while allowing the group to expand on them and come up with their own ideas. This is particularly true in the field of surgery and critical care where our knowledge is changing very quickly and events are progressing rapidly. I make every effort to choose carefully the questions and activities in my teaching sessions as to their appropriateness and the best time to introduce them.
Large group dialogue versus small group discussion has to be tailored to the subject. Certain time must be preserved at the end to reach a consensus opinion or a meaningful conclusion with a plan of action. Every participant should be able to express his thoughts openly in a safe intellectual space that allows creative conflict. At the end, decisions have to be made and orders carried out. Certain methods and techniques may be implemented at the beginning of the session to till the soil for an open and respectful discussion. My function as a stimulator and facilitator is to open the intellectual space rather than to fill it up with preconceived notions and ideas.
People learn better by thinking in silence and in conversation rather than listening passively. We can keep the focus on the subject by asking more than telling and exploring more than advocating. Ground rules for such an intensive exchange must keep note of both what is agreed with and what is disagreed with in every response and a checklist is finalized at the end of every session. This is especially true when we are discussing a difficult and complicated case like a patient with multiple trauma or a patient in sepsis.
Teachers' feelings are an essential part of this process and we need to express them truthfully. We must foster a hospitable emotional space by listening attentively, asking pertinent questions, offering supportive words and practicing non-judgmental attitude. This will create an atmosphere of trust and builds confidence where passion and discipline help fuel an eternal discussion about things that matter. An atmosphere of dignity and regard to each participant is crucial for people to be open with each other. We are willing to share personal experience when we know that our voices will be heard. Emotional honesty and a commitment to confidentiality are a must. People can speak for themselves without speaking against others.
We, as teachers, need the community to help us hear the inner teacher in each one of us. We should refrain from invading and fixing each other instead of listening and being receptive. The soul flees and hides when pursued by someone who wants to fix it. The soul wants to be heard by others who are willing to be present for it. So, instead of giving gratuitous analysis or advice, we must learn to ask honest open questions. We should ask the question and not expect to get the answer we have in our mind. The community of truth must avoid self-destruction by becoming supportive of the soul rather than being invasive. These are accomplished by sharing information, having respectful disagreement, and allowing creative conflict over ideas.