“Yes, that’s correct - calling it the ‘realist’ view of international relations would probably be considered, by some people, to be a bit of a misnomer. What might be a better, or more accurate, name?”
“...and how does that contrast with a ‘liberal’ view of international relations? Which could be characterized as the more Hobbesian perspective?”
“OK, now it’s your turn. To wrap up, we are going to look at a few selections of text from your reading, and see if we can connect them to today’s lecture together. Which group wants to go first?“
Welcome to my classroom. If you were to walk in the door with no warning, you might encounter any of the above: an engaged lecture, a probing discussion, or a group-work activity designed to weave together the abstract and the substantive. When I was brand-new to teaching, I knew that making those kinds of connections would be a challenge. Bringing theoretical concepts to life by making them relevant to the lived experience of the students takes planning, practice and flexibility. I also started my teaching career with two challenging subjects; Urban Geography and Political Geography. I knew that each would present its own unique pedagogical challenges, from difficult-to-grasp theoretical concepts to hot-button social issues of sharp disagreement. Indeed, I have already gained valuable experience from navigating these waters. I knew full-well the risks, but I also have a keen understanding that it is only through this kind of struggle that we can truly progress as educators. As such, my first year+ of practice has been both a challenge and a delight.
Meanwhile, for better or worse, interesting times are upon us. The subjects of our study do not stand still and wait to be known, they require our active mission of discovery. Students look to us as teachers for guidance in their intellectual explorations of world. For young people who are still in the process of exploring their own identities, attempting to simultaneously understand the complexities of global change and their place(s) within it must be particularly daunting. As a respectful, enthusiastic, and caring tour guide, I am placed in a wonderful position. Every day, I am able to share in the joy that is the journey of learning. We may all start in different places, and likewise we may all have different destinations in mind. Still, for a couple months we all perambulate through the same subject matter together. As the saying goes, life is a journey, not a destination. In keeping with that principle, my pedagogic strategy encourages participatory collaboration: (1) between students; (2) student-instructor; and (3) class-society. Simply put, I teach because the journey is important.
I am determined to have a positive impact on the intellectual life of each of my students. I find that the best way for me to accomplish this is by teaching to their interests. By making the subject matter perceptible and relatable, I also make it relevant. To that end, I draw upon an extensive personal history of practical and research experience to draw connections between our subject matter and the geographic, temporal and mental particularities of my students’ lives. They are hungry for these types of connections and will often ‘light up’ when something ‘clicks.’ As an educator, the highest form of my craft is to get that reaction while bringing to life the state-of-the-art of existing scholarship in geography.