It’s interesting to find myself in the position of a student. Again.
I completed my MA in Social Design fairly recently—just a year and a half ago. At the time, I was a 35-year-old student among classmates who were, on average, 25. The age gap was significant, and I felt it. This distance between me and my peers became an intriguing space—a void filled with curiosity, differences, challenges, and moments of joy.
Today, being back in the classroom feels different. Not only because I have a full-time job and am only taking a course, but also because I’m surrounded by colleagues closer to my age or older. I enjoy this proximity in age and shared experiences. At the same time, I find it challenging to be in a class with older students—not just as a peer, but also when I teach academic staff or participate in professional training and CPD (Continuing Professional Development) sessions.
Older classrooms often come with strong opinions. Both the students and I tend to enter the space with a sense of “knowing” a great deal already—which, to some extent, is true. But this mindset sometimes puts me in a position where I expect to be surprised or excited, thinking, “Tell me something new, or I might disengage.”
Is this the teacher’s or pedagogue’s task, though? To always excite, to constantly bring something novel and interesting? As I reflect on this, I don’t think so.
As a pedagogue, I often see myself in the role of the one who must inspire and transmit knowledge. However, I’ve started to feel uneasy with this position. I wonder if there’s an alternative approach I could adopt—one where my role is not to excite and impart knowledge, but to listen, remain open, and find joy in discovering the knowledge students bring with them.