I have been teaching medical students and residents for over 10 years.
I love passing on my knowledge and sharing my expertise.
I am an expert in my field. I have not received any training in pedagogy but I often think about the qualities needed to be a good teacher.
An important question in this kind of thinking is: in an education system, should one favor disciplinary competence (expertise) or pedagogical competence? It amounts to asking whether we should favour hiring a teacher who has a doctorate in a field (expert) or a bachelor’s degree with a pedagogical background (teacher)?
Today, while leading a discussion with a group of students, I found the answer to my question. I think that no matter the expertise or pedagogy, the most important criterion for a good teacher is passion.
Passion is the fuel that drives learning.
Originally posted on Facebook, April 20014
Martin Pham Dinh 