By Rita Dhungel, Assistant Professor in Social Work
My commitment to fostering both the personal and professional growth of students continuously inspires me to explore transformative teaching approaches that enrich and refine my methodologies. With this in mind, I applied to the Faculty Learning Exchange (FLEx) Program offered through the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) in Winter 2025.
The program promotes a low-stress, high-impact model of development, emphasizing relationship-building between instructors and teaching specialists. Importantly, it fosters reciprocity: while teaching specialists provide guidance and support, they also gain insight by engaging with students and exploring diverse learning contexts.
How does FLEX work?
Although the time commitment was modest—from the initial application to the concluding meeting—for me, the impact was significant and deeply rewarding.
Apply online
I completed the online application in less than 5 minutes and was paired with a teaching specialist, in my case Victoria Surtees, TLC’s Internationalization Specialist.
Meet, greet, and set goals
During our initial conversation, I outlined specific teaching goals and identified key areas I wished to further develop:
- deepening student engagement,
- fostering a more inclusive and welcoming classroom environment,
- ensuring that students felt comfortable reaching out to me if they felt the classes were not supporting their learning outcomes.
Victoria was exceptionally receptive and supportive, helping to establish a collegial and collaborative tone for the entire process.
Observe
When Victoria visited one of my classes, she brought a warm, encouraging presence that allowed both myself and my students to feel at ease. Her respectful, non-intrusive approach ensured that the classroom dynamic remained intact, and at no point did it feel as though we were being evaluated. Rather, her role felt rooted in support and partnership, which created a safe and constructive space for authentic reflection, feedback, and professional growth.
Debrief and discuss
Following the class observation, we held a debriefing session during which Victoria provided thoughtful, detailed feedback and practical suggestions for enhancing classroom dynamics. Her insights focused particularly on:
- Strategies to break the silence during discussions, such as using targeted prompts and interactive techniques to spark engagement.
- Techniques for providing students with content highlights before class to help them better prepare and feel more confident participating.
- Suggestions for fostering more active involvement during sessions with guest speakers by creating space for student-led questions and guided reflections.
These recommendations were grounded in both pedagogical theory and practical application, making them not only relevant but also immediately actionable in my teaching practice.
I implemented several of her suggestions in the following classes and observed noticeable improvements in student engagement, especially in the form of deeper critical discussions and more thoughtful questions.
Follow-up and collaborate
During our final check-in meeting, I shared the ways I had shifted my practice along with student feedback on the revised approach. This final reflection not only validated the impact of the strategies but also deepened my self-awareness as an educator committed to continuous improvement.
My takeaways?
Participating in the FLEx program has had a transformative impact on my teaching practice.
- It affirmed and expanded my commitment to cultivating compassionate, participatory, and culturally responsive learning environments.
- It equipped me with practical tools and reflective strategies to more effectively facilitate transformative learning experiences.
Overall, the FLEx program offered a collaborative, reflective, and non-judgmental experience anchored in mutual respect and shared professional growth. I view this experience not only as a valuable professional milestone but as an integral part of my ongoing academic journey—one that is deeply rooted in supporting students to empower themselves and in striving to elevate the quality of teaching and learning in higher education.