Most academics receive little formal training to teach yet many be-come
excellent and inspiring university teachers. This book uncovers some of
the experiences and personal motivations of eight academics who
themselves became highly successful uni-versity teachers. Through their
stories of significant people and key events in their lives the
academics explore some of the elements that have helped shape them as
teachers, beginning with their earliest experiences of learning and
ending with reflections on their work as teachers in a university. Woven
through the personal narratives is discussion of elements such as the
relationship between identity and pedagogy, the development of personal
theories of teaching and learning, the role of reflexivity in
professional learning, and the impact of institutional expectations on
possibilities for practice. The narratives are engaging and accessible.
Teachers everywhere will find inspiration in the stories of these
academics, who in their different ways have enriched the lives of
students and colleagues through their work as teachers.