Before I release this season
Hey there,
Before we begin the podcast – I should let you know that – there will be times where my conversations will be reflecting on things that occurred four, five or even ten years ago. And while I get that the curriculums, thoughts and principles do evolve over time – I hope what I’ve seen in the past and what will be later discussed demonstrates a sense of optimism in change. I look forward to seeing myself grow in these conversations and hope that it will continue to reignite my love for teaching - something that I sadly relinquished when I began my journey in professional practice.
You see – I’ve always been curious about teaching. I’ve always been curious about how a tutor’s mind works. How their passions overflow from their words, their fingertips as they enthusiastically share precedents or talk about the things they love. I loved basking in an environment where each of us (students or teachers or those outside the world of design), are so ready to share ideas that powers us throughout each week.
Of course, there have been moments where it felt like hope was lost, or that an idea that we’ve clung on so proudly is immediately shattered by a dismissal. But with more empathy, understanding and having the humility in our approach, there is change – and there will be more change as I move further away from my eighteen year old self.
Where I once was sceptical about my tutor who was a landscape architect, I can look back and understand how her insights has benefited my way of looking at the sculpted landscape. Where I had severe imposter syndrome of trying to tutor while struggling to look for work in practice, I had to tell myself that I had something to share – and I had to carry that with confidence. Of course, there was someone who was doubtful about what I could contribute, and I had to remember that they had a very different experience in their architecture education.
You see, architecture education will constantly change and evolve, as is the debate on what it means to share knowledge.
I hope that the making of this time capsule will reflect on our hopefulness to this change. It will be a curation of different thoughts, questions I’ve wanted to ask while I was in my secondary school (pretending to be my art teacher’s substitute when she was running late), first day of my architecture school, while mentoring, while tutoring and writing.
And to my listeners and readers, I hope that this will keep the inquisition on what it means to teach design or using design as an approach to teach alive.
As always, stay curious and safe.
With love,
K.
This entry is written while Orion was crossing Wurundjeri Land.