Reflecting on my teaching helps me evaluate my teaching. Continuously taking part in scholarly activities aids me to keep abreast of the innovative, well thought out ways, to enhance my teaching. The decisions I make regarding what and how I teach are informed by scholarly teachings provided for in numerous teaching and learning workshops, seminars and colloquiums. One particular workshop that directed my teaching was the HELTASA conference back in 2019, where so many topics were covered including teaching with technology. This has helped me create a better guide that outlines outcomes and gives clear objectives and direction on how to succeed in the course.
Being part of the second cohort of nGap at the DUT and attending seminars, workshops and retreats, initiating discussions about conducting research related to teaching, getting feedback from my peers as well as being part of the community of practice has given me the platform to contribute and learn from my peers. These platforms allow me to address structural and teaching concerns and identifying resources strategies that I can implement in my teaching. As a program manager in my department, this community gives me the opportunity to meet with other teachers in order to share ideas, provide guidance and solutions to a problem that we share, and identify the gaps in my teaching and leadership in order to determine where training is required. These platforms create an environment that encourages success in the classroom because my understanding of the teaching and learning process is improved and this, in turn, benefits my students. And being a participant in the FemDac group with scholars from Stellenbosch University, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban University of Technology and University of Illinois has also helped with the research aspect of my journey and the understanding of self-care in order to remain sane in this challenging and sometimes difficult environment and this has been helpful in grounding me so that I keep delivering to the university, faculty, department and most importantly to my students.