Teachers' Day: How the best educators from MU teach

Careful preparation, relaxation, room for mistakes, support for students.These are the approaches that have proven successful for the awarded teachers.

Passing on knowledge and experience to adults is a demanding discipline. How did those who received the Rector's Award for Outstanding Teachers and the Rector's Award for Long-Term Outstanding Teaching Activity at the beginning of this academic year cope with it?

The Rector's Awards for Masaryk University teachers highlight one of the main roles of the university, which is education. Without high-quality teachers who can engage students and pass on the necessary knowledge and skills to them, this would not be possible. We therefore asked the holders of the Rector's Awards for this academic year about their "recipes for good teaching".

Michal Veselý from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics of the Faculty of Science lectures in subjects focused on mathematical analysis, and students positively evaluate his engaging and clear explanations, as well as the appropriate combination of theory and solving examples. His recipe for quality teaching lies in careful preparation.

“I am a teacher of mathematics, which means many specifics. As part of the preparation of lessons, I spend a lot of time producing and, above all, checking various materials (scripts, presentations, video recordings, annotated notes, solved and unsolved examples suitable for homework). The beauty of mathematics lies, among other things, in what I would call its ability to ‘self-explain’. If you devote sufficient space and attention to writing texts, even slightly above-average students are able to understand the connections and interconnectedness of the vast majority of parts of mathematics through their self-study alone, and exceptionally, the applicability and overlaps of the material discussed that are not included in the given texts. The greater the conscientiousness present in the production of materials and in the preparation of lectures and exercises, the greater the likelihood that students will be able to understand the connections and discover the meaning of the material discussed (or at least believe that it has a deeper meaning). This is the greatest chance that someone from "I want to get them excited about our field. But at the same time, I try to be honest. It's important that students know the real-world uses and already known and proven applications, without exaggerating or overstating the importance of what we're discussing."

“My ‘recipe’ is based on connecting theory with real-life situations and on open communication with students. I try to show that statistics is not just a set of formulas, but a tool for understanding the world and the processes that take place in it, and for making qualified decisions. Therefore, in teaching, I emphasize not only calculations, but above all the interpretation of results and the development of critical thinking. At the same time, I am convinced that a good teacher must like students and approach them with respect - only in this way can an environment be created in which they are not afraid to ask questions and make mistakes, which are a natural part of learning. I am most pleased when students discover that they do not have to be afraid to make mistakes and begin to think about tasks independently. Such an environment often leads to deeper cooperation with students, for example when supervising final theses. Enthusiasm is contagious - if the teacher himself perceives the meaning of his field, the students will recognize it very quickly.”