Umami is a Japanese term from the culinary world described as meaty, savory deliciousness that deepens flavor (Link). Umami as an idea has other forms. For example, umami can also be the first sip of coffee in the morning. Ahhh! Or it can be taking a refreshing hot shower after a long hike on a warm summer day. Ahhh!
We usually talk about IBL teaching in terms of benefits to students, the key features, or the nuances of how to implement it well. What faculty gain is talked about less, and is often overlooked. For many of us teaching is a calling, and it's not only because we love our subjects. The enjoyment of teaching is in meaningful human interactions, students and instructors working together towards to learn, discover, and grow as humans.
One of the big reasons why instructors should use IBL methods is because it's enjoyable and fulfilling for instructors. A centerpiece of IBL teaching is building community, and when students and instructors work as a team, then the magic happens. Enabling the dreams of students and transforming their lives is a great thought to wake up to in the morning. That's a form of umami within the grasp of every teacher.
The evaluation team (Sandra Laursen, Devan Daly, Tim Archie, Chuck Hayward) for the NSF PRODUCT asked participants, what did you gain personally from employing IBL methods? Below are a some responses from participants about umami and teaching. Enjoy!
“I personally enjoy going to class more each day. When lecturing I sometimes found myself dragging myself to the classroom with particularly challenging groups. In IBL classrooms, I am generally excited to see what my students will do each day.”
“Teaching using IBL methods keeps me excited about teaching, helps me see things from different angles and I learn new things from students all the time.”
“When I can do it, I feel really proud and energized--feel closer to the teacher of my vision.”
“I feel that the IBL workshop helped me adapt my pedagogy in small ways to try to create equity and make my students feel that this was their classroom and that I believed in them unconditionally. I held those beliefs prior to the workshop, but the workshop opened my creative thinking to all the ways I could adapt small (and large) behaviors to support my goals.”
“I enjoyed my time in class more, was able to interact more with the students and develop deeper relationships with each.”
“I've learned more about the material than I thought I had left to know.”
“I found it much more enjoyable designing a course around IBL methods, and implementing these methods in my classroom. There's only so much you can do with a lecture, and it becomes boring after a while. It was exciting when students surprised me with the answers, both correct and incorrect.”
“I enjoy teaching more, and find my work has much more value. I'm not just teaching students calculus, I'm changing what they think mathematics is and their views of themselves and their own view of their ability to do mathematics.”
“It was a lot of fun! It felt like my students and I were working together and that they were like mathematicians in training/apprenticeships.”
