Fari Greenaway

If you’re an academic manager, you have probably already thought about and craved the legendary (mythical?) concept of ‘work-life balance’. I don’t need to tell you how hard it can be to be an expert teacher, organiser, counsellor, customer services manager, materials writer and leader all at once. There’s a lot of plate spinning involved and a lot of putting out fires and above all else, a lot of being interrupted. In fact, Henry Mintzberg (2007), who has spent years studying, writing about and training managers, said that when he came to describing a manager’s job he found that in...

Encouraging shy students, forming bonds, tapping into natural inclinations and having fun are just four of the ideas covered.

Fari Greenaway offers advice on how to build a positive atmosphere through communication, interpersonal skills and self-awarness.

The article questions whether we have gone too far in our reliance and use of technology in the classroom and advocates a return to a more human based approach.