I joined LCF in August 2019 as a lecturer on the Fashion Styling & Production course. Prior to that I had taught for 2 years as an Associate lecturer at IQRA University in Islamabad, Pakistan where I ran sessions independently, using my own education, learning and intuition to act as a guide. I found that the role came naturally to me and that I enjoyed operating in a classroom space.

When I got the job at LCF I felt much more intimidated. Being a young person of colour with limited teaching experience gave me immediate imposter syndrome. I had gone from teaching independently at a small university in Pakistan to now working in a large team where my colleagues had 10-20 years of experience.

During the first 2 years I was in fight-or-flight mode. Internally, through intuitive observations, I questioned the large cohort sizes, the academic jargon used in the Assessment briefs and how the sessions were organized and timetabled. I did not have the academic language to contextualize my beliefs and the confidence to verbalize my concerns. I thought that this institution has been operating for decades with certain approaches and ideologies, how can I, someone younger and with little experience, question these fundamental methods and approaches?

During our lecture ‘Mud, Muddy, Muddier still: Pedagogic Research in the Arts University’, the lecturer said ‘Noticing is a reflective practice’. This really inspired me as it disqualified the idea that you need a specific amount of formal experience or education to have knowledge. My feelings and observations are integral and I mustn’t tune them out. Perhaps being younger and having less experience can be an asset, as I have not yet become accustomed to set ways and therefore can continue question and hopefully bring change to benefit staff, students and the wider community.