Teaching is always enjoyable—until it becomes boring. And that boredom usually comes from repetition, something we as lecturers are all too familiar with. It’s easy to fall into a pattern of teaching the same content over and over again, especially when the number of classes you teach for a single subject becomes overwhelming. Every year, the same concepts, the same examples, the same flow of information. It’s a natural tendency. But with each repetition, both the lecturer and the students start to lose the spark that makes learning exciting.
Luckily for me, teaching in Brunei has given me some relief from this trap. I only teach one class here, which makes it much easier to focus on creating a truly engaging experience without feeling like I’m on autopilot. However, that doesn’t mean I haven’t had to put effort into making sure my teaching stays fresh and interesting—not just for my students, but for myself as well. After all, if I’m bored, how can I expect them to stay engaged?
To avoid this monotony, I’ve made a few subtle but significant changes to my approach. Now, my methods are still fairly traditional. I’m not one of those lecturers who encourage smartphones and laptops during class. On the contrary, I believe that too much technology can sometimes detract from the learning experience. So, I stick to the basics: no smartphones, no unnecessary tabs open on screens, and definitely no laptops. Instead, it’s all about going old school with a notebook and pen. There’s something deeply powerful about physically writing notes that helps students process and retain information.
What about the teaching style? Well, if you were expecting flashy PowerPoint presentations or lengthy monologues, you’d be surprised. I lean heavily on the Socratic method, which means I’m always asking questions and encouraging my students to do the same. It’s a constant back-and-forth dialogue rather than me just standing in front of the class and talking at them. This not only keeps the students on their toes, but it also keeps me actively engaged in the process. I’m not just delivering content; I’m facilitating discovery.
Now, let’s talk about one of my favorite techniques: the Pomodoro technique. For those unfamiliar, this involves breaking work or study time into intervals—usually 25 minutes of focused work followed by a short break. We use it in class to keep everyone’s mind sharp and ensure we stay productive. During those 25 minutes, we dive deep into a topic, and then we take a few moments to breathe, reset, and get ready to tackle the next subject. It’s amazing how much better students can absorb material when we’re not pushing through hour-long lectures without a break.
But here’s where things get interesting. While my methods may be traditional, the way I approach the content is anything but. Instead of following the module from A to Z, as it’s written, I like to start with something current, something that’s trending in the world at that moment. Why? Because I’ve found that students connect more deeply with topics when they feel relevant to their lives.
Take, for example, a topic like decision-making or loss aversion. Instead of diving straight into the theoretical aspects of these concepts, I’ll bring up something happening in pop culture or even something trending on social media. In Brunei, the recent #labubu phenomenon was a perfect example. It sparked an immediate connection because students could relate to it. From there, we were able to dive into deeper topics like FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), the psychology behind self-belonging, and how the limbic system in our brain processes these feelings. Suddenly, what could have been a dry lecture on cognitive science became a lively discussion where students were eager to participate.
What I love most about this approach is that it turns the classroom into a space of exploration, not just for my students but for me as well. Every opinion they share, every question they ask, has the potential to take the conversation in a new direction. Sometimes, we end up covering topics that weren’t even part of the original plan, but that’s the beauty of it. Learning becomes a journey we take together, and it’s always filled with surprises.
This method keeps teaching fresh and exciting for me as well. The joy of teaching isn’t just in delivering knowledge; it’s in witnessing those lightbulb moments when a student truly understands a concept, or when a discussion veers off into uncharted territory and sparks new ideas for everyone in the room. I often find myself leaving the class having learned something new myself, and that’s what keeps me passionate about this profession.
I think one of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a lecturer is that teaching doesn’t have to be rigid. Yes, we have a syllabus to follow, and there are certain learning outcomes we need to achieve, but there’s so much flexibility in how we get there. If we allow ourselves to step outside the confines of the traditional lecture model, we can create a more dynamic and engaging experience for our students—and for ourselves.
Lecturing should never feel like a chore. It should feel like an adventure, a chance to explore new ideas and make meaningful connections with our students. So, to my fellow educators, I say: Don’t be afraid to mix things up. Try new techniques, bring current trends into your lessons, and most importantly, make learning a conversation, not just a transmission of information. When you do, you’ll find that teaching is never boring—it’s an ever-evolving process that keeps us all on our toes and constantly learning.
After all, isn’t that what education is all about?
