Finding balance in Design Education: Thriving amid challenges with resilience and purpose.
In today’s rapidly evolving higher education landscape, achieving balance as an educator is more challenging than ever. The pressures of fluctuating student expectations, economic uncertainties, institutional demands, and the continuous evolution of design as a field can make it feel like an uphill battle. However, the key to maintaining this balance, especially in these turbulent times, is to cultivate a mindset where we do not take any situation personally, as long as we know we are consistently giving our best to the students.
First and foremost, it is crucial to remember that education, particularly in creative disciplines like design, is inherently dynamic. Each cohort of students brings its own set of challenges, needs, and expectations. The unpredictability of student feedback or performance can often feel like a personal reflection of our teaching capabilities, but this perspective can be counterproductive. Instead, we must shift our focus towards viewing these fluctuations as opportunities for growth — for both the students and ourselves.
When educators start taking situations personally, it can cloud their ability to see the bigger picture. For example, a student struggling to engage with a project might reflect a mismatch between their personal learning style and the traditional teaching methods rather than a failure on the instructor’s part. The educator’s role, therefore, is to explore different ways to reach and inspire that student, rather than internalising the lack of engagement as a shortcoming. This is where an open, iterative approach to pedagogy comes in, much like the design process itself: test, evaluate, adjust, and test again.
One way to ensure that we don’t take situations too personally is by grounding ourselves in the knowledge that we are doing our best for our students. This mindset requires self-reflection and continuous learning, recognising that the role of an educator extends beyond simply delivering content. It involves understanding each student’s individual context, fostering their creativity, and providing a safe space for them to experiment, fail, and grow. When we know we are consistently showing up with intention, care, and expertise, we can hold our heads high, even when things don’t go as planned.
Another key aspect is separating the personal from the professional. Students might be dealing with a variety of external pressures — whether personal, financial, or psychological — that impact their behaviour or performance in ways that may not reflect their engagement with the course material or the instructor’s teaching. Understanding this can help educators detach from taking student reactions, disengagement, or criticisms to heart. Education is, after all, a human-centred practice, and empathy must go hand-in-hand with rigour.
Finally, the evolving nature of higher education means we, as educators, must also be adaptable. Institutions may demand more of us, and the role of the design educator is expanding to include mentorship, career counselling, and industry navigation. This can feel overwhelming, but by maintaining the perspective that we are part of a larger, evolving system, we can avoid taking every challenge as a reflection of our personal worth. Instead, we can focus on creating meaningful experiences for our students that transcend the curriculum.
The balance lies in knowing that we are giving our best. When we centre our teaching practice on this principle, we become more resilient in the face of change. By cultivating empathy, remaining adaptable, and constantly striving to improve our methods, we ensure that the inevitable turbulence of higher education does not shake our confidence or diminish the impact we have on our students. This is how we create sustainable and fulfilling careers as educators.