In teaching, the greatest sin is to be boring. Good teaching sparks interest and questions

What does the Centre for Development of Communication and Pedagogical Competencesactually encompass?

The Centre is built on two main pillars. The first focuses on teaching communication, pedagogy, and didactics – subjects that help doctors, medical students, and future general and paediatric nurses or radiology assistants learn how to talk to patients, present professional information, reflect on their own actions, and develop as educators.

The second pillar is the pedagogical competences course, which has a long tradition at our faculty. It has been running for many years and is mandatory for all new colleagues who actively take part in teaching. From 2026, this requirement will be extended to virtually all new academic staff. This is an important step forward: it reflects the idea that teaching skills are not a marginal matter but a fundamental part of every university teacher’s professional role. It is good to see that we are beginning to take this seriously.

Some argue that all teachers, not just newcomers, should take the course.

And I fully agree. Teaching is not a skill we automatically possess. We may be experts in our field, but that does not mean we know how to guide, motivate and engage students, or how to present material in a way that they genuinely absorb. The pedagogical competences course offers a place to begin. It provides a safe environment where no one is assessed on their subject expertise; the focus is solely on teaching practice.

Teachers often realise that only small adjustments are needed – a slight change in the structure of a lesson, one or two active learning elements, or a different way of asking questions – and the results can be completely different. Students respond differently, the atmosphere shifts, and the teacher no longer feels as if they are “just reading out slides”.

What shortcomings do you see most often in teaching?

As part of the course, I visit colleagues, observe their lessons and then discuss together what worked well and what could be done differently. I focus on the form of teaching, not the content. And here, two fundamental issues appear repeatedly. The first is a lack of enthusiasm. Teachers often know the subject matter perfectly, but lack the energy to convey it. Sometimes they are tired; sometimes they are simply stuck in routine. But enthusiasm is crucial. If a teacher does not enjoy what they are doing, it shows – and students sense it within the first two sentences. The second issue concerns the use of presentations. Many colleagues invest a great deal of effort into producing immaculate slides, but then simply read them aloud. Yet students do not need to hear, word for word, what they can already see on the screen. The presentation is the backdrop; the explanation is the body and soul of the lesson. In teaching, the greatest sin is to be boring. That’s my guiding principle!

There is increasing emphasis today on involving students in the learning process.

Yes, it represents a significant shift away from traditional lecture‑style teaching. I remember lessons where the teacher spoke for ninety minutes without a single opportunity to ask a question. Such teaching could never develop students’ reasoning. Today, we aim for the exact opposite: students should be partners in a dialogue, not passive recipients of information. When a teacher asks a question, they should not settle for the first response. It is important to draw in others: “Do you agree? Why? Why not? What are the arguments?” That is how discussion emerges. Students wake up, begin to think – and suddenly the lesson comes alive.

How do you determine which students to engage directly during your classes?

I admit that I am most interested in those who are not paying attention. Eye contact is essential for me – not to control the students, but because you can literally see their presence in their eyes. When I don’t see that presence, I start wondering why. Sometimes a student is genuinely dealing with something personal; sometimes they are simply avoiding the topic. And sometimes they are having a snack. So we start a conversation: “How does it taste? Shall we wait until you finish? Would you like us to set the table?” Within a moment, everyone is laughing, the atmosphere relaxes, and we continue smoothly. And next time, no snacks appear in class.

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How do you deal with negative emotions during class?

Sometimes a student may appear contemptuous or even hostile. But most of the time it is simply an expression they are not aware of. I turn to them and say, “What have I done to you that you’re looking at me as if I were your enemy?” That moment of surprise is incredibly liberating. The student realises that their face was communicating something. Rarely is it genuine resentment. And if someone truly does not want to cooperate? Then I invest my energy elsewhere. A teacher does not need to please everyone. We have the right to protect ourselves.

Can we still rely on Comenius’s famous principles today?

Surprisingly, in some respects, yes. Even though we like to think we have moved thousands of miles beyond the 17th century, certain fundamentals remain. We still progress from the simple to the complex. We still look for ways to make learning accessible and comprehensible. What has changed is the environment. My generation experienced teaching without discussion. Today, students think in short bursts of information, they move at a faster pace, and they are used to fast‑paced sources such as social media posts. This makes it all the more important to teach them to connect ideas, build arguments and evaluate information critically. And then there is artificial intelligence. It can be an excellent assistant, but it can also offer dangerously tempting shortcuts. It must be used consciously.

How can we deal with a lack of motivation among students?

This is a question that comes up in almost every group of teachers I work with. When I ask what troubles them most, ninety per cent say: student motivation. Connecting learning with practice, using case studies and simulation medicine can help. Students need to see why they are learning something. Once they link theory with real life, they become engaged. But the decisive factor is the teacher’s personality – their energy, humour, ability to speak in a human way and to admit their own mistakes. Students value authenticity far more than perfection.

And what if the teacher lacks motivation?

This is a very sensitive topic. But in my experience, when a teacher prepares even a single lesson really well and it goes smoothly, they feel what it is like when teaching truly works. Students respond, pay attention, enjoy the session and ask questions – and that is incredibly motivating. A teacher doesn’t need to be an extrovert or a performer. Sometimes it is enough to add a short Kahoot quiz, a quick poll or a piece of group work, and the lesson comes alive. And with it, the teacher. A motivated teacher motivates students, and motivated students, in turn, motivate the teacher – a wonderfully virtuous circle.

Can a course on teaching skills also be useful for experienced teachers?

Absolutely. Even those who have been teaching for years sometimes encounter a group of students who do not respond, or a situation that catches them off guard. And at that moment, it is invaluable to have somewhere to turn to. The Centre acts as a place for consultation. When a teacher writes, “I don’t know how to activate my students,” or “I’m struggling with motivation,” or “I’m not managing to give effective feedback,” I go and observe their lesson and we look for solutions together. My aim is for teachers not to be afraid to ask for help – to know that they are not alone in the classroom.

What trends are influencing modern teaching today?

Without question: contextual thinking, experiential learning and simulation medicine. Simulations offer a safe environment in which students can make mistakes without harming anyone. They can try out procedures they will later need to master with absolute precision. The same applies to communication. It is not enough to talk about it – it has to be experienced. Students need to rehearse situations that may arise, try out different roles, and see what works. Only then does genuine confidence begin to form.

At last year’s conference in Poland, you praised the Croatian approach to teaching communication. What do you find inspiring about it?

Croatia has taken an interesting – and more demanding – path, and done so successfully. Communication is compulsory throughout the entire medical curriculum. From the very first year, students begin with self‑awareness, self‑reflection and active listening, and gradually move on to more specialised modules. In the later years they study communication in surgery, internal medicine and other clinical fields. This means that communication is not treated as an isolated subject, but as a long‑term developmental process. And students genuinely appreciate it: they say they feel prepared for patient care and that nothing takes them by surprise. That is an enormous advantage.