Teacher of the Year creates boxes that can accommodate everyone

"I always aim to give my students a good experience, even when they provide incorrect answers during classes."

These are the words of the Teacher of the Year at SCIENCE 2023, Mette Burmølle. Her approach to teaching has made her courses incredibly popular among students, who particularly praise Mette Burmølle for her positive and inclusive way.

"It's about creating a learning environment where students always feel comfortable participating and asking questions. Of course, there are high expectations when attending university, but it should never be unpleasant to be here," says Mette Burmølle about her teaching.

She teaches several courses at the Department of Biology and has been responsible for a course in general microbiology for several years, putting great effort into improving it each year to make it comprehensible and pedagogical for the students.

Her philosophy is crystal clear. Students have the best conditions for learning when the atmosphere is safe, and mistakes are not forbidden. This allows room for academic immersion, curiosity, and engagement.

"I see no reason to be a strict instructor. I am well aware that students are under pressure, so I won't get anywhere by worsening the situation for them. Instead, I try to show sympathy, make it clear what we expect from them, and provide them with the tools to prioritize in order to make them able to perform as well as possible."

Structure is key

The first word Mette Burmølle uses to describe herself is 'structured.' She learns best by categorizing things, and she tries to pass that on to her students. Additionally, she always makes sure that her courses are well-organized from start to finish, leaving no doubt about the workload right from the beginning.

"If the framework isn't in place, if you don't know what's coming tomorrow, where you'll have classes, or what you need to know, you can't focus on the academic aspects.," she says, explaining that she notices it reassures even the most nervous students.

"Some students are anxious about how the course will turn out, especially when they have to submit their first major assignment. But afterwards, many of them say it has been excellent."

Motivating to be able to make a difference

And that's precisely what motivates Mette Burmølle in her teaching. As she says, microbiology rarely tops the list for new biology students, so it's especially rewarding when they end up appreciating it.

"I think it's great to be able to open their eyes to microbiology and to be part of their progress. Both throughout the course and in the small breakthroughs in individual lessons. I feel proud when I see students I've helped shape and inspire end up working with microbiology afterwards."

In the nomination for Mette Burmølle, it states that she "does not considerresearch and communication as two separate areas and that she is passionate about connecting theory to practice to make research-based teaching tangible and relevant."

She firmly asserts that she believes teaching is just as important as research:

"In research, it sometimes takes a while to change the world, but when I look at how many microbiologists I have sent out into the world, I think it's quite amazing. I feel privileged to have a job where I can be as detailed as one is in research and, at the same time, have the interaction with the students that I enjoy."

A strong teaching community

At the Section of Microbiology, Mette Burmølle has a strong teaching community with her colleagues, whom she doesn't hesitate to give a significant share of credit for her success in teaching alongside her research career.

She is not sure if she would be able to maintain the same level of dedication as an instructor if her colleagues didn't also place great importance on that aspect of their work, she explains.

"If I were the only one who truly cared about it, I think it would be harder not to slack off a bit. But all of us make an effort and discuss extensively how we can constantly improve. It's important to me that we all prioritize our teaching highly."