By Dr. Gustavo Espinoza Ramos, University of Westminster
A different kind of journey
Earlier this year, I completed the Camino de Santiago. It was a journey that challenged me physically and emotionally, while giving me time to reflect on who I am and what truly matters. I did not expect another journey, only a few days long, to have a similar effect.
The past year has been a challenging one for many working in UK higher education. Financial pressures, organisational restructuring and increasing uncertainty have affected institutions across the sector. I found myself questioning my professional direction and, at times, feeling disconnected from the values that first inspired me to become an educator including authenticity, generosity and community.
Attending the Association of National Teaching Fellows (ANTF) Symposium 2026, held the Newcastle University on 12 – 13 May, became much more than another conference. It became an opportunity to reconnect with my professional identity and a remarkable community of educators who continue to demonstrate creativity and hope despite difficult circumstances. This was my third ANTF Symposium, but by far the most meaningful.
Rediscovering my professional identity
The session that resonated with me most was Sally Brown and Kay Sambell‘s workshop, Sustaining Ourselves, Supporting Others: Peer-Led Educational Development as a Strategy for Wellbeing and Impact. Their central message of academic altruism felt especially powerful at a time when many colleagues are navigating uncertainty. During periods of uncertainty, I realised I had unconsciously created a comfortable professional bubble where I felt safe from disappointment. While protective, it also disconnected me from something that has always motivated me: sharing ideas, supporting colleagues and building communities of practice.
Sally and Kay reminded us that during scarcity can also bring clarity. It is often during difficult times that creativity flourishes, meaningful collaborations emerge and acts of kindness have the greatest impact. They challenged us to reflect on a deceptively simple question: Who am I as an educator?
I am a person who enjoys writing as a way to express what I struggle to say. I enjoy finding solving problems, building genuine relationships, and details tells me more than just words. I believe teaching should include curiosity, creativity and even playfulness. I want to contribute to communities where colleagues help one another to flourish.
Learning through people
This year’s symposium also marked several personal milestones. It was my first opportunity to present at an ANTF Symposium. My session, Enhancing Student Engagement and Employability Through Co-Creation Projects, explored how students can become genuine partners in educational research. Through co-creation, students not only develop research, critical thinking and employability skills, but also produce tangible outputs such as podcasts, blogs, conference presentations and publications that extend learning beyond the classroom.
It was also my first ANTF Gala Dinner, which gave me one of the most memorable moments of the conference. After many years of following Sally Brown’s work online, I finally had the opportunity to meet her in person. She kindly signed my copy of The Lecturer’s Toolkit (6th edition), co-authored with Phil Race. Beyond her scholarship, what impressed me most was warmth, humility, humour and generosity. It reminded me that outstanding educators are remembered not only for what they know, but for how they make others feel.
Tim Herrick‘s presentation, Student Observation of Teaching: Holding a Space for Partnership, introduced an inspiring initiative from the University of Sheffield where students observe teaching and engage academics in constructive conversations. Therefore, students become trusted partners who offer perspectives educators may never otherwise see. It was a powerful reminder that partnership begins with listening.
Lisa Day‘s session on using improv comedy to strengthen engagement on a DBA programme also resonated with me. Having previously taken clowning classes in Peru, I have experienced how improvisation encourages creativity, adaptability and confidence. For a long time, I hesitated to acknowledge this influence within my own teaching practice. Lisa’s presentation reminded me that playful pedagogies have a legitimate place in higher education.
Another highlight was the presentation by Michelle Morgan, Debbie Holley, Wendy Garnham and Sue Beckingham on the Pre-arrival Academic Questionnaire. Their work demonstrates how understanding students before they even begin university can challenge institutional assumptions and produce more personalised support. It was an excellent example of how data analytics can strengthen inclusion and student success.
More than a conference
The symposium was also my first visit to Newcastle, a city I had long associated with the Peruvian football legend Nolberto Solano. Beyond football, however, I discovered a welcoming city and, more importantly, a professional community that reminded me why I chose this career.
One of the privileges of attending ANTF events is meeting people whose work has inspired you for years through books, articles, blogs and social media. There is something uniquely motivating about discovering that these teaching heroes are as generous and encouraging in person as they are in their scholarship. The ANTF community represent a culture where collaboration matters more than competition, and where supporting others is viewed as a shared responsibility rather than an individual choice.
I arrived in Newcastle carrying uncertainty about my professional direction. I left with renewed motivation, new ideas and a clearer sense of who I want to be as an educator. Looking back, this symposium became another kind of camino. Not one measured in kilometres, but in conversations, generosity and moments of reflection. Sometimes the greatest gift a conference can offer is not simply new knowledge but helping us rediscover the values that inspired us to begin the journey in the first place.
