phones – but we do that too! We remarked how these shared experiences with students contrast with what has become a familiar narrative of so many young people as reluctant learners, incapable victims of their contexts, with ‘problems’ to be solved. We often hear of ‘this generation’s’ lack of skills for university study, selfishness, or knowledge about life and the world. Is this true, though? Bradian Muliadi (2020) writes: Across different socioeconomic backgrounds, members of this generation value individual identities, reject stereotypes and practice identity expressions with pragmatism. They are more open to changes and fluidity, while also willing to connect with people of different groups on similar causes and interests. Of course some students remain bigoted and narrow-minded. However, we derive hope from our interactions with the students on the UJ campus, their willingness to engage with us, their openness in conversation, and their asking and answering questions. In the queue at the coffee shop, one student is learning Spanish because it’s fun, another is studying actuarial science and is nervous about statistics, and a third little group is trying to decide between sharing a brownie and a Chelsea bun and laughingly discussing that they can’t afford both. This all got us thinking about the University context and the importance of being careful about the stories we tell ourselves and others about the students we encounter. We run workshops together on campus on various issues, and of course, staff commiserate with one another about students. We have probably all done this, especially as we care about how well or how badly students do. But it is important to consider how these stories influence us, how we teach and learn with the students, and the visions and perspectives of their futures that we communicate, both consciously or unconsciously. The challenge for University staff hasn’t changed, even if the students may have. In every role in the university, including administrative and support roles, we ought to seek to create the conditions to nurture students, to encourage them, and to work with them to develop their full potential. The students deserve our respect and as part of this, we definitely should not write them off before they have even begun. Academic staff should design learning initiatives with a mindset that recognises their students’ innate potential; administrative and support staff too can engage in ‘teachable moments’ in their interaction with students. Trigger warning: this is not an academic paper. It is a brief reflection which we have discussed and feel strongly about. We are firm believers in the teaching and learning principle that knowing who our students are is central to any teaching- learning innovation. Some of our best conversations are indeed when we are ‘just chatting’. Recently, in conversation, we remarked on how often we hear negative comments about ‘Gen Zs’ or the ‘TikTok generation’ juxtaposed against how much we enjoy our engagements with the young people surrounding us at the University. Between us, we have four daughters – three of them are Gen Zs, and not one fits the stereotype’s negative aspects. Neither do the young people we meet as we move around the campus doing our work. We remarked to each other how they so often inspire us. Young people greet us, engage in conversation, and chat easily, knowledgably and eagerly about their studies or their experiences. They start talking in queues on campus, at events, and in other contexts and places such as the library or the corridors. Yes, some are walking into us, stuck on their Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century | Showcasing UJ Teaching Innovation Projects 2024 78
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