7 tips for young educators
Posted on Monday, December 14, 2020
by Chonglu Huang
A winner of the 2019-2020 Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO) and uOttawa’s Awards of Excellence in Teaching, Dr. Ali Jalali is a passionate and innovative medical educator and long-time head of the Division of Clinical and Functional Anatomy.
Check out his “7 Teaching Tips for Young Educators” in academia.
Tip 1 — Be resilient: For every success, you will have some failures and setbacks; stay positive and persistent in every endeavour you pursue in your career.
Tip 2 — Learn to say no: Young professors and early career researchers are sometimes asked to take on more than possible. Be sure to manage your workload so that you can protect your productivity.
Tip 3 — Keep it short and simple: Resist the urge to show off what you know to your students. Instead, keep your teaching methods simple and tailored toward your students’ learning to help them succeed.
Tip 4 — Negotiate time not just money: Remember to negotiate your time—something that you cannot buy. Protect it so that you focus on your key deliverables and thrive with a work-life balance.
Tip 5 — Protect your writing time: Don’t fall behind on your publication goals. Slot in blocks of writing time in your calendar, so that you progress in your long-term projects.
Tip 6 — Know your work environment: Familiarize yourself with the guidelines and criteria of career advancement at your institution. Understand that university is a space meant for peer review. Be open to criticism and mentorship and you will grow.
Tip 7 — Respect is key: Always treat your students, colleagues and superiors the way you want to be treated—with respect, professionalism and kindness.