Congratulations, you have just defended your dissertation, landed a faculty position, and need to think about being a professional teacher. You will likely be paid well to do research and to educate students; often way above your nation’s average income. This carries significant responsibility and you should hold yourself accountable for doing a professional job at both. Many departments actually value teaching, but there are those who value research more; do what you think is right, be an outlier if you must.

What assumptions should you make? Not make? Where do you start? Who do you listen to? How do you pull it off?

Three key observations to start with…

• First, try to set aside and not think about what you liked as a student. Most faculty members are not ‘normal’ in terms of learning and studying. What you liked and excelled at is not likely to be the norm for the general student population, and it would be incorrect to project your preferences and abilities onto the average student. Most faculty members were ‘great’ students by definition, at the high end and knew how to interpret the instructor, how to read and understand assessment questions, memorize, pattern match, and play the game with prowess.
• Second, just because you were a student for perhaps 20-26 years of your life does not mean that you know how to teach or how teaching should be done. Familiarity does not equate to expertise. Teaching is a meta-cognitive skill composed of many complementary skills. You do not learn a skill by watching, you learn a skill by doing, by being coached, through deliberate practice with feedback and reflection.
• Third, you might have been a TA or taught a class or two during your time in grad school. Doing something a few times and perhaps only once does not make you an expert in Cognitive Science. You might be more of an expert than others in the room, but you are still a novice. This is similar to your own research. You are an expert on the specific topic you explored, but if you only used a method once or twice, you are not an expert on the method. Again, more than the average person on the street, but not a real expert.

Our suggestions...

• If you do not have one already, try to develop one: a growth mindset (Dweck 2016). Also learn how to be self-aware, mindful, and think about how you are doing things, as well as the actual outcome.
• You might have been assigned a mentor by your department. This might be a research or career mentor. You might also have a teaching mentor (or the research, career mentor is supposed to cover teaching as well). Make sure you have a skilled and talented teaching mentor, even if you have to find a 'spare' on the side. Do not assume that all faculty members can be a teaching mentor. Just because someone is called a teaching expert does not mean that they are, they might be, but then again, they might just be the best in the department, or are good at convincing others that they are through self-praise.
• Sit in and observe as many instructors in your department as possible. Not only observe what the instructors are doing, but what the students are doing. You will need to understand the material you have to work with (e.g., the students).
• Discuss the students with other instructors and learn the strengths, weaknesses, etc. of the student body, including expectations, attitudes and behaviors.
• Do NOT change the course you are given the first time (you can’t assess a process by stopping it). Take it as is with perhaps minor adjustments, but keep the same pedagogy, same style, same pace, same tools and technology. Until you know what the ‘problem’ is, do not derive new solutions and do not assume you know what the problem is, or what better solutions might exist.

• If you have been told by the department’s senior management team to make changes, or ‘fix’ something, then you can consider making changes, but make the changes carefully. Involve other faculty members in the review and planned changes. Involve past and present TAs if possible. Test out the changes and be comfortable with them before using them in a live situation.
• If you will be using teaching and assessment methods you have yet to have experience with, find instructors who have a decent amount of experience and seek their advice. Do not assume that you will be able to successfully interpret and use the methods on your own. You might be able to. But, remember that the course is not about you, it is about the students and the quality experience you are supposed to give them. Practice risk management. The students deserve it.
• Take as many courses as possible from your institution’s Centre for Teaching. In addition, sit in on some courses on Cognitive Science (acquisition of skill and expertise) if you can. This is the starting point for understanding how students learn and improve.
• Have people sit in on your first lecture, several lectures through the term, and the last lecture. Do not be shy. Ask experienced and respected teachers in your department for help, constructive feedback, and advice. While you can have other junior faculty do this, it is best to have some elders involved as well.
• Tape yourself and watch the tapes. Ask someone else to watch the tapes as well. Can you be heard clearly? Are you doing ok with class dynamics, questions, etc.? We would suggest taping your whole first term. Do not rely on observers to see your normal behavior; people often change their behaviour when they know people are watching.
• Be prepared to make mistakes and have a positive, non-defensive position when they occur. Eat them if necessary. Apologize. Ask the students to help you. Be human.
• We have often seen new instructors err on the side of being too ‘nice’, not willing to push students or push them out of their comfort zone. A controlled, little bit of pain opens the ears. It is a balancing act though. You need to get advice about how much to push, when to push, and what to push on. Do not push without the advice! Find that pedagogical sweet spot.
• Know what you know, figure out what you do not. Ask for help. It is not a sign of weakness. It is wise.

Further reading

• de Janasz, S. C., & Sullivan, S. E. (2004). Multiple mentoring in academe: Developing the professional network. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 64(2), 263-283.
• Dweck, C. (2016). Mindset: The new psychology of success. (Updated edition.). Ballantine Books.
• Faculty Mentoring. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo. https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/professional-development/enhancing-your-teaching/faculty-mentoring
• Higgins, M. C. & Kram, K. E. (2001). Reconceptualizing mentoring at work: A developmental network perspective. Academy of Management Review, 26(2), 264-288.
• Sorcinelli, M. D. & Yun, J. H. (2007). From mentors to mentoring networks: Mentoring in the new academy. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 39(6), 58-61.
• Yun, J. H. & Sorcinelli, M. D. (2009). When mentoring is the medium: Lessons learned from a faculty development initiative. To Improve the Academy: Resources for Faculty, Instructional and Organizational Development, 27, 365-384.