You’ll encounter a wealth of opportunities throughout your PhD journey, but few are as transformative as teaching. Taking on instructing roles not only offers immediate financial rewards but can have a positive, long-term impact on your academic career. Here are tips on how to gain and make the most out of the experience.
Before you start teaching
You may find yourself stepping into a teaching role in your second year. Before you do, you might attend a mandatory training programme that provides foundational teaching skills, such as delivering effective lessons, giving feedback and peer-reviewing teaching sessions. While this training can be brief and sometimes feel more theoretical than practical, it can help you build confidence and lay the groundwork for developing a teaching mindset.
This is also an excellent time to gain a well-regarded accreditation such as the Associate Fellowship of Advance HE. You can apply for this directly through Advance HE or enrol in a relevant teaching course at your institution that includes it as part of the qualification. Gaining this accreditation strengthens your teaching portfolio, signals your dedication to student learning, and helps you stand out in job and promotion applications.
Many universities run mentoring schemes for new teaching staff, but if yours doesn’t, consider seeking out a mentor who can guide you through the early stages of your teaching journey. You can meet experienced educators at university events like those run by the Bristol Institute for Teaching and Learning. You can also attend events run by external organisations, such as the British Academy of Management. If you spot someone whose experience and values seem like the right fit, drop them a courteous email asking them if they have the time and headspace to mentor you.
Navigating your first experience
The best educators aren’t born teaching prodigies – they’re passionate about their subject and invest time in preparation. On average, experienced lecturers rehearse a lecture twice before delivering it. The more you practise, the better you’ll become.
In addition to practising content delivery, you must familiarise yourself with the content, practise problem-solving scenarios, and carefully structure your lessons to balance explanations, Q&A and practical activities. Placing yourself in your students’ shoes is key to planning and delivering a session that is both engaging and effective.
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Overcoming challenges in the classroom
Teaching comes with its challenges, but you should view these as opportunities for growth.
One common example is ensuring students with limited subject-specific knowledge understand your learning content. In these instances, break down concepts into more digestible chunks. Use real-world examples to make abstract topics more relatable and accessible. Stay up to date with relevant trends and developments to ensure the examples you use speak to your students’ interests and experiences.
Time management is another teaching challenge. You will need to balance delivering content, answering questions, and maintaining a steady pace to cover all planned material. This is tricky, as you may not know how much time some discussions might take. This is another reason to rehearse your content before delivering your sessions. The more you practise, the better your time-keeping will be.
For discussions and interactive parts, use an on-screen timer. For example, you can search for a 10-minute timer with lively background music on YouTube and integrate the video into your PowerPoint slides. This way you’ll be able to stay on track and create an engaging learning environment. Finally, you can gently bring discussions to a close by saying, “final two comments, please” or “I’m mindful of time, so let’s continue this discussion in the break or in the next seminar”.
Even some of the best-balanced sessions aren’t guaranteed to keep your students’ attention. Many learners, whether online or in-person, prefer to engage through electronic devices. Others may also lack the confidence to share their thoughts or answer questions aloud. Incorporating interactive elements like online quizzes in class is an effective way to address this. Use tools such as Mentimeter or Kahoot to check understanding and Padlet or Blackboard Café to manage questions and answers.
Language may also present a barrier, especially when teaching international students. In this instance, explaining technical terms and incorporating visual aids can bridge the gap. As can linking theoretical concepts to practical applications using examples from different cultures. For example, when teaching marketing communication, we share cases of major translation mishaps or instances of cultural appropriation by well-known brands to theoretical concepts more relatable to our students.
Teaching is more than a line on your CV; it is a journey of personal and professional growth. Take on a variety of roles to develop a broad skill set. Start with small group teaching in seminars and tutorials to build confidence. Then, progress to lectures to refine your ability to engage diverse audiences. Consider taking on undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation supervision.
Remember, every session you lead is an opportunity to grow into a confident and reflective educator and will equip you with invaluable skills and foster resilience. More importantly, these experiences allow you to make a meaningful impact on students’ learning.
Marios Kremantzis is a senior lecturer in business analytics at the University of Bristol Business School. Rushana Khusainova is a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Bristol Business School.
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