What Does it Mean to Be an Educator?

Education is about so much more than learning - it is about the transfer of knowledge and the innovation of an industry through shared experiences.

Earlier this year, we searched high and low for Canada’s top PR, Marketing and Communications instructors, celebrating those who have positively impacted the industry. After many talented and noteworthy nominees were submitted, eleven women were selected as the 2022 recipients of the first annual top PR, Marketing and Communications instructors award.

Despite working in a male-dominated industry, these women have grabbed the attention of their students, impacting their lives across educational institutions, platforms, and digital certifications.

To better understand why these individuals and nominees choose to work in the field of marketing and communications education, we asked each of them several questions.

1. What does being a teacher mean to you?
2. What is your most important lesson?
3. How can working professionals and current students continue to learn while pursuing their career goals?

Their responses have been eye-opening, insightful, and of course - educational! You can find the responses for some of our award recipients and nominees below:

ELA VERESIU, YORK UNIVERSITY’S SCHULICH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS:

What does being a teacher mean to you? Being a professor means that I have the privilege and wonderful opportunity to mentor future generations of working professionals to create businesses that are more inclusive of under-represented groups.

What is your most important lesson? The most important lesson that was passed on to me, which I, in turn, carry forward is that one’s career is not a sprint but a marathon, so make sure to pace yourself and take the time to celebrate even the smallest of victories and accomplishments.

How can working professionals and current students continue to learn while pursuing their career goals? Everyone can continue to learn while pursuing their career goals by reading the latest academic and industry publications in their respective fields and industries. Online publications like Marketing News Canada and the Conversation Canada are making it easier for busy professionals to stay up to date.

STEPHANIE KOONAR,LANGARA SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT:

What does being a teacher mean to you? To be given the opportunity to teach is an honour. Connecting with students to find out about their passions and dreams and to be able to guide them by providing tips and tricks, as they launch their careers, is very meaningful to me.

What is your most important lesson? Understanding one's own self and being able to articulate what one brings to a role or team is very valuable.

How can working professionals and current students continue to learn while pursuing their career goals? By looking to the future and at current trends we can anticipate what skills and roles will be in demand. We can prepare ourselves by taking courses and micro-credentials to upgrade our skill sets. It is all about life-long learning!

KYLIE MCMULLAN, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND JELLY ACADEMY:

What does being a teacher mean to you? There are few professions that are as rewarding as teaching others something that you love and are passionate about. I love training the next generation of marketers and communicators and seeing all they can accomplish.

What is your most important lesson? Teaching ethics and values-based decision-making is something that I take very seriously. Public relations can sometimes have a negative reputation and I want to ensure that the next generation of professionals are doing their part to represent the profession in a positive way that benefits others.

How can working professionals and current students continue to learn while pursuing their career goals? We all need to commit to lifelong learning. Things change too fast in marketing and technology to not be curious and engaged. Adaptability is perhaps the most important skill successful people have. However, learning can take various shapes and forms and doesn’t always have to be through a formal program or classroom. Learning might take place through volunteer work or political activism, hobbies, mentorship, or trial and experimentation.

ANGELE BEAUSOLEIL, ROTMAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT:

What does being a teacher mean to you? Becoming a teacher and professor was a long and scenic journey for me. I have always been curious about the world, how technologies work and why people behave the way they do. Over the years, I developed a true appreciation for the art of unpacking complicated concepts into bits and chunks that were easier for me to understand, and in turn how to explain it to others. Being a teacher validates the notion that the best way to learn anything is by teaching others. For me, teaching is learning, and learning is teaching – both require cognitive curiosity, confidence in asking a lot of questions and being open to new and unfamiliar situations and lots of experimentation.

What is your most important lesson? The most important lesson is to accept that one lesson comprised many sub-lessons. For example, an important lesson as a business leader is to cultivate a customer-first mindset and culture. A customer-first mindset is a core competency for marketers, who require lessons in understanding the needs of your customers and interpreting those needs into products, platforms or experiences that delight. As a market-driven innovation professor, I offer executives a prompt (as a lesson), asking them to be more curious about what they don’t know about their customers, and less arrogant about what they think they know.

How can working professionals and current students continue to learn while pursuing their career goals? Both working professionals and students should strive to be continuous learners. Embrace the idea of being curious beyond what your job demands or beyond the value of a GPA. Be curious about your colleagues, your customers and your communities. Care about others. Question everything. Practice the art and science of reflection…think deeply and frequently about how you think, how you make decisions and why it matters to you. Journal your thoughts, sketch on napkins and tablets and share your ‘visible thoughts’ with friends and colleagues for genuine feedback.

DANA DITOMASO, LINKEDIN LEARNING AND UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA:

What does being a teacher mean to you? Everyone starts out as a beginner. Teaching keeps me in touch with what people new to the field might not know, and I learn a lot from my students as well!

What is your most important lesson? Many people approach the field of marketing thinking that they aren't technical, and then can talk themselves out of the more technical aspects of marketing, such as analytics. I always try to remind students that they can tackle these technical problems and become technical people. You don't need to be a developer to be comfortable with technical concepts.

How can working professionals and current students continue to learn while pursuing their career goals? Set aside dedicated time in your calendar for learning. Personally, I have a 15-minute block every workday for learning which can involve reading newsletters and blog posts and watching videos. When there is a new major development in the field, such as the release of GA4, I'll set aside dedicated days to dive in and learn the topic. It helps if you can have someone you're accountable to, that way you're staying focused on your goal.

DEANNA WAMPLER, JELLY ACADEMY:

What does being a teacher mean to you? It means to connect with people from all over and share my knowledge in a way that inspires others.

What is your most important lesson? To always keep learning! I work in social media, so it's important to me to find joy in it from a personal standpoint, as social media is my career, but such an important part of our lives.

How can working professionals and current students continue to learn while pursuing their career goals? To always keep learning + networking. Connecting with others allows you to see what is going on with them professionally (and personally!) and to see what is going on in your industry world-wide.

SARAH STOCKDALE, GROWCLASS:

What does being a teacher mean to you? For me, being a teacher means that I get to spend my time helping people get even just a bit closer to the kind of life they want to be leading. Sometimes that's a skills gap that we can work together to close, but often it's also a confidence gap. If I can leave my students feeling clearer about what they actually want and give them some tools to get closer to it— then I'm doing my best (and my favourite) work.

What is your most important lesson? That the only person who can get you from where you are now to where you want to be is you.

How can working professionals and current students continue to learn while pursuing their career goals? Look for learning environments that support the kind of person you want to be in a year. Education is about skills development, sure, but it's also about network, community, accountability, and support. People open doors for other people, so if you can build real relationships while you're learning, you're putting your future self in the best possible spot to succeed.

CAREY HOUSTON AND CHANTEL ELLIOT, 321 GROWTH ACADEMY:

What does being a teacher mean to you? For me, being a teacher is an opportunity to serve others AND learn for myself. I love supporting founders and entrepreneurs in learning how to grow their businesses through sales and marketing... but I learn from them too. Together, we dig through tricky problems, design growth marketing experiments and share lessons learned so we can all benefit. That's the fun of it - knowing that I still have much to learn and have the opportunity to dig in.

What is your most important lesson? I think my most important lesson in teaching is that real learning comes from open & candid discussion... but this requires an environment of safety, where founders feel ok being vulnerable and sharing where they're struggling. As soon as one participant opens up, the floodgates open and others share their challenges too. That's where the magic happens and the cohort starts to learn from each other, as well as from the instructor. You can see the lightbulb going off in their eyes and they feel supported to take action - both by the instructor, but also by their peers. I've learned that to set the stage for a candid discussion, I need to be willing to show vulnerability too. To share stories of my mistakes and stumbles. At the end of the day, we're all human beings just trying to get through and if I can create some meaningful connections, I've done my job well.

How can working professionals and current students continue to learn while pursuing their career goals? There are so many options these days to continue your professional development - online courses, industry conferences, books, articles, and podcasts, plus on-the-job learning. I think the most important thing is to maintain a learning mindset. Stay curious about what you're doing and be open to trying something new. Don't be afraid to experiment and fail - that's where the juicy learning happens.

ANDREA EBY, CAPILANO UNIVERSITY:

What does being a teacher mean to you? To me - that I truly have the best job. I get to be around young people full of inspiration, ideas and drive. Their infectious energy keeps me teaching.

What is your most important lesson? When it comes to a "teaching moment", I always share that I too am always learning! So much is changing in technology and so important to be current and relevant. Accept that digital challenge and dive into tools yourself to understand and relate.

How can working professionals and current students continue to learn while pursuing their career goals? Having industry experience adds value and relevance to the classroom. Additionally, applied content in the way of engaged client projects, and industry presenters bring the industry right into the course. The change from having a real client and having the feedback they gave you was so important to my learning. These real-life scenarios help you get better prepared for a career with lots of lessons being taught in every case.

Education is the foundation of our future industry. As a Canadian marketing publication, we are thrilled to have so many talented leaders and educators working in the field and sharing their experiences.

We look forward to our 2023 search for Canada’s top PR, Marketing and Communications instructors and educators, with nominations opening in April 2023!

Written by Emma Whiten, Former Editor of Marketing News Canada