teaching

Should You Stay Or Should You Go? Academia vs. Real World

Published: 23 February 2015
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: academic jobs, graduation, job advice, professional development, Rene Paulson, teaching

Making the decision to either stay in academia or venture out into the real world is a big one, to say the least.  There are so many variants to think about in this decision, but I’ll go over a couple that you should carefully consider. However, I’d like to first point out that post-academia is still part of the “real world,” so I hope no one takes offense…

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Should You Encourage Students to BYOD?

Published: 13 February 2015
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, smartphone, student interactions, teaching

Teaching has changed dramatically with the advent of the smart phone. Perhaps you actively encourage students to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), or maybe you’ve given up on trying to police students’ behavior in the classroom. Either way, your educational goals may ultimately be tempered by this one course policy. Problems with BYOD Some college professors have long battled the use of cell phones or other electronic devices in…

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Should You Connect with Students on Social Media?

Published: 2 January 2015
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: academic jobs, grad school advice, social media, teaching

If you are going to retweet, friend, follow, or otherwise connect with your students on social media, make an informed decision about this one ethical boundary in which many institutions provide little guidance. What Do Students Think? First, the popularity of the professor matters in what students think is appropriate. Unsurprisingly, students are reluctant to friend unknown or disliked professors (Karl & Peluchette, 2011), but not popular and well-liked professors…

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Establishing Yourself in Your Career: Why You Should Consider Warmth and Competence

Published: 19 December 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: career outcomes, lay audience, psychology, research, teaching

As you start your career, you may consider going into academia or industry. Either way, the career path you choose can affect how others view you—even without knowing anything about you. This type of stereotyping allows people to make fast decisions about a person’s intentions. Is this person good or bad? So how will others perceive you when you begin your new career? Why Should You Care? Perhaps you’re thinking…

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Should Grad Students Care About Course Evaluations?

Published: 5 December 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: academic jobs, grad school advice, graduate school, teaching

If you’re even remotely considering going into academia, you will need to gain as much teaching experience as you can. Part of teaching is the dreaded course evaluations. Whether you are teaching a solo class or are simply a teaching assistant, should you care about course evaluations? The short answer is yes. Why? Because teaching evaluations are proof that you might be a somewhat competent instructor. I say “might be”…

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Customer Service Model in Higher Education: What You Should Know

Published: 7 November 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: academic jobs, grad school advice, student interactions, teaching

As a grad student, I often joked with people about how we must cater to the needs of undergrads. Their parents were paying big bucks, and who would want their little snowflake to feel the pangs of disappointment? It wasn’t until my first year as an assistant professor that I heard the term “customer service” applied to students in a serious, non-satirical manner. I was shocked. You mean faculty treating…

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Confessions of a Mommy-Professor: How I Handled Parenthood and Job Demands as a College Professor

Published: 29 August 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: adapt to changes, family life, job advice, teaching

Working parents (and moms, especially) have muddled through the demands of raising their children and doing work for thousands of years. As a mom and young assistant professor, I have some confessions I’d like to share—the good, the bad, and the ugly.   1. I brought my child to extra-curricular activities. I was asked to be co-advisor for our department’s honor society. So I brought my daughter to various events…

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Making a Syllabus – What Course Policies Should You Include?

Published: 22 August 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, graduate school, syllabus, teaching

In creating your college syllabus, what course policies should you include? These tips may help you write a syllabus that clearly communicates your policies to your students. In my last post, I offered some things to consider when writing your syllabus. Perhaps, you have all the basics down. What about the course policies (aka “student responsibilities,” “instructor pet peeves,” etc.)? Whatever your policies,…

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Teaching a Class? Things to Consider When Creating Your College Syllabus

Published: 15 August 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, job advice, syllabus, teaching

If you’re teaching a college class for the first time, making and writing your syllabus is no easy task. Be sure to consider these things before the first day of classes. Formulating Your Syllabus Why take that much time in developing your syllabus when students don’t read it anyway? Why not just copy and paste someone else’s syllabus who taught the class before? The syllabus is a formal statement from…

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Academic Job Search? 3 Rules You Must Follow

Published: 27 September 2013
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: career outcomes, interviews, job advice, research, teaching

  Decided academia is right for you? Here are 3 rules to guide you in your job search. Not all universities are created equal; tailor your applications accordingly. Universities differ widely. Generally there are: research institutions, teaching institutions, and a blend of both. There are also different levels of each. Some research institutions have a heavy emphasis on getting grants, whereas others do not place such a…

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