For those of you who haven't seen this, here is an open letter that a student wrote and posted to her Facebook account in order to publicly shame her professor. This letter is now making the rounds of Facebook through sharing. Please read it over and then continue.
******************************
"Open letter to my professor.
Today marked one of the most upsetting academic experiences of my college career. I WAS enrolled in an anthropology and China course at Amherst College. The professor, who is not emotionally intelligent nor does she pick up on social cues well, "talked" about the One Child Policy.
Dear Professor: First of all, please do not talk to us like we are children. Second of all, please do not tell an entire class while laughing and cracking jokes that "people in China flush girls down the river and abandon them because no one wants a girl." Where do I even begin, Professor? Should I tell you that there are such things as "social pressures and government policies" that force women/families to make critical decisions that they don't necessarily want to make? Have you ever read your colleague's book "Wanting a Daughter, Needing a Son"? Did you consider not laughing and making fun of this sensitive topic? Did you also know that I was one of those "unwanted females who every parent aborted" whom you so kindly speak of? Yes, you did know. How did you know? Because I told you on the first day of class while we all introduced ourselves and you asked us (the students) why we were taking the course. Oh, maybe you didn't hear me because you weren't paying attention? Why weren't you paying attention? Ah, you must have been staring admiringly into the eyes of your favorite Amherst student. Why did you continue to ignore my raised hand for at least 2 minutes, which a long time in classroom time? Judging from your actions, you must've wanted to ignore/silence me because you proceeded to call on the next Amherst student who raised his hand while totally disregarding my blood-drained arm that was still fighting to stay raised the entire time. Lastly, Professor, if you are going to pull this kind of sh#@ in front of a Chinese adoptee, you should know who that Chinese adoptee is. And if you're going to mess with a MoHo (Mount Holyoke student), you should know that she isn't running back to her dorm room to cry about it, she's going somewhere else - it's called the Dean's office.
Signed, An Unwanted Female
P.S. I am not one to shame people in public, but sometimes, an unwanted girl's gotta do what an unwanted girl's gotta do, right?
*****************************
Some of you may be saying "bravo!" and "go, girl!"
Some of you may be saying, "holy shit was THAT inappropriate."
Wherever your response is in that range, let's examine this public piece of writing for what it really is: public shaming of a professor for the sole purpose of retaliation, vengeance, and humiliation.
On every college campus in America there exist two grievance committees - one for students to submit grievances about faculty or staff and one for faculty and staff to submit grievances about each other and the system. There also exists on most, if not all, campuses a version of a Social Equity office that handles complaints about harassment, intimidation, and other discriminatory behavior. There are also department chairs and then deans, who often field such complaints before making any recommendations to the complainants about next steps. Finally, on most campuses, the procedure for making a grievance or complaint is private and held as a confidential process so as not to unduly embarrass any party, or create the potential for retaliation or change of status (ie, being kicked out of school, or being fired) particularly when all of the evidence has not been gathered or examined and all parties have not had their 'day in court' with the necessary committee or office.
In other words, there is a process in place to handle potentially problematic situations that were readily available to this student, whose feelings were hurt. Let's consider the facts that she offers us:
1. There is an Anthropology and China course at Amherst College
2. A professor teaches it
3. The student is angry about how she was treated
4. The student is a Chinese adoptee
5. An Amherst professor wrote a book on the subject titled Wanting a Daughter, Needing a Son
The rest of this student's very angry missive is pure opinion. Might this professor truly be out to offend this particular student? Yes, it's possible. Might the class have introduced themselves on the first day and the professor doesn't actually remember this one girl's background? Yes, it's possible.
Is it possible that this professor talked in a joking manner about something very serious, possibly crossing the line into "inappropriate"? Yes, it's possible. Is it also possible that the professor was laughing out of disbelief, rather than support of such a policy? Also possible.
Is it possible that this student is a "constant contributor" to discussions and the professor was trying to call on other students? Yes. Is it also possible that the professor just didn't see this girl's hand in the sea of hands? Yes. Is it also possible that the professor has favorites and unfairly treats certain students better than others? Absolutely possible.
Are there misogynistic, bigoted, racist professors who bring those attitudes into their teachings and classroom environments? Of course. Do intolerant, needy, and spiteful young people get offended at the slightest whiff of something they disagree with or don't like? Absolutely possible. Are these two groups of people the majority on college campuses? Absolutely not. But this letter adds to the constant drumbeat of disgust and hatred that students and the general public feel toward professors already - this merely adds fuel to an already existing bonfire. Who benefits from this?
Clearly, the student who wrote this "open letter" got what she wanted. So many of the comments on her post (and the shares of her post - at least that I've seen) are of the encouraging, congratulatory, and laudatory type that it makes my skin crawl.
No doubt, right now, on Amherst's campus, administrators are meeting to discuss what to do about this. They will likely call the professor, whose identity is easily discovered by a simple Google search, into a conference room to ask about this incident. Hopefully, the professor will be give a fair chance to respond. And if the prof is found wanting, then changes should be made - perhaps additional training in tolerance or pedagogy - but this person does not, I repeat, DOES NOT deserve to be fired on the strength of one wounded girl's opinion.
Furthermore, this student will likely also be called to account for her rash and unnecessary public shaming of her professor. My hope is that she also receives some consequence - even a warning that this sort of retaliatory discourse is unacceptable and inappropriate for an Amherst student.
The grievance processes and committees exist for exactly this sort of situation. In this case, that is where the student should have turned. She was wrong to turn to Facebook because this sets a dangerous and chilling precedent.
Is this the model that we want our students, our children, our peers to follow when they feel aggrieved? It is one thing to speak up, which should be applauded. It is quite another thing to speak up rashly and out of anger in the wrong forum. We should be setting a better example for young people and helping them to understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate mediums for personal grievances, especially when someone's identity and job might be on the line.
Showing posts with label university. Show all posts
Showing posts with label university. Show all posts
Friday, September 27, 2013
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Delayed experimental beginnings
Snow days. Ice storms. Delayed starts. Full day cancellations.
Welcome to spring semester 2011 in the Northeastern US corridor.
As a professor, I'm concerned with the effects that these snow and ice day cancellations have on my students' schedules. And at this point, there is zero consistency across my classes. Three sections of college composition are all at different places and my advanced students must discuss two days' worth of readings tomorrow, instead of a more focused and well-paced conversation.
Instead, this stuttering start to the spring semester has a jarring inconsistency that the clock and calendar have no regard for. We began on Jan. 18. We are in our third week and it feels like I have not seen my students more than I have seen them.
While I realize that no one can control Nature and I also would rather not risk my car and life in treacherous commutes, these delays are not exactly blessings, given the ambitious projects I have my students tackling this semester.
To wit, my advanced composition students have selected a pressing social or cultural issue to explore all semester long in the form of two creative nonfiction essays and one newspaper opinion editorial - all of which they must submit to publications of their choosing. Almost none of them has experience writing in either of these genres and so benefit from my input and class discussion. Plus, they are also creating, writing, and maintaining a blog for the semester with a required 10 posts minimum of 500 words minimum each post.
My core classes, college composition, are tackling and attempting to solve local problems in a real way - outside the classroom. They are working in groups, so their first project is a problem/solution proposal where they will thoroughly pitch their problem and ideas for solutions. Unfortunately, all of these class cancellations have put the groups behind. In fact, some students who have missed even more days because of the weather (beyond the sanctioned university cancellations), aren't even in a group yet. And the groups are tasked with presenting their group's proposal tomorrow for the major project due dates for the semester.
I'm trying something new this semester. Students are deciding on major due dates and determining much of the daily activity schedule for each unit. I have veto power, of course, but my approach is one that fosters and encourages personal responsibility and a sense of ownership in the course. I truly believe that composition, as a class and as a field, can do more in the community outside of the classroom. My students will be writing traditional academic essays, blogs, business proposals, press releases, emails, public awareness materials, videos, and more. They will also get experience interviewing fellow students, administrators, town council representatives, public safety and health department officials (depending on the local problem). But that's not all.
My students must DO something this semester, in addition to improving their writing skills. They are truly attempting to solve a local problem in the next 13 weeks. This pedagogical approach is often known as service-learning. But I'm not following any pre-determined plan and I'm breaking the mold a bit - I'm developing the idea as we go, allowing my students to contribute a line and verse as to how the projects and course itself will go. So far, they are doing wonderfully and I'm witnessing some pretty intense group discussions and debates.
Only time will tell if my experimental approach will work and will still achieve all that the composition curriculum requires, but I can say that my students are excited by the idea that they get to DO something in a broader context than just another university core class.
Perhaps this is the direction more university classes should go. Of course, it needs to stop snowing and icing if we are to start making actual progress. How about it, Nature? Ready to give us a respite?
Welcome to spring semester 2011 in the Northeastern US corridor.
As a professor, I'm concerned with the effects that these snow and ice day cancellations have on my students' schedules. And at this point, there is zero consistency across my classes. Three sections of college composition are all at different places and my advanced students must discuss two days' worth of readings tomorrow, instead of a more focused and well-paced conversation.
Instead, this stuttering start to the spring semester has a jarring inconsistency that the clock and calendar have no regard for. We began on Jan. 18. We are in our third week and it feels like I have not seen my students more than I have seen them.
While I realize that no one can control Nature and I also would rather not risk my car and life in treacherous commutes, these delays are not exactly blessings, given the ambitious projects I have my students tackling this semester.
To wit, my advanced composition students have selected a pressing social or cultural issue to explore all semester long in the form of two creative nonfiction essays and one newspaper opinion editorial - all of which they must submit to publications of their choosing. Almost none of them has experience writing in either of these genres and so benefit from my input and class discussion. Plus, they are also creating, writing, and maintaining a blog for the semester with a required 10 posts minimum of 500 words minimum each post.
My core classes, college composition, are tackling and attempting to solve local problems in a real way - outside the classroom. They are working in groups, so their first project is a problem/solution proposal where they will thoroughly pitch their problem and ideas for solutions. Unfortunately, all of these class cancellations have put the groups behind. In fact, some students who have missed even more days because of the weather (beyond the sanctioned university cancellations), aren't even in a group yet. And the groups are tasked with presenting their group's proposal tomorrow for the major project due dates for the semester.
I'm trying something new this semester. Students are deciding on major due dates and determining much of the daily activity schedule for each unit. I have veto power, of course, but my approach is one that fosters and encourages personal responsibility and a sense of ownership in the course. I truly believe that composition, as a class and as a field, can do more in the community outside of the classroom. My students will be writing traditional academic essays, blogs, business proposals, press releases, emails, public awareness materials, videos, and more. They will also get experience interviewing fellow students, administrators, town council representatives, public safety and health department officials (depending on the local problem). But that's not all.
My students must DO something this semester, in addition to improving their writing skills. They are truly attempting to solve a local problem in the next 13 weeks. This pedagogical approach is often known as service-learning. But I'm not following any pre-determined plan and I'm breaking the mold a bit - I'm developing the idea as we go, allowing my students to contribute a line and verse as to how the projects and course itself will go. So far, they are doing wonderfully and I'm witnessing some pretty intense group discussions and debates.
Only time will tell if my experimental approach will work and will still achieve all that the composition curriculum requires, but I can say that my students are excited by the idea that they get to DO something in a broader context than just another university core class.
Perhaps this is the direction more university classes should go. Of course, it needs to stop snowing and icing if we are to start making actual progress. How about it, Nature? Ready to give us a respite?
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Goals and expectations of new college writers
When you were in college, did you ever ignore assignments that were either being graded directly or were being included in your overall grade? My four composition classes had a blog post due this Monday by midnight. Both sections of College Comp have 25 students - in one section, 22 students posted, in the other, 17 posted. In my Advanced Comp class, only three students haven't posted and two were because I had to re-submit their invitations, so they will likely post before Wed. In my Intro to College Comp course, I have 19 students...only four posted a blog entry. Even after my emailed reminder last night at 8pm. In fact, about four students didn't even respond to the blog invitation email.
I admit, I'm confused by this. The class blog is part of the participation grade, which is 20% of the overall course grade (and this is not only listed in the syllabus, we also went over this in class). And I see the students' names - they accepted the invite and started a profile. My goals and expectations for this semester include helping students improve and expand their writing skills and abilities by blogging (a great idea that my friend, AHab, successfully used in her World Lit class this past summer - and she inspired me to give blogging a try with my students). So far, I count the blogs a success in three of the classes...and I can't wait to find out why so many students in the Intro class set up their accounts and then promptly didn't do the assigned post listed on the class schedule. I can honestly say that once I got to college, I never just blew off an assignment that my professors gave me, especially those that were included in my grade. To me, this indicates high school thinking where homework is quickly becoming extinct (according to my friend, Mo, whose stepson's school has stopped providing any homework).
The upside to the blogs and the students who ARE participating is the opportunity to express themselves in a different type of environment that is so prevalent in contemporary society. Many of them have never blogged and are excited to get some practice. The first prompt was simply a reflection on where they are as writers and what goals and expectations they have for the class. Not surprisingly, many of them share similar concerns such as wanting to increase their creativity with writing, improve their overall confidence as writers, and put more of their individual voices or personalities into their writing (especially in more formal and "academic" writing assignments).
One student wrote that he has trouble starting and wants to know how good writers get started. This prompted a lengthy in-class discussion today about what students mean when they say "good" writers. This transitioned to a related issue - what they define as "the wrong way" (don't use "that," "like," any contractions, "I" or anything creative) and "the right way" to write academic papers. As it turns out, they define "good" writers as successful, memorable, experienced, published writers. When I asked them if they thought that was a realistic goal for a 15 week composition course, many of them nodded yes. I shook my head no, prompting some nervous giggles. I explained that writers who fit that description have been writing for years and that's the only way to get "good." So we discussed more realistic goals - striving to improve in specific areas, but leaving the idea of perfection out of it.
Vocabulary was another big issue that many students raised. They want to know more words so that when they write they aren't repeating the same ones over and over; they want to get away from simple words and become more adept with complex and advanced words so they can "sound smart." Although I hated to burst their bubbles of expectation, I had to inform them that the only way to expand and improve their vocabularies is to read more frequently and more varied materials. In my 10am class, when I asked for a show of hands of how many read a newspaper once a week, only two hands went up. When I asked how many read blogs or online news sites, no hands went up. When I asked how many read a novel or some short fiction each week, about four hands went up. When I asked how many read magazines of some kind weekly, about 2/3 of the class raised their hands. This prompted my explanation that in order to improve vocabulary and acuity with language, they need to pick another type of writing and read it regularly. Relying on a thesaurus is an adequate quick-fix, but doesn't solve the problem. The danger is that they won't understand the nuanced meaning of the word and end up sounding confused and unclear in their meaning. The more diverse their reading, the more skills they will pick up for their writing. No magic bullet there. Some seemed genuinely disappointed.
My favorite is the five paragraph essay complaint, or what one student lamented as wanting to "break out of the high school writing shell." Almost every student raised this issue as a style they would like to get away from and fortunately, I agree. Nothing they will read is in this restricted and confined format and hopefully, they will become more comfortable breaking themselves of this high school habit. This format certainly helps as a foundation for organization and structure, but is really limited as far as helping anyone develop more advanced writing skills.
Finally, the most interesting goal that many students shared was a desire to stop procrastinating. They were very honest about being heavy procrastinators and how much that has hurt their grades and performance in the past. They realize that writing takes time and doesn't just happen, but admit how much they struggle to start projects early and not wait until the last minute. I hope they achieve this goal most of all because if they start early, they will have the opportunity to get substantive feedback from me and their peers on drafts and pieces of projects well before the due dates.
Having goals and expectations at the start of the semester is one thing, but working to achieve those goals requires commitment, sustained diligence, and a strong work ethic. Hopefully my students, particularly the Intro class, will embrace these characteristics or at least try them on and take them for a test drive in order to bring their goals to fruition.
I admit, I'm confused by this. The class blog is part of the participation grade, which is 20% of the overall course grade (and this is not only listed in the syllabus, we also went over this in class). And I see the students' names - they accepted the invite and started a profile. My goals and expectations for this semester include helping students improve and expand their writing skills and abilities by blogging (a great idea that my friend, AHab, successfully used in her World Lit class this past summer - and she inspired me to give blogging a try with my students). So far, I count the blogs a success in three of the classes...and I can't wait to find out why so many students in the Intro class set up their accounts and then promptly didn't do the assigned post listed on the class schedule. I can honestly say that once I got to college, I never just blew off an assignment that my professors gave me, especially those that were included in my grade. To me, this indicates high school thinking where homework is quickly becoming extinct (according to my friend, Mo, whose stepson's school has stopped providing any homework).
The upside to the blogs and the students who ARE participating is the opportunity to express themselves in a different type of environment that is so prevalent in contemporary society. Many of them have never blogged and are excited to get some practice. The first prompt was simply a reflection on where they are as writers and what goals and expectations they have for the class. Not surprisingly, many of them share similar concerns such as wanting to increase their creativity with writing, improve their overall confidence as writers, and put more of their individual voices or personalities into their writing (especially in more formal and "academic" writing assignments).
One student wrote that he has trouble starting and wants to know how good writers get started. This prompted a lengthy in-class discussion today about what students mean when they say "good" writers. This transitioned to a related issue - what they define as "the wrong way" (don't use "that," "like," any contractions, "I" or anything creative) and "the right way" to write academic papers. As it turns out, they define "good" writers as successful, memorable, experienced, published writers. When I asked them if they thought that was a realistic goal for a 15 week composition course, many of them nodded yes. I shook my head no, prompting some nervous giggles. I explained that writers who fit that description have been writing for years and that's the only way to get "good." So we discussed more realistic goals - striving to improve in specific areas, but leaving the idea of perfection out of it.
Vocabulary was another big issue that many students raised. They want to know more words so that when they write they aren't repeating the same ones over and over; they want to get away from simple words and become more adept with complex and advanced words so they can "sound smart." Although I hated to burst their bubbles of expectation, I had to inform them that the only way to expand and improve their vocabularies is to read more frequently and more varied materials. In my 10am class, when I asked for a show of hands of how many read a newspaper once a week, only two hands went up. When I asked how many read blogs or online news sites, no hands went up. When I asked how many read a novel or some short fiction each week, about four hands went up. When I asked how many read magazines of some kind weekly, about 2/3 of the class raised their hands. This prompted my explanation that in order to improve vocabulary and acuity with language, they need to pick another type of writing and read it regularly. Relying on a thesaurus is an adequate quick-fix, but doesn't solve the problem. The danger is that they won't understand the nuanced meaning of the word and end up sounding confused and unclear in their meaning. The more diverse their reading, the more skills they will pick up for their writing. No magic bullet there. Some seemed genuinely disappointed.
My favorite is the five paragraph essay complaint, or what one student lamented as wanting to "break out of the high school writing shell." Almost every student raised this issue as a style they would like to get away from and fortunately, I agree. Nothing they will read is in this restricted and confined format and hopefully, they will become more comfortable breaking themselves of this high school habit. This format certainly helps as a foundation for organization and structure, but is really limited as far as helping anyone develop more advanced writing skills.
Finally, the most interesting goal that many students shared was a desire to stop procrastinating. They were very honest about being heavy procrastinators and how much that has hurt their grades and performance in the past. They realize that writing takes time and doesn't just happen, but admit how much they struggle to start projects early and not wait until the last minute. I hope they achieve this goal most of all because if they start early, they will have the opportunity to get substantive feedback from me and their peers on drafts and pieces of projects well before the due dates.
Having goals and expectations at the start of the semester is one thing, but working to achieve those goals requires commitment, sustained diligence, and a strong work ethic. Hopefully my students, particularly the Intro class, will embrace these characteristics or at least try them on and take them for a test drive in order to bring their goals to fruition.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Answer: Stamina, endurance, energy, and enthusiasm
Question: What do university professors need to teach a 4/4 load, be active scholars, and involved community members?
This is no surprise to me, really, but living it is so very different from anticipating it. My first day of teaching occurred today, although I have been having orientation activities and meetings for a week. Only Wednesdays will be this long, but here is a breakdown of my very first day as a university professor:
7:30-8:30am Awake, shower, prep, primp, chai, check bag for handouts, flashdrive, notebook, lunch, and water bottle.
9:00-9:50am Arrive at office, print assignment sheets and make copies, collect syllabus copies, chat with officemate and various other friendly faculty in copy room. Chug some water.
10-10:50am Introduce self and syllabus to energetic (and slightly scared) freshman in College Composition, give students time to partner up and interview each other and then introduce partner to class. Distribute first short assignment, dismiss class, field several initial questions and students personally introducing themselves.
11-11:45a Office hour during which one student from 10a class came in, sat down in the chair next to my desk and told me she's scared of writing and is very unsure about this first assignment. Also, that she doesn't have a user name, so can't access her KU email. In response to the latter, I picked up the phone and dialed the IT Helpdesk and sat on hold while talking her down and helping her to see how she could successfully write this brief assignment in a way that fit the parameters, but also used her language and expressions, and was possibly fun to write. Eventually had her leave a message for IT and encouraged her to email them as well since they are likely bombarded today. Told her not to give up on IT, be persistent, and also confirmed that she felt better about writing this assignment. Ate some petite sweet pickles, roasted red pepper hummus and wheat fiber crackers. Chugged some water.
11:45-55a Realized I didn't have enough assignment sheet copies for 1pm class, so made more.
11:55a-12:54p Comp Conversation weekly meeting with faculty teaching comp. Very funny and informative meeting - basically, I have amazing, smart, creative colleagues who are willing to share their expertise and ideas. What a fortunate place to have landed!
12:55-1p Walked to DeFran building and immediately got lost, circling various loops through hallways before accidentally stumbling upon my classroom.
1-1:50p See 10-10:50a - repeat.
1:50-1:55p Walk back to Lytle Hall and find classroom.
2-2:50p See 1-1:50p, except instead of introducing their partners to the class, the students spent 25 minutes talking to their partners, which must be continued outside of class in order to complete the first short assignment - Who is your partner? It's an exercise in identity creation/definition. This first part has someone describe and present who you are - the second part will be the student's chance to write his or her own story. Who you are according to someone else vs. who you are according to you.
2:55-3:15p Head to car, drive to other side of campus, get lost in a maze of parking lots trying to locate the Multicultural Center. Finally see it (very obvious place that I totally missed on the way in). Park, head to director's office.
3:15-4:30p Have delightful and supportive meeting with Director and Assistant Director and Graduate Assistant of the Center about 1) the feasibility of bringing two Native American stand-up comedians in my acquaintance to campus next fall (apparently, there is money and space for this sort of thing, so feasibility is high), and 2) developing a Multiethnic Film Series for next fall. Completely successful, early-in-the-process meeting. Lots of great ideas exchanged and a plan of attack. Sweetness!
4:30-4:50 Sit in sweltering car responding to a few emails, then drive to Betty's for a portabello pesto wrap, small three-cheese & mushroom soup, diet birch beer, and a peanut butter brownie...to go. Gaze out window while waiting for food, wondering how I'm going to make it through a three-hour class....
4:50-5:55p Head back to office with delicious dinner items, check emails while eating, load up bag so I can head home when class is over.
5:55-6p Walk into a sweltering classroom with melting students. Walk out mumbling "oh hell no" partially under my breath. Quickly scout two open classrooms, return to sauna and look at prof who taught in that room before my class. I say, "Room 212 is open." He responds, dripping with sweat, "GO." We do.
6-8:30p New classroom also has an oscillating fan, which I turn on high and position to cool the students down. This is my advanced comp class and already I can tell how on the ball all of these students are. Solid, smart conversations and debates, some teasing and joking back and forth. Good rapport right away. Several thank me for moving classrooms (I wouldn't want to teach in a sauna, as I explained). A handful even offered that they were excited about this class and the possibility of picking a social or cultural issue that they thought was important and to write about it in different ways all semester. No one looked at a watch, no one looked bored, conversations were lively. They gave me energy and I left class wide awake and just as excited at the end of the day as I was at the beginning.
8:35-9p Called mom to give her the day's overview (knew she was wondering) while driving home.
.....
10:58pm Bedtime and the sweet, calm dreams that are only possible when life is working in your favor. Realizing once and for all that yes, all that hard work, time, energy, sacrifice, heartache, frustration, obstacles, and annoyance was worth it. Yes it was. I'm there. It happened faster than I expected. :)
This is no surprise to me, really, but living it is so very different from anticipating it. My first day of teaching occurred today, although I have been having orientation activities and meetings for a week. Only Wednesdays will be this long, but here is a breakdown of my very first day as a university professor:
7:30-8:30am Awake, shower, prep, primp, chai, check bag for handouts, flashdrive, notebook, lunch, and water bottle.
9:00-9:50am Arrive at office, print assignment sheets and make copies, collect syllabus copies, chat with officemate and various other friendly faculty in copy room. Chug some water.
10-10:50am Introduce self and syllabus to energetic (and slightly scared) freshman in College Composition, give students time to partner up and interview each other and then introduce partner to class. Distribute first short assignment, dismiss class, field several initial questions and students personally introducing themselves.
11-11:45a Office hour during which one student from 10a class came in, sat down in the chair next to my desk and told me she's scared of writing and is very unsure about this first assignment. Also, that she doesn't have a user name, so can't access her KU email. In response to the latter, I picked up the phone and dialed the IT Helpdesk and sat on hold while talking her down and helping her to see how she could successfully write this brief assignment in a way that fit the parameters, but also used her language and expressions, and was possibly fun to write. Eventually had her leave a message for IT and encouraged her to email them as well since they are likely bombarded today. Told her not to give up on IT, be persistent, and also confirmed that she felt better about writing this assignment. Ate some petite sweet pickles, roasted red pepper hummus and wheat fiber crackers. Chugged some water.
11:45-55a Realized I didn't have enough assignment sheet copies for 1pm class, so made more.
11:55a-12:54p Comp Conversation weekly meeting with faculty teaching comp. Very funny and informative meeting - basically, I have amazing, smart, creative colleagues who are willing to share their expertise and ideas. What a fortunate place to have landed!
12:55-1p Walked to DeFran building and immediately got lost, circling various loops through hallways before accidentally stumbling upon my classroom.
1-1:50p See 10-10:50a - repeat.
1:50-1:55p Walk back to Lytle Hall and find classroom.
2-2:50p See 1-1:50p, except instead of introducing their partners to the class, the students spent 25 minutes talking to their partners, which must be continued outside of class in order to complete the first short assignment - Who is your partner? It's an exercise in identity creation/definition. This first part has someone describe and present who you are - the second part will be the student's chance to write his or her own story. Who you are according to someone else vs. who you are according to you.
2:55-3:15p Head to car, drive to other side of campus, get lost in a maze of parking lots trying to locate the Multicultural Center. Finally see it (very obvious place that I totally missed on the way in). Park, head to director's office.
3:15-4:30p Have delightful and supportive meeting with Director and Assistant Director and Graduate Assistant of the Center about 1) the feasibility of bringing two Native American stand-up comedians in my acquaintance to campus next fall (apparently, there is money and space for this sort of thing, so feasibility is high), and 2) developing a Multiethnic Film Series for next fall. Completely successful, early-in-the-process meeting. Lots of great ideas exchanged and a plan of attack. Sweetness!
4:30-4:50 Sit in sweltering car responding to a few emails, then drive to Betty's for a portabello pesto wrap, small three-cheese & mushroom soup, diet birch beer, and a peanut butter brownie...to go. Gaze out window while waiting for food, wondering how I'm going to make it through a three-hour class....
4:50-5:55p Head back to office with delicious dinner items, check emails while eating, load up bag so I can head home when class is over.
5:55-6p Walk into a sweltering classroom with melting students. Walk out mumbling "oh hell no" partially under my breath. Quickly scout two open classrooms, return to sauna and look at prof who taught in that room before my class. I say, "Room 212 is open." He responds, dripping with sweat, "GO." We do.
6-8:30p New classroom also has an oscillating fan, which I turn on high and position to cool the students down. This is my advanced comp class and already I can tell how on the ball all of these students are. Solid, smart conversations and debates, some teasing and joking back and forth. Good rapport right away. Several thank me for moving classrooms (I wouldn't want to teach in a sauna, as I explained). A handful even offered that they were excited about this class and the possibility of picking a social or cultural issue that they thought was important and to write about it in different ways all semester. No one looked at a watch, no one looked bored, conversations were lively. They gave me energy and I left class wide awake and just as excited at the end of the day as I was at the beginning.
8:35-9p Called mom to give her the day's overview (knew she was wondering) while driving home.
.....
10:58pm Bedtime and the sweet, calm dreams that are only possible when life is working in your favor. Realizing once and for all that yes, all that hard work, time, energy, sacrifice, heartache, frustration, obstacles, and annoyance was worth it. Yes it was. I'm there. It happened faster than I expected. :)
Saturday, May 29, 2010
No magic bullets
SO much has happened in the past few months that it has kept me more than busy, which is why I've not posted anything. But all of my activities have been amazingly good: I landed a tenure-track assistant professor position at a teaching university in my home state, which was my objective from the start of this six-years-long process of getting a PhD. And despite the fact that I have signed my university contract, obtained a lease for a beautiful apartment, and started buying new furniture while finishing my dissertation and preparing to graduate and move in August, I'm still adjusting to this new reality. From PhD candidate to professor in one quick sweep of a signature. . . and yet. . . and yet. . .
The path to getting here has not been easy and I hate to say this (because it goes against a lot of current opining and writing on the subject on the futility of landing a tenure-track academic job), but luck had very little to do with it. There are no magic bullets for getting to this point. From where I sit right now, reviewing and evaluating the time, sacrifices, hard work, dedication, and compromises required to put me in a position to land such a perfect job, it seems to me that having a strong work ethic, a focused goal, the right attitude, an interesting and trending research topic, and a willingness to put this goal above everything else (including marriage, friendship, health, and fun) is the way to succeed in a difficult and contracting job market.
My closest friends know what I did and how I did it - they have been my lifeline to sanity and survival in the past four years, which have truly been the hardest for me both intellectually and emotionally. But perseverance really does seem to be the only way to survive and even have the chance to thrive in this or any economy - have good ideas, present them well, be fearless, and work hard - no. . .harder than hard. . .commit yourself to the path in ways that makes others sit back and wonder how you could possibly sustain that level of work day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Sustainable perseverance. The energy, enthusiasm, effort, and time required to pull this off is immense and cuts across everything else in your life.
I also think good timing and the right fit have a lot to do with success as well. And how does one figure that out? I don't know. Good instincts, maybe? Just being aware of the marketplace, reading the job ads carefully, presenting yourself in the most targeted and honest way possible, and being willing to take as much of a chance on your potential new university home as they may be willing to take on you. Also understanding that if you do land such a position, you are the newbie on the block and must sit back and watch, listen, and learn and not approach your new colleagues with the attitude that you know more than they do. It's time to leave the ego at home.
I've been reading a lot about how to act during your first year as a junior faculty member and it occurs to me that this is just like every other field I've ever entered. . .despite years of experience and an advanced degree, I am once again starting on the bottom. Granted, that bottom has an already-elevated position in society, but this is a new job in a new environment that I must learn from the ground up.
This is a privileged position and I am so very thankful for the opportunity, but I do not wholly agree with some of the columnists and writers in the Chronicle of Higher Education (for instance), who insist that landing a tenure track academic job is like winning the lottery. If that randomness was true, then I wouldn't have this job that I pursued with single-minded precision. When I sat down in the MLA interview, the hiring committee asked me why I had applied for this position (a very reasonable and expected question) and I said (whether this was appropriate or not, it was the truth) because this is the perfect position for me - and then I went on to explain why. Ballsy? Yes. But it was honest - I made a commitment to myself years ago that when I went on the job market, I would always present the real me - not some put-on veneer of what I thought a hiring committee would want. That just isn't sustainable and it isn't real.
Let people see the real you - the professional you, but the real you - in any job interview situation. Takes a lot of pressure off in an already high-pressure climate. That way, if they do ultimately offer YOU the job, you know in your heart and mind that it really is YOU who they want.
This journey has changed me, hopefully for the better, so that I can be a more effective teacher, a better friend, a calmer colleague, and a better advocate for the issues that I believe are important. I wish my PhD candidate colleagues the best in their pursuit of tenure track positions and encourage them to persevere and not give up!
The path to getting here has not been easy and I hate to say this (because it goes against a lot of current opining and writing on the subject on the futility of landing a tenure-track academic job), but luck had very little to do with it. There are no magic bullets for getting to this point. From where I sit right now, reviewing and evaluating the time, sacrifices, hard work, dedication, and compromises required to put me in a position to land such a perfect job, it seems to me that having a strong work ethic, a focused goal, the right attitude, an interesting and trending research topic, and a willingness to put this goal above everything else (including marriage, friendship, health, and fun) is the way to succeed in a difficult and contracting job market.
My closest friends know what I did and how I did it - they have been my lifeline to sanity and survival in the past four years, which have truly been the hardest for me both intellectually and emotionally. But perseverance really does seem to be the only way to survive and even have the chance to thrive in this or any economy - have good ideas, present them well, be fearless, and work hard - no. . .harder than hard. . .commit yourself to the path in ways that makes others sit back and wonder how you could possibly sustain that level of work day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Sustainable perseverance. The energy, enthusiasm, effort, and time required to pull this off is immense and cuts across everything else in your life.
I also think good timing and the right fit have a lot to do with success as well. And how does one figure that out? I don't know. Good instincts, maybe? Just being aware of the marketplace, reading the job ads carefully, presenting yourself in the most targeted and honest way possible, and being willing to take as much of a chance on your potential new university home as they may be willing to take on you. Also understanding that if you do land such a position, you are the newbie on the block and must sit back and watch, listen, and learn and not approach your new colleagues with the attitude that you know more than they do. It's time to leave the ego at home.
I've been reading a lot about how to act during your first year as a junior faculty member and it occurs to me that this is just like every other field I've ever entered. . .despite years of experience and an advanced degree, I am once again starting on the bottom. Granted, that bottom has an already-elevated position in society, but this is a new job in a new environment that I must learn from the ground up.
This is a privileged position and I am so very thankful for the opportunity, but I do not wholly agree with some of the columnists and writers in the Chronicle of Higher Education (for instance), who insist that landing a tenure track academic job is like winning the lottery. If that randomness was true, then I wouldn't have this job that I pursued with single-minded precision. When I sat down in the MLA interview, the hiring committee asked me why I had applied for this position (a very reasonable and expected question) and I said (whether this was appropriate or not, it was the truth) because this is the perfect position for me - and then I went on to explain why. Ballsy? Yes. But it was honest - I made a commitment to myself years ago that when I went on the job market, I would always present the real me - not some put-on veneer of what I thought a hiring committee would want. That just isn't sustainable and it isn't real.
Let people see the real you - the professional you, but the real you - in any job interview situation. Takes a lot of pressure off in an already high-pressure climate. That way, if they do ultimately offer YOU the job, you know in your heart and mind that it really is YOU who they want.
This journey has changed me, hopefully for the better, so that I can be a more effective teacher, a better friend, a calmer colleague, and a better advocate for the issues that I believe are important. I wish my PhD candidate colleagues the best in their pursuit of tenure track positions and encourage them to persevere and not give up!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Privilege and impotence
I am being paid to read, study, think, synthesize, regurgitate others’ ideas, and contribute to an academic conversation that may never have any practical application in the real world. If that isn’t the ultimate position of privilege, I don’t know what is. And people who complain about being busy and how hard this work is just boggles my mind.
What do I mean by this in a country where being “middle class” now seems to be a political distinction for “struggle.” (Seriously?)
Here’s what I mean.
In 2005, I decided to work in
But all of this I did by CHOICE. You will see no one working at
The salary information for any public state university is available to the public. A friend of mine shared this page of data about our university with me yesterday and I was stunned at the economic disparity laid out in those cold, black and white numbers. I agree with him – no one who works for this wealthy, privileged university that dumps MILLIONS into its athletic program – should make less than $20,000 a year. Not the custodians. Not campus security. Not lab technicians. To be working a hard job for less than $20,000 a year seems criminal. This is where a union would be beneficial.
I know this attitude opens me up to all sorts of attacks – Marxist! Communist! Re-distributing wealth is bad! Unions bad! And I’m not a huge fan of unions – I think generally they take money from the people they purport to help and represent, but then don’t necessarily deliver. And I also think unionization can allow for lax work ethics – hey, I’m making $25 an hour whether I break a sweat or not, so why break a sweat? (Sounds like tenure, doesn’t it?) We’ve all heard the arguments. But the more I read and the more I think and the more I realize what a privileged position of choice I am in now and have always been in and will always BE in…the more appalled I am at this economic disparity within one institutional structure.
What’s the answer? The old stand-by answer is that the system has to change. Ok. But how?
Well, would the professor making $165,000 a year really miss $500? No. And if the answer is yes, then this person is living far beyond his means and needs to cut back. And how about the argument that it is not the responsibility of the person raking in $165,000 for reading and thinking all day? He did SOMETHING to achieve that privileged position…why make HIM pay for the institutional disparity? Well, I suppose this is my inner-liberal-academic coming out, but perhaps it IS our responsibility. If not to contribute to the increase of salaries, but to put pressure on those who make those decisions to change the cruelly disparate work-to-money value ratio…yes, even in a year of budget cuts.
Frankly, if this (or any) university can afford to pay its coaching staff all six-figure salaries, then the least it can do is value its custodial and other hard-working employees who may not have a choice with “upward mobility” enough to provide an equitable salary for a more comfortable life. And for most of us, let’s be honest, $20,000 don’t come close to providing “a comfortable life.” When’s the last time you made $20 grand a year? My last time was as a freelance journalist in the last decade…but that was BY CHOICE.
This is not a new question. It is not a new problem. But having seen that sheet of paper with those numbers, I find myself truly disturbed at my own privileged place in this society and my utter impotence to change anything about it.
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