GRADUATE STUDY FOR THE TWENTY-First CENTURY How To BUILD AN ACADEMIC ; CAREER IN THE HUMANITIES ‘OND EDITION Gregory M. Colén Semenza Michael Bérubé palgrave macmillan118 Grapuare Srupy ror THE TwENTY-Finst CENTURY ‘The only point I want you to understand here is this: you are fied to teach a section of underclassmen. The students in front of ‘or no college education, You have a BA, maybe an MA, id academic record, or yo have se school in the first place. Probably you have gone through an orientation program that has begun to pre pare you for what you are about to face. Further, you have countless res all around you in case you should need advice or reassur: dance. Think about what you knew and thought before college, and ow, after 4 years of reading, wwriting, and learning to think critically, Remind yourself of the differ Teel nervous about stepping into that room. qu you have and, presumably, a very s granted entrance into gra ‘Tw IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING Liry to remind myself every time I walk into a classroom that good teachers changed 10 because I teach much more effective when T'm focused on the educational mission of the university. Te 1 stay focused, of course, Two major obstacles 10 rot always eas) Cfiective teaching happen to take the forms of anxious undergraduates and your own psyches perhaps the most form, though, happens also to be the most seldom discussed one: coll worse, mentors who bash their students and teaching in ge Curious breed of primate we discussed in chapter 1, the “ball-alker, Joves especialy to stand around in the hallway-—not getting anything done talking about how stupid and hopeless her students happen to bbe. Usually fesh from a session with Allan Bloom, "s ear she can find and proceeds ro expla his particular generation of st eration of w isa part). Or perhaps you've you know the guy who is kind enough to time you sce him what a waste of time teaching ally right before he asks you to join the revolution. you wouldn’t even know that most schools “o cate about research’ of that “teaching doesn’t really matter. "Though I joke, the problem happens to be quite serious, "Teaching sa significant emotional investment, a daly surrender ofthe ads back to disappointment and self doubt. The ie the life ofthe researcher, is defined by extraor ary highs and dreadful lows that people in most occupations would nd surprising or even intolerable. Dedicated teachers deal with the ows because ofthe thrill ofthe highs, and the later would be probabl run into mind you eve TEACHING ae impossible without dangerous moments, torender ‘unproductive ey comfort us by offer convenient explana ly —for our own short comings the flings ofthe Inger eductona stems o circumstances that happen to be beyond ee men of The most ba cach inthe American higher our students are many top the a ha they are, ou wl be always be an importar tradente as foo tethey do, whether ay your job as an edicator ot simpiy 0 idenaify helpless. I ‘one problematic individual wi at night. The first thing yoy ng wrong?” The next you when y do is question yourself: “what am is that, in order to p liot ora jerk, after obsess just a Soon you will be,120. Gnapuare Srupy For THE TweNTy-Fins? CENTURY lly, what Rose describes as a coping mechanism for countless s applies i, and professors who love to bash college teaching: reje ing yourself as indifferent to your students. ‘ion mediocrity for everyone. Forget challenging cssays, tests, and so on. Retreat into your own mind, And most important, ignore become like the person in the back of the room most wonderful part of a career balance one is encouraged to strike between nar s st other world can someone embrace simul academe is the c privilege to pursue higher education’ zB ways, depends ‘our own research interests grows out of ‘on the importance of our social import ou retire 30 of 40 years from now, you will have impacted in ° thousands of young students—their ways of ing the world in which we live, As an jidual in whom a great deal of y isto struggle everyday against the imparting what For hove who succeed in educating their stents, theres remen- he obs for which {am rexponstbl a2 unive Tne mote pleasure than teaching. Nothing est gi Texpeince everytime each a good a Bnowing chat ve contibuted toa dent al growth, Mor pe a is. ree 7c how wondert it ean be for those PEDAGOGICAL THEORY AND PRACTICE -as high school teachers possess lege teachers possess all of the degeee of truth underly. particular one is no exception. Beyond orien- firse- semester teaching practicum, fature training. The negative dents whom we teach 1e us in countless ways problem are felt by the dressed, they also will pla and, if they g TEACHING irae throughout our careers. For example, you can be sure that majority of questions you will fice in job interviews will pert ing undergraduates. chances of gs unable to answer some version of the fh writers on education have most ” Sometimes the questions are more fallin the Hirsch/Freire debate?” “Is Allan Oris he onto something?” “What do you sce as 100ks’ conception of class inthe classroom?” specific: Bloom simply a crank, ‘means that you'll nced to do a lot of reading on your own. You might also consider taking. few of the following steps in order to begin building an adequate understanding of pedagogical theory Read the Chronicle of Higher Education: Yes, Vve already given you vice in an carlicr chapter. The point is worth reiterat Chronicle features several teaching,related Whether the article happens to be on the developi of technology in the college classroom, one obs ing critical pedagogy, ora famous pedagogue’s recent work, you bene surably from exposure to the terminology focus of cutting-edge pedagogical writings. For you might consider subscribing to a journal th provor: your re. start to pick who's the marker. information” will be invaluable on Seek Out Educational Presentations and In-house Colloguia: In ties to attend talks appropriate lectures ‘tment of education, and make ita point to attend collo quia by professors in your own department. he own edi ost im yortant reason to take these steps has to do with your of course. An immersion in pedagogical theory willie ‘Twenty-First CENTURY 122 GRADUATE STUDY FOR help you to discover and learn to arti here’s no reason why s MANAGING A COLLEGE CLASSROOM for new teachers. And since “There is no comprehensive user's manti new instructor orientations te! y-related matters, new teacl edge of what they are ¢ for experience and is designed to offer ttial-and-error lear some advice about matters t00 ‘Making a Syllabus Juate career did anyone ever speak 10 Because we are exposed to sl Atno point in my g prov structing. a syllabu lergraduates, and often bet first semester of gr hras been an adequate teacher. Having come to understa portance of the syllabus, I consider such negligence the syllabus is one of the most ional im Personal Information office location, office woking fh, Next to you ide a note on what constitutes appropriate ¢-m Course Description he “Course Descrip students. They TEACHING ca expectations, and the style of think you is the bal: Il weigh each assignmes the requi clear message abi Dep power ot tcarer nw wy sare t Cone, ttre wil susie, sock and cage ong, we wil be engaging wih poetry. drama, and prose wor colage and as an employee, in whatever126 Grabuare Srupy For THE TWENTY-FinsT CENTURY Requirements Caetade (preparation, participation, attendance)’ 15% 8-10 Reading quazes 25% ‘Take home midterm paper 20% Fir review Dor Final exam 20% sive absences. Because your ial dopends on your presence in our two, oe any Feason, is inexcusable, * The professor does not tak kindly to exc ‘ndesstanding ana engagement of the mat ako absences seriously More casearation includes completing homework and in-class assignments, and Prepare e o be discussed incase, Please make It point to turnoff your ea phone beore class begins course requirements Policy on Plagiarism/Cheating In some recent surveys, as many 2850 percent of students have admitted to plagiarzing atleast once in their college careers A much higher percentage of students claim that they would plaiarize were it not for Roar of being caught. One would have to be seriously naive to believe that plagiarism doesn’t occur in every ing class we teach, ‘The internet has, of course, worsened a very old problem. My advice js that you send the sronges possible message in yout syllabus vreademie dishonesty will not be tolerated and that the maximum penalty for 1 be enforced. Ifyou determine later that the mmchow less than egregious, you can lighten in order to protect yourself and your right to punish aters appropriat that students were aware of the conseque university regarding academic dishonesty, and work into the sy language, as shown in figure 6.3. The foal sentence is particularly important; some students are simply ignorant about the differences between plagiarism and quota tion, and you must be willing to educate potential cheaters as well as punish actual ones. Course Schedule A and planning s logic ofthe course—revealing a narrative or at least a log fom beginning to end. Specify exactly what students are responsible for arevery single class meeting, Ifthe classi to read The Return af Martin Guerre over three class periods, ipfal for students to not only demonstrate your organizational nts the internal Teacmine 125 Warehouses const paper (and is oasy Figure 6.3. *Sampleplagiarin know that you will cover material thro of discussion, Also mark due dates for asi schedule. Additional Information include additional infor pectations ito avoid making the syllabus too busy, yo ng paragraphs on individual assignments, office hours, you s0 on, Consider your syllabus a contract wi tions of both parties. And don’t back 20 hours per week on your te: this recommendatic vainly ation mainly ar legal opera that ofice employees work on average only 40 hours week (w als do any more, by the way), administrators can to ‘students as employees wo nds on graduate ‘graduate student unions. spend more than 20 hours per week on early in your career, In order to protect, ns, then, you must be as efficient s for class. The key to such efficiency is‘Teacmine ey wry: Fist CENTURY 126 Gnapuate Srupy Fon THE TWe Lesson Plan for Api 13, 2008 I screening tomorow right: 7 pm 163 CLAS. Writs on boar: be rewritten and may e\ pork hard in the beginning and your workload wi peyenological sates, ization C) On a raated note, wo eiscussed the central issue of race inthe play, both in {forms of how tne Europeans view Otnolios black skin and his own set an fora clast on Oreo Sune boteter features. 2. Contin cui of Ota: ae “housekeeping” issues so |A) ago is able to succeed by exoloting Otnol’s anxieties. How exactly does poe mate the major ‘destruction? tbe forgotten. oes covered in the pros ls te : ss a context for the ths of virtues to destrey them, Here othe pave 'b) Does the same to Desdemona: 2.3.966-62. Makes strategy explicit about his race: 3.8.257-66 o's head: sorves as the 10 cover; as a drama teac! ikely she will teach course of her career. Also, nits; the boldface 9c passage able, After the question, il to respond or 5 words. In what ways do they conclude or {information that set oro create a prfet docums for the rest of your career. You w unrevised lesson plans, But re128 Granuare Stupy For THE Twenry-Finst Centuny pot grad roblem is again exacerbated b ste teachers as employees ‘TAs suggests they have more in comm they do with their professors. You is to be aware 0 danger and to emphasize at al al role as id under no circumstances whatsoever is it ever acceptable t0 date or sleep with one of your students, GrapING AND GRADE-INFLATION Pye decided to do the political ignore her feedback. For humanities professors who rarely can justify the process of grading papers, exams, and and tedious. For today’s const allowed the freedom to assess they are paying, e pressure on tead somewhat intolerable—in some id argue, is ficantly 1 Alfie Kohn nstrated th. h worse today than 50 years ago,’ anyone w 0 years will tell y When I began teaching college stud rmed me that an 80 percent, or a letter G+ and B=, sh any sense, mathemati ‘Today there are le closer to an 85 percent, or a ‘A Boston Globe st from 2001 shows thar 91 percent of students at Harvard, Ameri most prestigious university, are graduating with honors.* didn’t make at the time, Teacnine oa otten smarter since 19 ly begun to di Rather the ‘A demanding t ea only find herself bombarded by ‘0 believing that grades are like trinkets th sites are responses to t self a favor and don’t look at your o1 nasty reviews actices, (Do reviews.) So what should we do? Throw our hands up is every student an “A”? Not an option for ar ator, of course, Doing s0 would not only cause you to de also to be despised by Plennte ucareer ie oan au the penalties for vi weak, assessments. h on the first peiomance My pron aprn ss that {have very high expectations fr sant Bel work. The slackers and the frauds tend to drop immedi Ieee must work to ests a p yo find most later on.Srupy FoR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY 130 Grabuate Use E-mail Sparingly e-mail has made educators’ lives simpler in ways, it to the emergence of various problems related speci trading proces. The case with which students can log onto theit Computers allows them to act impulsively-—to communicate things ver the internet that they would never say to someone's face. As soon as st da midterm grade of “C,” for example, th ey have hever “gotten anything less than a B before we this Slim) and demanding to know why you are so mean. Tf you should Stoop to the student’s level by responding anggily, the situation ean Gquickly get out of control, Don't allow this to happen. Explain in Jour sjlabus that e-mail is nota substitute for office hours and that qadents with questions about graded papers or exams mast make i int to attend your office hours. Never suggest anywhere on your that grades are negotiable. Keep the stress on the future, not the past; that is, encourage students to see you so that you fan discuss how they might use their graded work in order to improve by the time of tl ment, Ifa student should send you an inappropriate e-mail, you can then point to the policy ‘ould you wish to improve your writing, I'l be happy to explain to in office hours why you've eared a C. Bi bus: grades are your office hours—if the student is y the point I make in the sy the student decides to attend truly interested in improving on the same page regarding what y meeting. Encourage Office Hours One point of cutting down on e-mail is 10 encourage students (© ise your office hours, You will ind that students are more likely to be respectful and focused in a one-on-one session than they are on the telephone or over e-m: en discussing grades, your office represents an official or formal space that reminds st need to be professional. Such professionalism makes it easier, in tum, for you to respect the student and to stay focused on the task at hand, Since many students express hesitation about attending office hours ied by the teacher of skeptical about their teachers’ si to help them (too often for good reason), T use my sy TRACKING 131 ee yourself to me, to ask a rent asignments, ever act appropriately orang which rare, a8 best yo can nd atk (i. demand) cave ined. “Tm sry, eid that yo wo improve el revo come back when you're a bit more __ At eae ssaton boty none yo wil ol racy coun tmestings with students ding office hous ae ve for actu 2 oo : _. ng about grades down the road, Do dfs ore you re gen conde ocean stunt of ie sog ho th But do gre anges ng in an assignm : ingness to help them, uunderstan¢ ven before they begin forma work on Pa assignment. Ifyou ate to convince sudents that each asipnment tery asingle ep ina ma recto Give Clear Assignments ‘he dearer the stidents’understinding of your expectations, fever problems you ate likely to encounter regarding the ge process, Be sure to tell students exac a expect from them Jakes less sense to say “The pay it does to say “the paper must be 4-pages 2 pt. font).” You may also. ut in The Chicago Manual of Styl, x them to consult that style manual.132 Gnapuare Srupy Fon THE TweNTY-Finst CENT More substantive i student's ability to judge sive” paper/exam will dep cence. Teachers m result is Your respon accurate terminology for d you ask st Traffic bin’ argument, of Fespor other options, of course.) allow the students to ask. the matter further in offic are trickier, of course, precisely because @ tutes a “strong” or a “persua vend on the student's maturity and experi 0 be escribing y¢ turn in a three-page paper on Gay! for 's argument, viscerally to Rubin's argu Always read the assignment aloud in class, jestions about -e hours. ‘overly prescriptive since the ‘ic rather than original and creative work ty atthe assignment stage is simply to offer the most, ir expectations. For example, if Rubin’s “The them to know whether they analyze thetorically Rubin's snd invite them to discuss Provide Clear Feedback on Graded Work YYou should always remember that you are an educator, not a judge Especi your students and likely your written comments as elsewhere, Yo ly on written work, grades withot to provoke fi tents on what they will need to learn in fassignment, Written comments on thought of as numeric grade. Rather ‘Like many teachers, T breal yut comments are useless t0 ration and even anger. In. goal should be to focus sti ‘order to improve for the next aded work should not be Tifications or even explanations of the letter or hey should help students to see whet they rarne one well, what they have done poorly or not at all, and what they might do if they could do it again. k my feedback down into marginalia anda sommary-oriented statement atthe end of the paper oF exam ‘Throughout the docam strengths /weaknesses margins. Whereas aco! need 10 revise! decrease the lik ihhood fir point, ing. In your as always, fo ‘assignment. Even if yo what is ent, wor declarative for that they w mach may cause them to think more ‘but would it be marginal co ‘to direct the writer’s attention (0 bby constructing a conversation of sorts in the ‘mulation—for example, “You i likely to put students on the defensive and Jearn anything, a more subtle -e carefully about your sugges” fe more persuasive to consider ical feedback in the form of a thought provok- for improvement on the next smments point to six or seven. Teacuine a problems inthe student's focus your summary statement on the one or two mos spieant, problems. Students thould be abe to takeaway from your com Ins Both as of thy shoal 0 spss a wo ee concrete suggestions about howto improve By teal he on rove, By teaching su dss ho than we more sey al er than judi how well they already think and wrte—you'll communicate moce pestaivelythe pont that you aze intersted inter success and Set eing Te ew Bea clini dines copra tr tan ago, moral spc ther shin ngs nd Miscellaneous Just a few more tips about grading. Try to return graded exams or papers within one week of the time they are handed in. Students appreciate your efficiency and organization, and you self of a major burden. While pl c des that se of 3 al ile planning course schedules that will pe: cir experienced teachers learn to schedule due dates strategica less likely to be par- ticularly intense. Fi Pal 0 nally, get into the habit of grading, student work late in the day of at night. While your students’ exams and papers will require your undivided attention, grading is less of an imaginative or crea thinking oriented att than a igh-aegy tsk Your ov research and writing activities demand that you be at your sharpest; my advice is that you prioritize accordingly. a __ME ding is no the reason mst of us choose w become semis iis one f the Bas foundations of ning. By sem sang your approach 0 wading in ways that cllnge the cen consumer model of eduston “by approashing praes, tat sa ss of what stadens wil ned co do to become beer thinker and cemmunatonyou can linn mayo apa mpc of se grading into a rewarding and constructive EVALUATIONS T have no doubt whatsoever that the state of higher education in America would improve overnight if colleges and universities were134 Gnanuare Stupy For THe TweNtY-Finst CENTURY at Wal-Mart. 1e same position as ct ations are probl ions tend to ct primary asses of for graduate students who wish to be hired professors who wish to be tenured; (2) bee: teachers to avoid controversi udent in a class; (3) bec: impossible to translate the num! use to improve their students do not occupy terized student ev: ymeday and assistant se eval evaluation are unnecessary. Del that the ineffective teachers udent evaluations of faculty teaching are taken very many smal colleges and universities, most Ph.D.-granting inst (ie cely to obtain your degree) are large research, universities where teaching is viewed by administrators as less impor tant than research. In addition graduate students are temporary workers of short-term investments. They must be evaluated for humanities. This is the come from computerized eval 3 ig to read between the be quite help at the beginning of one’s career, and they shonld be taken much more "Not only can written comments point out weaknesses in be improved and strengths than can be also form an important part of your teaching portfolio (see pp. 137-46). Because the standard questions on such forms are often overly vague (“How for compare to others at X university?"), make ita students prompts that require of tl sk for their feedback on material specificity. assignments, even, ‘Teactine 135 to use positive formulations instead of negative In what ways did you benefit from the peer than “Were the peer reviews helpful”) And, most wve the room that yo ir feedback into n other words, that voices will be heard. By mprove, you will each which should inspire important will read and look to other courses teach; expl they need not be cynic: at least once a year by practice that also ty members will the material they to a single visit ced teachers, e strengths and more able than context for understandi observations bein, idle of the semester; as experi to notice immediatel though, weaknesses of fh can be incorporated ter be developed into a ill be visited by an observer. do on the day of the observati will keep you and your students on track, and besides, \ feedback on something one does not regularly do? A cer of nervousness is normal, even healthy, but try to keep th spective. Every faculty member has at one time or another been Your position, and their feelings of empathy will cause them to look for the most positive aspects of your teaching and to give yor n. Routine136 Grabuare Stupy ror THe Twavry-Finst CENTURY Teacuine a benefit of the doubt when things go less than perfectly. The wis step you can take to assure a solid classi to pretend you are alone wi your students. Once the class is over, explain to the observer what wi happen in the next class or two, again in an effort to contextualize the observed class, and encourage them to give you honest feedback. Show a willingness to learn from more experienced teachers, Prepare yourself for interpreting all three forms of evaluation—the computerized student evaluations, written student evaluations, and written faculty evaluations. Remember that all three forms arc of limited value as indicators of how well you teach; anger, misunderstanding, or envy can taint severely the outcome of any one evaluator’s response to your teaching, Negative comments and sometimes nastiness will stick with you much longer than postive feedback. But if you seek to draw on what's constructive and positive, to take seriously what’s legitimately critical, and to ignore what’s merely personal and downright unfair, you'll be able to glean much that is useful from the total evaluative process. Prepare yourself practically for interpreting all three forms as wel The feedback you collect over the years will help you to articulate more objectively your own strengths and weaknesses as a teacher, which will be extremely valuable in the classroom and in interviews for jobs, grants, and teaching awards, As you will see shortly, the written data you accu ‘mulate will constitote an important part of your teaching portfolio, ‘which will be crucial to you on the job market. The evaluative methods currently in place at most universities are by no means flawless, but they ‘can serve useful purposes if understood and approached in the right way. 1.” In other words, you may need to remind your ne to time that you ate concerned about your ethos a forement of your profesional le 1h af td grant work whieh bret ask her to be present during your pres eee ae TEACHING PorTFOLIO Sgnicant disadvantage on the job marke. Unvriten pol mid-Atlantic state university’s English Depart eats dictates that no candidate will be hit oo ASSISTING OTHER TEACHERS, OR ‘THE REAL TA es pera le sense for colleges and committed teachers (or “Most professors give specific instructions to TAs, whose roles tend to vary dramatically from class to class, so I limit this section to three simple points of advice: first, ask up front what the professor's expectations are for your role inthe class, including information about the number of hours you are supposed to work each week. Ifyour TA contract demands that you put in 20 hours per week, you are person: ally responsible for tracking those hours. Keep clear records ofall the ‘work you do for the class, Do not complain if you happen to work 22 houts one week; the likelihood is that you will work 18 hours the following week. But if you feel that you are being significantly overworked or exploited, inform the professor of the situation; ifthe professor does not respond appropriately, consult the director of that proves your exper ‘committees know you're anytyr CENTURY 138 Gnapuare Stupy For THE TWeNTY-Fi always, you should strive to be creative and add to portfolio Mhatever other documents you think might enhance your portrait. ‘The Teaching File graduate teaching career, yo file.” Into thi ted: a copy of every course son plans from iting, assignments, photocopied pape ically offer students; returned members, graduate ideas /proposals for 10k job as a professor and your professorial career. hould always be accessible since you will need to rework yo every time you go up for a promotion or are nominated for a le may also prove cruci to By no means a age document I worked up for my own job sear brs to gather in a glance the relevant factsabout a can Begin by provide enough descriptive informa “Eng 1an Composit we taught each course and the number of Int large lecture courses 38 to make absolutely clear ‘or assisted a professor reaching experience section “Courses Assisted.” ‘The best way to do into two categories: “Courses Taugh ‘Workshop Leader inthe Human extended an upper- performed. Have you ever Georgio Valenti 139 Department of English 196 Eurow Bulding State College, USA 16806id and tie toget fer different those courses may be from one another. If derive from a particular 3 less direct sources, then for it, which will serve the same con pedagogy” to characterize @ personal ical eal and the rat aes jal classroom situations. Prox ass practice # vague ge pairing the writings: » Lencourage stud ‘The more speci 1 Teaching Philosophy [My basic goal as an Engish instrictor—based upon “mnota-podagogy’—has boon ta make students aivare tudes are encouraged fo become acive partcipants in course sylabi, organization of class act ‘They are encouraged fo consider the igh ‘pedagogical presentation so that thay might became mora: {hat aot t to strongtho convietions My exp people working to help them, but ‘such (erroneous) pe Partly the resut of hel detachment ram or nonpaieat System Most studonts tions are in the educational take thor tests, complete their co. ‘nontadtonal pedagogical ‘methods. | have been impressed by the postive reactions of students once ey ble enough fo ask these “orbidden” questions. For example, th frst ‘be asked by wing students is "Why do we have tate these ‘a person in ner prospective [a dean, employee, professor, ot). She must explain tothe intervowee the class ‘he staking, an then she must question how ii thout excopton, work and appre Indepth Shakasp ‘Dream and Henry Fusel's painting o ne same ie, My fimana ips 10 local art callectons and playhouses to stress rvasiveness of Joology and Pie exciting intr-cannecons between ‘Students bogin to see knowledge as dynamic anc alive, not ved usin, | admit that my greatest fear about meta-eaching is that | wl be unable to maintain enough authoty to conduct an effecve course Aft142 Gnabuare Stupy ror THE TweNTy-Fiust CENTURY : ACHING us other teacher on the marker. Indeed one advantage of focusing on a Single and personal ped och as “meta-pedagogy Student Evaluations hing style, is that the former Scale from 1.0 to 7.0,7.0 being highest Course Instructor tial tuna,” and “interdisiplinary” in the service of a relatively original yo approach. Such cliché terms and concepts only become a problem Pago when they are presented as the pl and of themselves. One does not do anything very speé tempting to foster critical sem thinking, which afterall, is the job of every teacher. But one might eoen catch our attention by explaining to us bow students can be encour seae aged to think critically. Fag? "Above all else, your job in the teaching philosophy statement is to ea) show that you are a person of conviction, a thinking educator who can Fase transform a theory or principle into a practical tool for improving suse people's minds Ee ‘Student Evaluations Summary satons report Despite every negative thing I said and meant above in reference to rized student evaluations, they represent one of the few indicators of teaching effectiveness available to us. And tle stock in thei ability to measure teach: ing performance, I admit to being skeptical about job candidates who fal to provide their averages in teaching portfolios. While average or slightly below /above average scores on the evaluations signify next to nothing, one might infer a great deal from consistently horrendous or ‘one assumes that any sensible person at scores, the absence of any informa tion whatsoever raises some red flags. Since I am not recommendi poor or below-average numbers, my advice is that you do in your power to make sure your averages are not poor or experience problems the first few times teachers do, you should use every resource proved, years. In \d or not. (If your Uni tions, you should say portal despite the fact that I put be extracted from mistakes versity has no equivalent of computerized ev: so clearly.) Now there are two ways for you to share your numbers. The firsts t them next to all of the courses you've taught, as in figure 6.7, Such an approach, ders to take in everything at once and also to note your improvement over time (if you have improved144 Gnapuate Stupy For THE TweNnTy-Finst CENTURY istry of Goo (Fall 2008) Moan: 95 out of 10 Median: 10.0, ‘Student Comments ease orrmaression of Iiterary works from Job to Philip Pullman because we ‘Wore able Io ee the formation ofthe conoopts™ “Stereotypes were aboiched, new perceptions formed, al due tothe effects of his case and th Protess ed the ciase and tho way it made me question aot of my belo and ‘ses that ad taken for grant or never really thought about before if more about bibcalsatanc history than in my 14 years of religious saeee rt es stimulating and interesting. One of the better, oF best potessors Ive ain my fou years” The professor was alvayes very enorgetc inhi teaching sty, trhuslasm onto his students. He also madi times Ghd is always response fo our ideas and thoughts” “Easily the most intresting class | ever took” English 221 “Survey of Bish Literature (Spring 2008) Student Comments Me blo to take some ofthe most dificult terature tere s and not i a6 Jortandable and intoresting manner, but 10 relat ito al fe class could understand” that this clase is the first one Ive realy leamed anything YF ing. Foret that to the professor and the simple fact tha he aR to-anyone who could white a sentence, Although | dont think Wet ny glade wil bo as high as in other courses, | am incrodbly pleased with the outage tha | gained in this coure. “his enthusiasm exceeds that of any professor ve had” “Siting in a ctcle and dscussing important issues, we road the pistosco’s showed a lot of passion for what no was teac ths lass than have in any other class inthe 4 yoars ve been in The most positive aspect ofthe course fs how clear its thatthe professor cared ‘Fenty or gach of us and our eaicton. Is obvious hat he put us before hi Inmany ways” Syllabi Next provide abridged versions of your two most impressive sy hhave taught upper-level classes as well as introductory ones ide one for each type. In addition, provide your poten ' for a course you plan to teach if they hire you. pre ers with one sy! Teacning 145 ir course catalogue and requirement, and tor the progam. Make sur tha the corse ils these ying the ob search, For example, cnt bea cae» oh a src cy Heh dhs on Racine ora survey of seventeenth as Wo pages), cut all personal infor asyé i phone number, and your policies regarding such matters 1g an interview, The most import de on each syllabus is the course title s, required assignments, and the di the examples in the Appendi vey much about your level of organizatior ing, and your vision and understa Rhetorical fair is not the goa While each syllabus should be ‘sexy” enough to win over the students as early as day one, italso should reveal a teacher whose expectations for hard work are reasonably high. commitment to learn: 1g of a particular subject. Letters of Observation By soning ow ash wo tg i the ori, is cae fas hopefully convinced you that y ‘begin preparing long before you go onthe market. One scion ofthe mply cannot sve forthe last m sof your teaching fom faculty me your former students Since you sh fo mote than gee letters into the por strategic about whos eters you incde. U in your dower, you mut read their observations, Regarding wi ‘Sho wrt, make its point tobe observed by your major advior fest once before beginning you final year of graduate work, Re fer thatthe leuee she wes about your teaching ca lobe incorpo fed ino her gene leer of recommendation, wich vil sve hee fe ater Youradisor’sobervatons vill mean more i the prt dls raed to er ara ofspecalzaton Atleast one other ete id probably insert it’s important to be the recommenda- We regular access to these146 Gnapuare Srupy For THe TweNTy-Finst Century ‘Abridged Teaching Porton Sergi Val Contents Toaching specific Curiculum Vitae Toacring Philosophy ‘and Wetton Student Evaluations idged) Syllabus for Rhetoric and Composition ed be willing t0 write y letter from a touch afier dent the abil write y consider coaching her n provide a samp! to read it, If the stu ‘on what such letters tend to’ ters over the years so that rents” page for y your teaching, Tue RESEARCH-TEACHING CONNECTION ce-track jobs is “I ” People gener ha question asked by interviewers for t what ways has your research affected your tea e question, On the or it, we recogn ng and research are interconnected, even to ly impossible to nature off between teaching and research, f'a more efficient and effective practitioner of bot vert (or expert-to-be) 0 never have been awarded the ti what does t particular to teach at the c Now are practicing what 18 apart from resear: to admit chat I sp Spenser's The Faerie Queene to o teach it. Forced to say s epic, I read constructed every st and systematic every i iced a a result of my o1 1 knowledge I begs id energy toward 1 my enthusiasm also ‘The Facrie Queene bad for my st148 Grabuare Stupy ron THE TweNry-Finst CENTORY ing wi a graduate student to take advantage of the reciprocal relationship between teaching, and dio as a student, an examiner, and a dissertator. Ina pad ot ‘Computer fle labeled “Future Projects,” you should begin keeping track crging ideas cither for courses you would like to teach or articles/books you would like to write. You wi rials for your own se at certain books wou perfectly in 2 particular class you plan to teach in the coming years 1 ideas down now will make the process of composing the syllabus much easier later on, More often, your discovery of certain ideas the classroom will eed numerous research projects over the course of s probably sate to sy that most research projects (0 our engagement of materials f you will always already be busy at work on at least one other research project, however, it's important that you keep @ record of ideas otherwise, you forget them. Finally, be carefal to save and or inatetials. Not only will they be helpful on those occasions when it becomes necessary to arrange or revise your teaching portfolio, but they also will serve as a major reference brary for a variety of future teaching- and research: vale of building files of information and materials gathered dus -work and examination stages of your career. Eq ose files classified under “Courses Taught.” Since you are very lik! s material more than once and perhaps throughout your career, careful record keeping W rninimize the work you'll need to do each new semester ‘As this chapter would suggest, I see little point in denying that teaching can be one of the most suessful and frustrating jobs imaginable. Especially if we fal to recognize the importance of the work we do in potomize too severely our classroom ‘urden—something to be dreaded. If we invest fully in our teaching, however, and learn how to mi n the college classroom, most of us wi satisfaction that comes from helping others to know CHAPTER 7 Exams Perhaps no requirement for the Ph.D. is more dreaded, more misunderstood, and more badly mismanaged thin. comprchens traminations oc “comps”, Wh txamination tends to be tclativel csully are asked to respond 10 a5 the master’s regarded as of the graduate student in course work to the coveted For all intents and purposes, no tations will ever again decide for you68 Grapuare Srupy For THE Twenty-First CENTURY “Renaissance Political Cri Conran course Sylabus ‘Teacher's Name Background Lecture Notes “Renalseance Literary Studs and the Subject” Louis Montrose “The New Historcsm in Fenaissance Sudios’ Joan E, Howard ase: Binder 1 “Poltcal Critism of Shakespeare” Waltor Cohen “Tha New Hisorcsm and is Discontents" Edward Pechtor Migterm Paper Assignmont “are We Being Historical Yer" Carolyn Portor Figure 3.1. Sample contents poge for course binder assignments, a calendar, ideas for seminar papers, and so. Date Book/Calendar/Desk Blotter Since so many people are using PD: jones for the same purpose, my re ndation of a “date book” should be taken loosely. Not only will such a book be crucial, though, for keeping. track of appointments with professors, students, and colleagues, but it will aso be useful as an additional way to manage your time more make ita point to sit your life—the ones you've generated for your own classes and the ones given to you by your professors—and mark the dates for every upcoming assignment. You might also consider constructing. a one-page list of these deadlines, ‘which you can post on your tack-board, Personal Computer Of course, your computer may be your most important organizational tool, Since again how you manage your computer is your own business, I have only a few pieces of advice for you on the subject: (2) Keep accessible your syllabi and lesson plan files for every course you teach. Since you will reuse lesson plans in most of y quent courses, you'll want to be able to cut and paste mater dlder files on a regular basis; (2) bookmark important websites and clectronic databases such as your university library, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Calls for Papers sites, the OED Online, and so on; (3) clean up your files every semester or, at least, every year. Be sure to store on disks anything that might prove useful down the road. Just as ORGANIZATION AND TIME MANAGEMENT 69 need to keep your bookshelves and. ing cabinets clean and wel Remember that all of the time you put into organizing materials now will save you a great deal of time later on, As important, by staying organized you w to feel like you're in control of what can often seem ming amount of material—a prerequisite for minimizing stress and maximizing productivity Tue CurricutuM VITAE You'll hear much about CVs over the coming years. Like so many SCV" refers to “Curriculum Vitae” or “Course [i.e., curriculum] of Life,” and it serves as perhaps the most useful and widely used summary of your academic achievements. Unlike a resume, which offen includes. personal such things as one's hobbies and personal interests, and always. information about records information ishments. Some a include a CV along with their submission. Yes, you're right, the is to see whether or not you've done anything in the past that iat ths practice violates the spirit of a should judge the merits of a part consideration of wito has produced it or how much else the individual 1s produced. Do not despair. Whi practices may make it for you to land papers in the most competitive conferences in your fil, airs do make an effort to be far, and many enjoy cover” and give a chance tO bright graduate to be considered for an award, writing award, or grant—you ly be asked to submit a CV. The seenatio is very lar 1 the one described in the case of conference calls for papers. (3) You will be asked to provicle a CV to any persons interested in describing you or your work. If you're lucky enough to attract the attention ofa local journalist, for example, he may ask for a CV before ‘ting his article. Somerimes conference chairs who have alreadyRST CENTURY 70 Grapuare Stupy ron tHe Ty accepted your paper or abstract will use your CV to write their introductory comments about you and your work. The variations on this, theme are seemingly infinite. (4) Most important, you will submit a CV to every potential employer you contact when you go on the job market. At no other time in your career will the contents and style of your CV be more important than while secking your first tenure-track job. Long before you start worrying about the job market, though, you should create and maintain a CV, since it’s an extraordinarily usefl tool for keeping track of what you've done as an academic. Also the process of building a CV will teach you as much about what you have ‘not yet done asic will about what you have done—hopefally motivating you to devise work plans for the future. While this process can be abit ‘humbling in the beginning of your graduate career, you'll take great pleasure in watching your CV grow over the years. So what does 2 CV look like? While we might discuss any number of variations between disciplines and fields of specialization, CVs typically consist of the following sections. Although I've arranged them in order of importance, the arrangement of your own CV will understandably differ depending on how much you've accomplished in each of the areas. Obviously you should not create a subheading for “Publications” unless you have something to list there. In addition to the figures provided below, you can also look at a solid examples of a graduate student CV by turning to the appendix (288-91). Name and University Affiliation Make sure that readers know who and where you are before they begin reading the rest of the CV (see figure 3.2) Your name should be set in a font slightly larger than the regular text of the CV (which should be 12 point) but not so large as to convey your massive ego. Use a clean and clear font such as Times New Roman or Garamond; avoid cutesy ones like Old English (alert to would-be clever medievalists) or unclear ones such as any of the various script fonts. Clarity will be appreciated by and expected from your readers. '374 Poasant St, 2nd Flor: Wilimarile, CT 06226 (G60) 424-0893 davidaarche@uconn edu Figure 82. Ven ORGANIZATION AND Tie MANAGEMENT n Educational Background higher ite dates (see figure 3.3). 1 ing MA or Ph.D., provide a st ikely graduat ‘magna cum laste, yo it avoid unnecessary ‘earned an MA, it doesn’t really matter what yor 10 be about Dissertation Information While still an ABD and after y include some inforn Education Ph, Eng MA, Ba, sh, University of Conncticut, anticipated May 2004 ish, Universit of Connectiut, Nay 2000, s0phy, Magna cur aude, Western Kentucky Univesity, May 1997 Figure 3.3. CV ackground Dissertation Vntcane coed he ube eens Se ited States Native American i ragtonaly a by reservaton basod narratives. | examine the evoking porvayal of urban nears edatingeros-catr ‘oseph Matton, crteal and 5 overs models ert heli ate Greve ino nd we ciy. | argue that the. novels in my Stay ofl @ Mtfoceted saw of urban idan Wenthy otomeus models ot place in dent ‘hoy declare tho ay hosble to nai mn descripar first centure-track egin y \Gons rather than work you rs Among Angels, of Fami The Rain God ana Migrant Soul (Summer 2000): 169-87. Also to bo repr ions. Ed, Frederick Luis Adama Bil’ H.'s Lettors to William Carts: vie 252 (Fal 1997), 27°82 Notes “ALook at Basic CV Wiring” Notes and Queries 1,482 (2023): 1-2 Work Experience Record here in descending order any academic employ cent to your least recent your most ‘American Criticism: Magicorealism in Oscar “Zeta” Acosta, Ana Casto, ‘Hani! Kureish and Salman Rush by Frederick Luis Adama, Austin University of Texas Press, 2008, Forthcoming in Ailn (Fal 2005), Biranbark House by Louise Erde Swimming by Chery! Savage. Noxthiand, 1906; ana Aan ich Sith Colns, 2001. MuliEthnic Literatures ofthe United Statse (MELUS) 272 (Summer 2002): 246-49, From the Belly of My Beauty by Esther G. Balin. Sun Tracks Series 38. Tucson University of Ar 1990. Mute 10 mark such differences. fou must also make clear in each least recent. accepted but ence” you're recording, Awards and Honors writing awards,ly happens over the h at home, Once ris Off o Reservation” Organized thes panels fr the sive 7-8 Maren 2008, 9 2003 Norhhoast Modern Language Assocation Confer HMassachusats Insitute of Tachnoogy. ‘Seate's Last Stand: Ethnic Urban Geography and Racial Violence the Mi raturas of the U and the idea of (MELUS) ‘hsties” 9-12 Mach 2000, 1 igure 3.6. GV entries for contre lowships, grants, or honor s0% Service trative or other service cervice activities are essential ng order from most recent to least recent. Be sure clearly, and avoid day events of rk materials, y-ganizational and time ng your productive work 1 language sl a comparative there is no bers and/or adn permission from your referees to include their home