Saturday, October 30, 2004

My Own First Person

My Own "First Person"



Ok, I have no time to blog, and I'm feeling snarky ever since reading Mary McSmugness' efforts and knowing that the Chronicle liked her better. Snark snark snark. Actually, there are probably pleanty of good reasons I didn't get chosen, just like the job market's kind of a crapshoot. But you know what? I got me a blog, and I can publish my own stuff. So there. Without further adieu, I give you my own "First Person."

The ads have started. So far, it’s not looking too promising. Two jobs I fit really well, and a few more that I could fit pretty well, but won’t apply for. I won’t apply because my advisor has two candidates on the market, and he quite rightly doesn’t want to write letters for more than one candidate per job. It cuts down on the openings, but I trust him on this. I’ve known people who were in departments where the reigning expert and advisor would choose one candidate a year to receive his patronage – at least for any jobs he thought worthy of his students. That one candidate would put in for all of the jobs in the field – even if they weren’t really suitable. Needless to say, the advisor had a very high placement rate, since pretty much all of the ‘chosen ones’ got jobs. I like my advisor’s way better. The three of us sit down and decide which jobs are most suitable for which candidate and work together scouting the ads. Still, I do wonder how long this can go on. How long will my advisor be my advisor? There’s a good answer to that, because really, he’s more of a Doktorvater – now a colleague, but always a mentor. This is my second year on the market, though. The reality is that, as my advisor’s students finish up, his patronage will be more and more divided

I’m lucky in some ways. Last year, I applied for about ten positions and got one conference interview, which went well, but not well enough. I’m currently employed on the second (and last) year of a replacement contract at a community college. That means that I’ll have both full-time (albeit contingent) and part-time teaching experience at several colleges. The full-time work has given me the opportunity to demonstrate my collegiality and flexibility in developing new classes. I’ve served on committees, collaborated on program assessment reports, and can get good recommendations from colleagues and administrators with whom I’ve served. I’ve also asked for peer teaching evaluations almost every quarter, to add to what are really pretty stellar student evaluations. On the other hand, teaching a new prep every quarter with a three-course teaching load, in addition to serving on committees, has meant that I’ve done very little in the scholarship area. I can only hope that I can explain myself well enough to get an interview – and then impress the search committee.

You see, I’m not so sure I look that good on paper. In some ways I do (Ph.D. complete, coursework and teaching experience in a fairly broad range of historical periods, plus a non-Western field, prestigious dissertation fellowship), but in others, I’m lacking. My publication record is not what I’d like – a couple of book reviews in e-journals (peer reviewed, at least) that I’ll be turning in this summer, and a dissertation that is complete, but nowhere near book ready. I’ve got some really good ideas for articles, but nothing more than outlined. No conference papers. The desire is there, but as a contingent faculty member, I haven’t been able to make the time to do all the things that a person with a single job takes for granted, if difficult. What I have done is expand and improve my teaching abilities. It’s something that’s very desirable in an adjunct, but I’m not sure how it plays out for the tenure track. I’ve also spent some time out of academe and come back. On the one hand, the jobs were in hi-tech start-ups, and I’ve got the web- and other software skills many institutions now want: I’ve designed and taught online- and hybrid classes. On the other hand, the, “We needed to eat and so I made a conscious decision to put my family’s needs above my own desires for a time, but now I’m back, because this is what I love,” rationalization for leaving and returning to the academy is one that many search committees don’t buy until they meet me.
So I admit it. I’m nervous. I’m writing a column about looking for a job, knowing that friends and colleagues will most likely read it. I’ll be fodder for comments on weblogs, because these columns and their authors always are. I’m okay with that, because maybe, just maybe, someone on a search committee will see this and think, “This is someone we can work with. This is someone who cares about being a good faculty member on all levels. This is someone who won’t give up. This is someone who deserves a chance.”

Sunday, October 24, 2004

Short update

Short update -- dogpaddling through the rapids ...


  • still hugely a little behind on reading and commenting on all 4 discussions' posts. Shit.

  • Job apps starting to be due. 101 done, but 3 new, so I think that's 12 distinctly different cover letters to write.

  • Book Reviews still waiting

  • I think I set up the first subcommittee meeting today

  • One other committee -- assessment stuff that will be great, but requires output.

  • Actual work for the classes -- Finish updating assignments on surveys for the last 4 2 weeks. Finish assigning primary source presentations for the online class (add/drop FINALLY over and I know who's in the class no, NOW it's over. Forgot about the drop w/ permissions). Grade a different two weeks of survey discussions and three weeks of online discusssions. Actually re-read what I've assigned. Write first exam for early-beginning survey. Prepare for peer observation in same.

  • Phonebank for Dems on Saturday morning. (postponed due to conference)

  • Next week -- go to lecture by visiting scholar on Thursday. Paper was really interesting, but ultimately unconvincing. Too many extrapolations for one anomalous document. Mostly useful for introducing said document and for giving some insight as to how other disciplines use evidence.

  • Go to State Historians meeting in town 5 hours away on Friday night for Saturday meeting. With boss. Possibly after lunch w/ said scholar. Went up on Saturday morning. Really a great group. Met someone I knew from blogging under my real name.

  • Two job apps should be in by now. But only one is. At least one to go out tomorrow.
  • Meet with Academic Revue Committee Tuesday to set up peer review schedule at place of main employment
  • Meet with Peer Reviewer at Religious U, to debrief after last week's observation


lather, rinse, repeat

Sunday, October 17, 2004

fingers crossed

Keep your fingers crossed, pray for me, whatever ... please!



Just finished the letter for The Biggie. Job application for job 30 minutes from my door at a liberal arts college in Really Cool City (if you bother to take the time to check it out). School has a great reputation, an OK library, although they don't seem to have the MGH. That's fairly tragic, if true, but Flagship U has it in the circulating collection, and it's only a couple hundred bucks a year to get a card. Anyway, there are many many many reasons I want this job: TT in my field, no move required, great campus, good students, possibility to get my career back on track properly and maintain the friendships I've been building ... I'd appreciate your good wishes. If you're also applying for the job, good luck -- maybe you could just wish for me an interview, and I'll do the same for you.

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Just kill me now

Just Kill Me Now



Well, I had it all explained, and then blogger ate it. I'll tell you all tomorrow. Let's just say that it helps to explain yet another reason why junior faculty get cranky and impatient. On that front, let me just say that one of the hardest parts about teaching history is convincing people that knowing a lot of shit about history doesn't make you a historian.

Just kill me now

Just Kill Me Now (Not Really)



Ok. I am dumb. Or maybe just a Junior Faculty Member trying to Do It All. This is what my plate looks like:

  • Four classes on Quarter system -- three sections of survey, so semi-easy in prep terms, except that I get confused, because they're all on different schedules. Those are hybrids, so online discussions to grade, plus a 200-level online course I've never taught before and I'm hugely behind on reading and commenting on their posts. Shit.
  • Job apps starting to be due. 10 distinctly different cover letters to write.
  • Book Reviews still waiting
  • One advisory/governance committee (would you please choose three sub-committees and by the way, would you take lead on one of these?)
  • One other committee -- assessment stuff that will be great, but requires output.
  • Actual work for the classes -- Finish updating assignments on surveys for the last 4 weeks. Finish assigning primary source presentations for the online class (add/drop FINALLY over and I know who's in the class). Grade two weeks of survey discussions and three weeks of online discusssions. Actually re-read what I've assigned. Write first exam for early-beginning survey. Prepare for peer observation in same.
  • Phonebank for Dems on Saturday morning.
  • Next week -- go to lecture by visiting scholar on Thursday.
  • Go to State Historians meeting in town 5 hours away on Friday night for Saturday meeting. With boss. Possibly after lunch w/ said scholar
  • Two job apps should be in by now.
  • lather, rinse, repeat


Note I have not included exercise, dog, fence (yeah, still not entirely painted. It's rainy), ADHusband

(quick and undeserved grading break, via Rana):






If you see me, please remind me I have to go.

Sunday, October 10, 2004

No way!

No way!



Via Cheeky Prof

godd
You are Form 1, Goddess: The Creator.

"And The Goddess planted the acorn of life.
She cried a single tear and shed a single drop
of blood upon the earth where she buried it.
From her blood and tear, the acorn grew into
the world."


Some examples of the Goddess Form are Gaia (Greek),
Jehova (Christian), and Brahma (Indian).
The Goddess is associated with the concept of
creation, the number 1, and the element of
earth.
Her sign is the dawn sun.

As a member of Form 1, you are a charismatic
individual and people are drawn to you.
Although sometimes you may seem emotionally
distant, you are deeply in tune with other
people's feelings and have tremendous empathy.
Sometimes you have a tendency to neglect your
own self. Goddesses are the best friends to
have because they're always willing to help.


Which Mythological Form Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Makes me want to giggle, but it's kinda cool!

Friday, October 01, 2004

Mentoring, pt 1

Mentoring, pt. 1


I wasn't planning on blogging, but realized a comment I was leaving here at profgrrl's blog was really a blog entry itself. The subject of mentoring comes up fairly frequently, and the more I teach and look for a tenure-track job, the more I realize how lucky I've been. Today, I'll focus on undergrad mentoring and how good it can be.

Except that I lost my post. Damn.

Ok, so I was really lucky. As an undergrad, I went to Beachy U, where there were two big names in my field (and others, too, but I'm concerned with Ancient and Medieval here). FOr reasons still unclear, although I expect that it had something to do with the fact that I was bright, interesting, and clueless, I was summoned to the Names' weekly grad student office hours at the end of my junior year. Just me, the names, and a bunch of grad students who joked about how the Names held court, and how we lowly peons (yes, mixed metaphor) attended or else. Those grad students were amazing. They accepted me into their group (or a subgroup of the non-cutthroat ones did. I got to learn about grad students in long distance relationships with professors at other schools, grad students who had dated and broken up and still worked together, grad students who got together and knew they were condemning themselves to an abysmal job search, and grad students who just refused to put their personal lives on hold. I learned even more about patronage than I had in my Rome classes. I learned the importance of blowing off steam without going so far that I couldn't get up and study in the morning. Most of all, I learned about collegiality firsthand. Even before these people submitted their chapters and fledgling articles to their seminar group, they talked things over with each other. They shared sources and ideas. They helped me organize my senior thesis!

Meanwhile, the Names talked me into applying to grad school. They helped me in applying. They wrote me letters. One even suggested I apply to his alma mater -- they had lots of money. I wish now that I'd asked for more suggestions, but that one was enough. I got the 4-year ride at Semi-Southern U, and a whole lot of funding above and beyond the call of duty. My grad student friends sent me off with a lovely gift, and I'm not sure what I ever did to deserve them. I am in touch with a couple of them, and know people who know others, but am sorry to say I lost track of others between grad school and research and marriage abroad. I constantly hope I'll see them at conferences. The Grad U hooked me up (no, not in that way) with a student a year ahead of me and, when I arrived, he brought me into the fold of older students. But that's another story.

If nothing else, that experience has taught me the importance of being a mentor. I hadn't realized how much until I read profgrrl's post, though. It's also one of the things I cherish most about my teaching at a community college. I have great opportunities to get to know my students well, I get to write letters of recommendation, and I get to talk to them about eventual plans for grad school and warn them about the realities while letting them know I'm behind them, if that's what they want. What I hate is that I only get them for the first two years, and then, they're gone. Or not. Two of my students set to go to Flagship U this fall got deferred, so they're coming to me to check in anyway. I just hope I'm providing them at least a bit of the help and support I got.