7 Experiences New Faculty should seek out for a More satisfying Career

Dr.S.Sundararajan, Associate Professor, SIMS

Career

While teaching could certainly be a more lucrative profession, it offers a variety of rewarding experiences we can’t find in any other work. The relationships we build with students, families, and communities can be powerful, even transformative. Knowing the work our fellow faculties/teachers are doing, we also have the opportunity to make contributions to our profession, and indirectly affect the learning and the lives of even more students. So, here are seven recommendations for experiences you can seek out in order to enhance and extend your career.

1. Visiting other classrooms and colleges:

Faculties have to get assignment in other college that involves observing a fellow student teacher, and supportive mentors during the first year as a faculty, Eventually they grew so invested in seeing other faculties and colleges that they make use of this opportunity to write on empirical research article about case study method of teaching. The benefit is not only in learning from similarities and differences and generating new ideas, but also in the reflective conversations that follow.

2. Pursue National Eligibility certificate (UGC-NET)

The value of reflection is difficult to overstate when it comes to learning-our students learning, and our own. Reflection is one of the hallmarks of the UGC National Eligibility Test, designed by experienced faculties and it helps faculties who have a few years and more into their careers to refine their understanding art of accomplished teaching. It is also rewarding processes that benefit both faculties and their institutions.

3. Serve on a site council

In India, our colleges have a Board of studies and governing council and we think in many states colleges have same type of institution based leadership and governance body. As a faculty we have to serve outside class room activities that gain leadership experiences. We could not feel like, we made much of a difference. However it was relatively low intensity and low stakes way to learn more about our college, to engage in substantive discussion about our values, our goals and our work, with students, parents, teachers, classified staff and administrators all at the table.

4. Participation in Faculty forum.

For many years, we (Faculties) had a limited understanding of faculty forum’s structure and function in the district and state. When faculties are new, they are often advised to lay low and stay away from forum activity until they are tenured. Many faculties are engaging many forums and participating in activities and giving feedback to representatives. The faculty members can become an executive board member, representative assembly and member of negotiation team, there are always job or commitment for their assignment .

5. Blog Writing

Writing about teaching is a fantastic way to develop your own knowledge and contribute to your local and professional community. This idea takes us back to the notion of reflection mentioned above. If we write about our teaching in almost any way, we will also reflect on our students, our content area, our pedagogy, the community and other contextual details of our work. If we are interesting in writing somewhat regularly and perhaps building an audience for our writing perhaps blogging is the way to go. Putting ourselves and our ideas out to the World Wide Web can be exciting and has the potential to create unanticipated connections and dialogue.

6. Deliver training or Presentations

Beyond writing, we can share our best ideas and learning with others. It’s a rewarding and energizing way to keep your teaching career feeling fresh and vital. I have learned something from each presentation or speaking engagement we have had. In my college district we have moved toward more in-house professional learning (FDP). Interested faculties can try out professional presentations by sharing their strengths with colleagues at our site, and with a little more planning they can find opportunities to offer training or presentations to across college and university.

7. Step up to College based Leadership

Graduate level leader, content area specialist, instructional leader, department chair, faculty-on-special-assignment instructional coach, mentor, demonstration teacher. There are many ways to step into a leadership role while still teaching. At the same time, we need many more of these roles and opportunities. The lack of such position is one of the main factors that drive mid-career faculties out of the classroom. When we are looking for teaching job, ask about these kinds of options and positions to work interestingly.

End note: As a teaching faculty member of college and higher education institute, we can bring the changes in our own day to day practices of teaching learning pedagogy to attract more students to join UG level or PG level programmes (courses). We have to update our knowledge and skills to inculcate the concept of subjects in the minds of learning community (Students).