The keys to getting a tenure track job (interview) at an institution where undergraduate teaching is going to be your primary focus are:
1) experience as the instructor of undergraduate courses (TA'ing doesn't count all that much), and 2) outstanding student and peer evaluations of your teaching. It's a competitive world out there right now, and a job interview right out of your PhD is not likely even if you shone as a TA. Mark's advice is on the money--any way you can get good classroom experience and prove yourself as a teacher, even giving guest lectures, picking up a course here or there or taking an adjunct or a temporary instructor position. I also taught undergraduate field study courses between my PhD and a postdoc. And I don't think the research postdoc is going to hurt your chances, in fact it could help you find an opportunity to teach a course if you keep your eyes out (and let it be known to department chairs that you are looking for such an opportunity), and also help further develop all the other professional skills that will be of use no matter what direction your path ultimately leads. Jonathan > Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 16:16:46 -0500 > From: [email protected] > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] FW: [ECOLOG-L] Searching for Tips for Teaching Assistant > Professorship or Post Doc > To: [email protected] > > Have you tried teaching as an adjunct at a community college? I got some of > my first teaching experience (although I had TA'ed a little before that) > doing an evening class at Mesa Community College in Arizona. It didn't pay > all that much, but it did give me real classroom experience. Many community > colleges do hire adjuncts, so you might check in your area. > > I wouldn't think that not teaching would hurt your chances for research-based > postdocs. If you are able to land a postdoc position, you could look into > doing some teaching on a volunteer basis or as a part-time instructor. One > good way to gain a little more experience is to see if your major professor > can let you do some guest lectures in his/her class or perhaps lead some kind > of activity in lab. > > Anyway, just some ideas. Perhaps you've already tried these. > > Mark D. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brian Bodah > Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 1:04 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Searching for Tips for Teaching Assistant Professorship > or Post Doc > > ECOLOGers, > I am a graduating Ph.D candidate who had the misfortune of earning my > degree through a research assistantship. I say this because my career goals > involve a teaching appointment. I've been applying for teaching positions > and post docs for several months now, but there's not a single one who will > consider someone without actual college level teaching experience. > Before attending graduate school I taught science in both the Massachusetts > and Minnesota state school systems, I have quite a bit of experience teaching > students from kindergarten - adult/continuing education level, but I have > never taught a college level course as I simply didn't have a teaching > assistantship. > If even post doc teaching positions will only consider former TAs, how is > someone supposed to overcome their lack thereof? I hold a master's level > certificate in environmental education and have taught in 2 different states, > yet this means nothing - that was simply wasted, irrelevant time/experience? > I don't think my case is extremely rare, there are many students who earn > their PhDs through RAs. I'm a very good teacher, but my PhD was paid for > through research. I've become quite disheartened in the search for a remedy > to this quandry. > Any help, suggestions, or guidance from the greater ECOLOG community > regarding a way to overcome this would be greatly appreciated. > > Thanks, > > Brian Bodah, Ph.D. Candidate > Department of Biosystems Engineering > Washington State University
