I have accepted a position at a community college starting in the Spring. It is a step down from a Research I and a step up from unemployment. As you can see, I still suffer the Research I snobbery without the stamina to survive it. Still, I can’t help that I’m so jaded about doing research. It’s just not in me. So much of it is dreck. I’m such a hypocrite. There’s a lesson here for me to learn, I am sure. I also hope that there will be opportunity for professional development at this new job.

In any case, I’m looking forward to a new audience to master. I think back on all those little kids I taught in August at EBRP. I will be teaching their parents, now.

From what I understand, the students at the community college are more enthusiastic than those at a university, and they have less of a sense of entitlement. It should be interesting. The teaching load is rough: 5/5. I haven’t done that load for ages. I wonder what it will be like.

2 Comments

  1. hey, Laura,

    Don’t know if I ever told you, but in between graduating from Ohio State and moving to the Twin Cities I taught three sections of composition at Columbus State Community College and it was one of the most satisfying teaching experiences of my life. True, it was disheartening to know that many of my students wouldn’t get through their programs because they weren’t prepared or because their lives presented many obstacles to staying in school. On the other hand, I had a lot of students who were absolutely determined to make it through. I found it so touching that they would stick with me even through the most boring grammar exercises because they knew they needed this basic knowledge. And I thought CSCC students were definitely an more interesting bunch than the baseball cap and sneakers crowd at Ohio State. Overall the campus was way more lefty than Ohio State (admittedly not difficult) and I found that refreshing.

    I hope they know how lucky they are to have you, and I hope you’ll tell me more about the place and your new job. Congratulations!

    Cris

  2. I am a former student of yours from the Research I institution with many fond memories of your class on feminist theory. I have been teaching part-time at both R1 and a local community college and the students are not even from the same planet. The sense of entitlement from the R1 was completely absent in my CC class, but there were more family issues that kept my CC students out of class yet determined to catch up when they return. I have heard other R1/CC instructors complain about having to “spoon feed” the CC students, but I found the change refreshing and the students more “real”, if there is such a thing.
    BRCC is lucky to have you and I wish you the best in your new position.
    ME

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