It began this summer when I anxiously watched my enrollment numbers creep up so I could feel confident that my classes would “make.” With the creative scheduling of a supportive department chair, I got enough classes to teach this fall to get by financially. I know many in higher education are struggling to make ends meet, but as I embarked on my new life as an adjunct instructor this fall, my financial security was among my top concerns. Little did I know then that my paycheck would be only one of a number of challenges I faced during the course of the semester. Because I am making a living as an adjunct, I was grateful for as many classes as I could get. But that meant I had a busy schedule with a heavy teaching load, lots of students, and what seemed like a constant stack of papers to grade. Of course, there are much harder and lower paying jobs out there and I recognize that I am fortunate to be doing something that I love. Even so, working as an adjunct is hard! I learned the challenges of the job pretty quickly, but over the course of the semester, I also learned some lessons that helped me make it through.
Teaching as an adjunct presented some unexpected problems for me. I care deeply about pedagogy and have developed class activities and assignments that encourage reflection and discussion. Instead of focusing on developing the best kind of learning classroom environment I could, I found myself wondering how I would manage so many students or how I could craft assignments that develop good writing and critical thinking skills when I would have to grade all of those papers. Then there was the neglect of my own research and writing. When do I get to that article I’ve been planning? Do I have time to write a conference paper? And what about those dissertation revisions? Added to the work challenges was the anxiety about “real life” issues: finding full time employment, the loss of my health insurance (thanks to the Affordable Care Act this will not be an issue come January 1), and the cut in income.
The teaching/research/life balance, I’ve discovered, is a challenge for most in the academy. As the semester proceeded, I had a number of conversations with my colleagues and sought their advice on finding the balance. As a result of those conversations, and my own reflection on the past four months, I feel that I have learned a number of valuable lessons in the course of this challenging semester.
Make Time for Your Own Work
This was the piece of advice I received most often (and the lesson that was the hardest for me to learn). As academics, our own research nourishes us and makes us better and more passionate teachers. It is also the most important part of our professional lives that we take with us as we move institutions. Being on the full-time job market, I value the teaching experience and I take student evaluations seriously, but it will be the work I produce as a scholar that will be the most important factor in getting a tenure-track position.
Develop Relationships with Faculty
This was the lesson I enjoyed learning the most. As a graduate student, my relationships with my advisor and other mentors were incredibly important, but as I moved into “the profession,” those relationships became even more meaningful and fulfilling as I found myself asking a whole new set of questions of my mentors. As a young professional, conversing with junior faculty and the seasoned veterans helped me through the semester. They offered support, encouragement, and collegiality.
Have Fun
I reminded myself, often, that I am doing what I love, what I worked for a long time to do. The hours are long and there is always something to grade, but I am teaching and learning from students and deepening my own understanding of a subject for which I am passionate. Some mornings it was tough to feel enthusiastic about class, but, more often than not, I left the room at the end of the period feeling energized and inspired. I get to work on a college campus, I get to attend all of the scholarly, sporting, and artistic events on campus, and all I have to do to get to a great academic library is walk across the street. What a fun job.
I recently graduated with my PhD, which means that during the last several years I have finished challenging coursework, taken grueling comprehensive exams, and completed and defended a doctoral dissertation. Despite those challenges, it was during this past semester that I found myself thinking, “this is the hardest thing I’ve done.” Yet, it is all worth it. I’m teaching and still learning, and if I stop to think about it (in between grading final exams) I might also realize that I’m having the time of my life.
This article was written by Jensen Elise Branscombe, Department of History and Geography, for the Spring 2014 Issue of Insights Magazine.