But, it does surprise me that the places you are applying would be so strict, particularly given your other teaching experience. Perhaps you just need to highlight your experience and market yourself a bit more. You could, for instance, come up with sample syllabi for courses you might teach, or exercises/activities that you might use in an ecology lab course, etc.
-----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
