Ant ecologist Terry McGlynn has a blog where the main focus is on working and researching at a primary teaching institution. He had a series of recent posts with tips on how to apply for such institutions:
http://smallpondscience.com/ Thiago -- *Dr. Thiago Sanna F. Silva* Postdoctoral Fellow Remote Sensing Division - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) São José dos Campos, SP - Brazil www.dsr.inpe.br Personal Webpage: www.thiagosilva.wordpress.com https://plus.google.com/101212496230661235420 On Thu, Jul 11, 2013 at 7:57 PM, Jonathan Coop <[email protected]>wrote: > 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 > >
