Academic Spring Cleaning

The air is full of pollen and the birds have become an inordinately early alarm clock. It's spring. My office is the next space to be cleaned. I can no longer see my desk. Peering out at students between large stacks of unfiled lectures, publishing fliers, conference announcements, student papers, drafts of yet-unpublished articles and book chapters, articles to read, etc. is starting to drive me nuts. So I am issuing a general call for all junior faculty to indulge themselves in a bit of spring cleaning. Good for the soul; good for the mind.

How many classes?

Creating classes takes time. Does this sound familiar? Get up. Write lecture. Teach said lecture. Go home. Write next lecture for other class. Teach said lecture. Etc. I'm amazed at my friends who teach 4-4 loads. I envision signage: Cruelty to Faculty.

A junior prof we know taught 14 new preps in three years. Her chair didn't realize her situation until she finally brought it to his attention (at which point he expressed horror). Some departments limit junior faculty to six new preps, which seems about right. Speak up! Remember to protect your time.

Strategies for protecting your time while also teaching fabulously:

1. Ask for a T/Th schedule
2. If you are lucky enough to have a T/TH schedule, prep your Th class on T and your T class on Th. Doing so lessens the anxiety of not finishing the prep work before the class and the likelihood of all-out brawls next to the copy machine.
3. If you are unlucky enough to be teaching MWF, don't make the mistake I made and plan lectures for all three days. Use films or Utube, group work (or if you have a large class, short group presentations), and research exercises on M and W. Friday should always be a discussion. They will thank you for breaking up the monotony of lecturing.
4. Involve your students in the process of teaching.
5. In the words of a wise assoc prof, each class has one point and three good visuals.
6. Remember that teaching is one of three jobs that you have. Great teaching doesn't happen when you are giving up your time in other areas to finish that damn power point.

So those are my strategies. They aren't perfect. What are yours?

How to Say NO

Saying no is perhaps the most important skill that a junior prof can learn. Women in particular have a harder time drawing professional boundaries. Learning to do so fast is essential. The book or article takes priority over Everything Else.

How not to say no:

1. Scream and run away
2. Drop drink in senior prof's lap
3. Apologize profusely
4. Say "Maybe"
5. Glare

Helpful strategies for honing your "No" Skills:

1. Call on associate prof to aid in defense.
2. Arrive with fictional child. If this does not work, use dog, dying grandmother, house fire, etc.
3. Invite colleagues generally to participate in the successful acquisition of your tenure.
4. Don't feel guilty under any circumstances
5. Practice smiling while saying No in front of mirror
6. Practice firm No with dog, fictional child, like-minded juniorprof
7. Remember that your book or article isn't a "personal" thing. This is your job.

Tell us about your experiences saying No.