CandidProf: teaching is leading and leading means work
by Miki SaxonCandidProf is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at a state university. He’ll be sharing his thoughts and experience teaching today’s students anonymously every Thursday—anonymously because that’s the only way he can write really candid posts.
Last week I wrote about what is involved to be a good teacher. What I described takes a lot out of me. It means that for every hour that I am in lecture, there are several hours outside of lecture associated with the class. Every now and then, someone in the state legislature points fingers at the college faculty saying that we are overpaid because we don’t teach 40 hours per week. A full load is considered only 5 classes per semester. Depending upon the institution, some of that requirement is met by mentoring graduate students, and some is met by research in lieu of lectures. But, that doesn’t look like much. It doesn’t look like much, that is, until you look what some of us put into what we do.
For us, this isn’t just a job. It is what we do. I feel responsible for my students. I have dozens of students who sign up for the class expecting to learn something. I feel that I am letting them down unless I give my all. So, that is what I do. And, that is what makes me successful.
Teaching is leading students. You lead them to learning. You can’t force the knowledge and understanding into them. You have to lead them to where they can learn.
Good leaders realize that leadership doesn’t stop at the end of the work day. Sometimes, the leader has to put in extra hours just like everyone else. As I see it, how can you actually be leading if you are not working as hard as those you are trying to lead?
What do you think?
Is teaching too easy?
Is compensation fair? High? Low?
Your comments—priceless
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Image credit: ajmac CC license
