pending on the assigned mix of classroom teaching, academic re- search, creative work, administration and service. Sixty-hour work weeks aren’t unusual. Then again, for those on a nine-month ap- pointment, summers are off!
What’s teaching really like? Let’s take the challenges first. Part of the job is not about teach-
ing journalism. There’s a learning curve “that has little to do with writing and reporting and a whole lot to do with educational psy- chology, academic culture and Adjust Your Expectations 101,” says Meg Turville-Heitz, a lecturer in technical communications at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. For example, how would you handle a student who tells you
about a sexual assault? Academics have to navigate that and more. Students who seem lazy or unprepared are a bane. Some need remedial work, although many journalism classes are electives that attract more ded- icated students. Grading is the biggest dis-
like by far. Critiques and editing are time-consuming when you have 20 assignments to read at once. “Helping good writers be- come great ones is incredibly satisfying,” Yulsman says. “Helping bad ones realize that they should choose another ca- reer is not nearly so.” Teaching “likes” start with
the students who get inspired: “I love mentoring. I love seeing the light come on. I love seeing some of these really brilliant kids just grab the bit and go,” Turville-Heitz says. “I love when students tell me I’ve inspired them to pursue a particular direction in their career, or ask me for advice or help in their careers.” Adventure — both intellectual and in-real-life — is another
Two U.S. journalism students walking down the Longyear Glacier on their way back down to the town of Longyearbyen in Svalbard. They were there as part of a course on climate journalism offered in Norway last fall. Photo: © Tom Yulsman
mate science and policy. “Team-teaching allows me to observe some veterans in the classroom. It’s a lot of work, but the fun in the end outweighs the work, as we keep re-upping,” Fischer says. If you get offered an adjunct teaching gig, quickly reach out
to other professors for suggested assignments, textbooks, grading rubrics and syllabi. SEJ, the Poynter Institute and Journalists’ Re- source all offer sample syllabi online. [
http://bit.ly/1XpV8T4,
http://bit.ly/1qjhgRz and
http://journalistsresource.org/syllabi]. Attend faculty meetings and sit in on other classes, even if you don’t have to. Consult with other part-time-faculty friends for practical ad-
vice. For example, working journalists may get called out on a breaking news assignment in the middle of class. “Keep a tickler list of friends and colleagues who might be able to sub for you on short notice,” suggests Eric Freedman, professor and Knight Chair in Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University. For those who hope to
move from adjunct to full time, Cross suggests getting to know department chairs and deans. “Make your intentions clear and learn what you need to do to qualify and compete,” he says. From there, build a specialty or interest area that will make you stand out.
Is there a money-back guarantee?
Nope. Some love teaching,
and some actually leave it to go back to journalism. The pay can be low, academic politics can be tricky and funding can be unsta- ble as higher ed goes through its own disruptions.
Each academic institution is different, and each teaching posi-
bonus. Blair has gotten to teach in Costa Rica and Italy, and to de- velop a course for science master’s and Ph.D. students. “Love. It. All,” she says. “I’m more alive today than I was working for a newspaper.” Kovarik says: “The day-to-day work is to be alive to the world
of ideas and to strategically advance the best. And you can do that without deadline pressures, which is cool.”
How do I get started in teaching? Want a test drive? Contact faculty members you know and vol-
unteer to do guest lectures. This shows you how classrooms oper- ate, Cross says. Seek mentoring from faculty members who can help you break down what to teach and how to do it effectively. You can also try team-teaching with a more experienced in-
structor. Douglas Fischer, director of Environmental Health Sci- ences, which publishes the websites
EHN.org and
DailyClimate.org, co-teaches a course at Montana State about cli-
tion is different. The United States has more than 4,000 institutions of higher education, ranging from small private schools and com- munity colleges to big research universities and elite Ivys, points out Bruce Lewenstein, chair of the Department of Science & Tech- nology Studies at Cornell University. Journalists who are ready to navigate a career change or who simply want a change of pace will find many options. Bottom line: Do what you like, and find a program that likes
what you do. “My experience has been completely different from everyone
else’s on this [email] string,” says Dan Fagin, director of the Sci- ence, Health and Environmental Reporting Program at New York University. “Your results not only may vary, they WILL vary. This is the best job I’ve ever had in my life, and I’ve had some very good ones. But that is entirely due to unique circumstances. This field is very, very diverse.”
Sara Shipley Hiles is a former full-time journalist who began
teaching adjunct ten years ago. She is now an assistant professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She is also ed- itor of SEJournal’s “EJ Academy” column.
22 SEJournal Summer 2016
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28