become a professor

i think i would like to become a professor. my main thing is flexibility, and becoming a professor seems like the best job in life! i would be teaching around 9 hours a week! i would be able to travel! it’s a great life! i want to get my phd in international social policy / welfare… or something like that. it would be great to talk all day about the things that i love. i am now getting a master’s degree in environmental health, but i don’t think i’d like to do that forever. the only con in getting a phd is that it takes a lot of determnination and resilience to complete! i don’t know if i can make it =( but i want to! i believe in me! =).

I’m still undecided about this, since I’m teaching children now and unsure where I could make the most difference. Either way, it’s a worthwhile goal to strive for, and I want to be conducting research and publishing either way.

Forever and ever. Well, with one small exception (sort-of half-done a class but it shouldn’t be a problem). Steps left to candidacy: programming assignment and research project.

I am currently a high school English teacher, my ultimate goal is to be a University professor.

i love painting. and i want it to be a bigger part of my being. i want to understand the meaning of art. and perhaps being a proffessor would allow me room to explore further and further

Another dream coming true for me this year – I’m now a tenure-track faculty member at a large Midwestern university.
Semester starts on Tuesday.
I’m scared to death.

I love my work as a professor. You should go for it.

I’ve finished my first week of (non-volunteer) teaching. (!!!) I never thought anything could be simultaneously so exhilirating and exhausting. The students are amazing, all very smart, they pick up on concepts quickly and run with them (sometimes in directions I wouldn’t even think of myself!) I’ve made some mistakes, but I’m learning. Big things are:

• Always be prepared! This has always been one of my mantras but never have I found it so necessary. The kids blow through material like nothing, so I must always have something for them to do next.

• Proper group choice is essential! I had lots of problems with randomly assigned groups. I spent a few hours figuring out how to rearrange them (with some input from the students) and presto, the next day they’re working much better together.

• Pay attention to individuals! Students react much better when I pay attention to their individual strengths and weaknesses.

• Treat students like equals. This I learned in Citizen Schools, and applying it here has worked wonders.

• Don’t lend students your camera. It will be dropped :)

One week, and I already know all their names (though I still get two similar-looking students with similar-sounding names confused), most of their strengths and weaknesses, their personalities, and who has a crush on whom. Looking forward to the next week.

Horray! After a grueling 6 months of the academic job hunt/interview circuit, final dissertation research, and dissertation writing, I am finally finishing up with everything. I’ve accepted a position as a tenure-track faculty member at the University of Washington!

Arrived at the CTY site today. Classes start Monday. Teaching 5th & 6th graders robotics.

This is going to be EXCITING.