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Post by teaching school on Mar 19, 2022 10:09:10 GMT -5
I apply very broadly, but, for some reason, only seem to get these top interviews. It's puzzling to me. It could have something to do with my area of study. But who knows .....
Depending on your CV, you might not have the fabled 'fit' for teaching schools. I work at one of those places, and if I saw a top producer (solid number of pubs at good/great journals), I would be wary of interviewing them unless I also saw solid teaching experience (e.g. good evals, a couple of semesters of experience). Nobody wants to be used as a layover by someone who is capable of getting an R1 job. It wastes our resources and time. We'll pass on them and aim for someone who looks like they're more dedicated to our mission or to our region/student body. That also might fit with your research area: we need people who can teach job skills, or who can maintain productivity with few resources (so more theoretical or GSS analysts).
Getting hired is complicated, and when everyone is essentially qualified for a job, specific idiosyncrasies like I mentioned above come into play. The last time I was on the market, I received 4 fly outs, but one offer. I saw who they hired at the other schools, and they either had better fit with the student body or the region. Could I have done the job? Yeah. But for teaching schools, those intangibles are really important. Those schools that chose others over me made the right choice.
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wouldloveateachingjob
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Post by wouldloveateachingjob on Mar 19, 2022 18:44:51 GMT -5
I apply very broadly, but, for some reason, only seem to get these top interviews. It's puzzling to me. It could have something to do with my area of study. But who knows .....
Depending on your CV, you might not have the fabled 'fit' for teaching schools. I work at one of those places, and if I saw a top producer (solid number of pubs at good/great journals), I would be wary of interviewing them unless I also saw solid teaching experience (e.g. good evals, a couple of semesters of experience). Nobody wants to be used as a layover by someone who is capable of getting an R1 job. It wastes our resources and time. We'll pass on them and aim for someone who looks like they're more dedicated to our mission or to our region/student body. That also might fit with your research area: we need people who can teach job skills, or who can maintain productivity with few resources (so more theoretical or GSS analysts).
Getting hired is complicated, and when everyone is essentially qualified for a job, specific idiosyncrasies like I mentioned above come into play. The last time I was on the market, I received 4 fly outs, but one offer. I saw who they hired at the other schools, and they either had better fit with the student body or the region. Could I have done the job? Yeah. But for teaching schools, those intangibles are really important. Those schools that chose others over me made the right choice.
What can someone do if they want to teach at a teaching school, but have the resume of an R1 applicant? I did a research postdoc because I couldnt get any other jobs during COVID. Is trying to focus on my teaching during my cover letter enough or am I doomed?
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Post by teaching school on Mar 20, 2022 8:02:56 GMT -5
What can someone do if they want to teach at a teaching school, but have the resume of an R1 applicant? I did a research postdoc because I couldnt get any other jobs during COVID. Is trying to focus on my teaching during my cover letter enough or am I doomed?
I wouldn't say that you are doomed. In your cover letter, try to indicate that you are genuinely interested in teaching. Tie the research to your teaching skills: talk about how you involve undergraduates to teach them research skills, or how you plan to; how your research expertise can translate to specific understandings which you can convey in class. If you did a research postdoc, maybe mention that after doing the research postdoc you realized that you miss teaching and want to pursue that. Look up the student body and talk about how you might connect with them in the classroom. Are they first gen? Is the school a minority serving institution? Don't forget small things like re-ordering your cover letter: open with teaching and service, and then limit your research discussion to a paragraph, with an emphasis on how that helps your classroom experience. I'd order your CV with education, publications, teaching experience (courses taught, any awards), then presentations and service.
I have a R2 research profile and landed a LAC teaching position, and I used the strategies above. Depending on the teaching school, a research profile is nice (elite liberal arts schools, where you have to be both a productive researcher and a stellar teacher). Neil Gross went from an R1 to an elite school, I believe, so it can be done. And if you want to go to less elite, you just need to clearly communicate that you want to stay. Please note, this is all somewhat anecdotal based on my experiences. I think it'd be great if other teaching professors chimed in here.
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Gotta do it, love it
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Post by Gotta do it, love it on Mar 20, 2022 11:10:41 GMT -5
Two qualities that are really difficult to fake in an application: enthusiasm for teaching and experience doing it. Take advantage of all opportunities to teach — especially those contingent positions we all decry. There’s no substitute for honing your craft in the classroom.
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Post by thankyou on Mar 21, 2022 10:33:16 GMT -5
What can someone do if they want to teach at a teaching school, but have the resume of an R1 applicant? I did a research postdoc because I couldnt get any other jobs during COVID. Is trying to focus on my teaching during my cover letter enough or am I doomed?
I wouldn't say that you are doomed. In your cover letter, try to indicate that you are genuinely interested in teaching. Tie the research to your teaching skills: talk about how you involve undergraduates to teach them research skills, or how you plan to; how your research expertise can translate to specific understandings which you can convey in class. If you did a research postdoc, maybe mention that after doing the research postdoc you realized that you miss teaching and want to pursue that. Look up the student body and talk about how you might connect with them in the classroom. Are they first gen? Is the school a minority serving institution? Don't forget small things like re-ordering your cover letter: open with teaching and service, and then limit your research discussion to a paragraph, with an emphasis on how that helps your classroom experience. I'd order your CV with education, publications, teaching experience (courses taught, any awards), then presentations and service.
I have a R2 research profile and landed a LAC teaching position, and I used the strategies above. Depending on the teaching school, a research profile is nice (elite liberal arts schools, where you have to be both a productive researcher and a stellar teacher). Neil Gross went from an R1 to an elite school, I believe, so it can be done. And if you want to go to less elite, you just need to clearly communicate that you want to stay. Please note, this is all somewhat anecdotal based on my experiences. I think it'd be great if other teaching professors chimed in here.
Thank you! Very helpful. I have been trying to do some of these things already. I did do extra teaching stuff in my postdoc like teaching and working with undergrads. Hopefully it shows in my application next time.
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Post by FoodForThought on Mar 21, 2022 12:48:51 GMT -5
One way to make yourself more marketable in a short period of time (the rest of this school year and perhaps this summer) is participate in any teaching trainings provided by your institution (most have some kind of teaching and learning center aimed at professional development of faculty in the classroom) and anything else that might be available virtually (ASA often provides virtual webinars on various topics) or in-person (panels at professional conferences, and the North Central Sociological Association provides a certificate for attending three and doing a write-up, for example). You then list these things in a teaching training or professional development section on your CV.
For teaching-oriented institutions, I think your odds of being hired go up if you can show commitment to teaching excellence. You do that by showing continued engagement with the scholarship of teaching and learning and spaces to collaborate with other like-minded instructors. Continued evidence of professional development in teaching specifically shows you are continually reflecting on how to improve as an instructor. For example, attend something, learn something new (perhaps active learning-related), and mention in your cover letter how you plan to do this innovative new thing the next time you teach.
This can show you are someone dedicate to not just teaching but teaching excellence in your application materials - and your interviews - and can help make up for a lack of teaching experience at teaching-oriented institutions (public regional comprehensive colleges, private liberal arts colleges, and community colleges).
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Post by 3 on Sept 20, 2022 10:39:54 GMT -5
Seems like the market is slightly better this year. Still hyper competitive though with so many strong applicants that were staying longer in grad school or forced into a postdoc
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