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June 17, 2008
How they get away with it
Inside Higher Ed has a first person thing from a person who, after 20 years as an adjunct, has just been offered a tenure track position.
Some have asked why I continued to teach as a part-timer if things were so tough, and to be honest, every spring I begin asking myself that same question. In fact, I have left teaching twice. The first time I was offered a position as a business manager for a corporation that owns travel stops throughout the Southwest. The money was good, the hours were close to what I would put in as a part-time instructor (counting prep time and time grading papers), and I had benefits.I hated it.
There is something about teaching that keeps pulling me in. I love writing, and I love sharing my passion for it with my students. I love feeling that I might be making a positive difference in people’s lives. I love feeling like I’m contributing something to my community.
I guess that's how administrators get away with it - they can find people who really, really like the classroom. Despite the grading. Despite the insecurity.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at June 17, 2008 8:26 AM