[csaa-forum] Rebecca and the beach

[Melissa Iocco]

Hi all,

I have been following this discussion with interest. I think Graeme's 
comments about the importance of the teacher-student relationships are spot 
on, well, they are for me anyway. Interaction with students, giving a good 
lecture or getting students excited about whatever I'm teaching that week 
is often that which sustains my very interest in pursuing a career in 
academia. Perhaps this is naive of me, especially considering I'm on a .5 
contract and am having a painful time finishing my PhD, and perhaps 
teaching provides me with a welcome distraction from my thesis. That said, 
having a passion for teaching, and enjoying my interaction with students 
provides me with some relief from the 'what am i doing here?' mental 
merry-go-round which only seems to spiral downwards anyway...

my 2 cents,

Melissa (mel # 3?)



>The consolation is that you still have your students to yourself. I think 
>it is easy in these days of research performance indicators to 
>underestimate how important that relation is, and to overlook how valuable 
>your teaching is to them at this stage in your career. Also, they are also 
>the first real audience for your ideas -- not as big as an op-ed perhaps, 
>but certainly the place to try them out. For what it's worth, my view is 
>that it is better to leave the institution pretty much alone for the first 
>few years and focus on getting yourself on top of your teaching -- because 
>that will be the way to feel that you are doing something worthwhile. In 
>the meantime, you will be gathering knowledge and power. Then you might 
>not have to resort to going out to sit on a Welsh beach quite so often.
>