One of the reasons I chose the graduate program I am in is because it gave me the opportunity to teach. In my program, this is really just being a teaching assistant, but still. I loooove teaching. I taught English abroad for a year after college with no training and was afraid that I would be completely ineffective. How could a bachelor of science in biology qualify me to teach English as a second language? According to one of my students, my class scored higher in the writing section of their national exam than any previous years at that college. This was, of course, thanks to all of those many 5-paragraph essays I had to write in high school and making all 60 students write 1-2 essays a week, handing them back with extensive comments, and having them do it all over again until the exam. Teaching is a lot of work and very rewarding and I love helping people and seeing them learn.
The bad thing about the "opportunity" to teach in my graduate program is that our stipend is either paid as a teaching assistant or a research assistant. You are a TA unless your advisor has money to cover your stipend and make you an RA. I have been TAing for all seven semesters I have been in grad school, and will be again this spring. I don't think my research went down the path my advisor originally thought it would (read: I have no indication she is really all that interested in my project), and has no grant funding currently. I am left to TA.
The good thing is that this motivates me (a little more) to try to get my own funding. Really, I've only applied to one fellowship for three years now that would cover my stipend and allow me to just do research. Even though reviewers liked my proposed research, there is not enough money for everyone. Not only have I experienced the current national science funding situation, but I have had practice writing grants. I am planning on applying this month to a couple of grants that would cover research supplies as well.
The bad thing is that this tooooootally discourages me from pursuing a job in academia, a chance to combine research and teaching, something I always thought I wanted. If you can apply for a grant over and over and over again, get only positive feedback, yet still not receive funding, what's the point? Scientists are gradually receiving funding from the private sector, and just like government funding, this has it's pluses and minuses.
All of this motivates me a little more to try as hard as possible to finish in 5 calendar years so that I can prove it is possible to do while TAing. To do that, I need to keep trying to beef up my CV with grants or other activities and still produce important research so they will let me finish. I have one paper and my advisor claims one more fairly substantial paper would allow me to finish. I still think I will heavily weight careers outside of teaching and doing research at the university level. Teaching high school science is right up there now. I would get to teach early enough in a young adult's life to really make a difference. Encourage them to pursue science.
So, I need to go work on those grant applications a bit before 'How I Met Your Mother' comes on. :) Everyone in my office is back and that makes it difficult for me to focus on writing while I'm on campus, but at home I get soooo much more done. Maybe if someone decides to give me some research/stipend money, I'll stay in academia and finish my grad program in 5 years. Otherwise, who knows.
6 comments:
Oh, grad school. QQ
Wow. That sounds frustrating--that you can present excellent research proposals and be foiled by a lack of available money. How much do your chances of obtaining funding improve as you develop a reputation and your career proceeds?
My first reaction to you considering teaching HS was, "Oh, no!" But, I'm reconsidering... it's a sad reality that many Americans (apparently myself included--shocker there!) don't respect teachers as much as we should. In reality, we need excellent teachers (such as yourself) in our high schools, too, if we can ever expect to continue to compete in the world economy.
If you followed that route, though, do you think you would miss research?
You know, Universities and colleges also have instructors who are not doing research, but are strictly there to teach. Particularly at community colleges.
I'm considering this route. However, I have much less teaching experience and will have to try to get someone to 'take a chance' on me.
I also really love training people to do research, but it is even harder to find those kinds of positions.
Blech, I feel your pain. Good luck with the grants.
Have you ever read PhD Comics? They are seriously so funny (but also painfully true) to anyone in a graduate program. (phdcomics.com)
A friend of mine is doing her PhD (English) and she is having similar stresses with grants etc.
I hope that things turn out the way you want. I had such cool science teachers from junior high all the way through high school. Those are some of my fondest school memories.
Caro, QQ to you to. You're just saying that because you're almost done. It's like, "When I was a kid I had to walk to school in the snow barefoot, uphill both ways!" :)
Molly, see, if I teach HS then I can be all influential on teenager's lives. That said, I'd probably make less as a HS teacher than I do as a grad student.
Danielle, I've thought about being a lecturer. There are a couple of those positions in my department and I will probably talk to one of them women about it.
Ern, I loooooover PhD Comics!
Sparkling Red, perfect example of why it would be worth teaching science at that level! I could be someone's fond memories. :)
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