Ms. Mentor! I Need Your Advice! (Book Review)

Over the break, I had the pleasure of reading, "Ms. Mentor's New and Ever More Impeccable Advice for Women and Men in Academia" by Emily Toth. I think Ms. Toth is the same woman that responds to the "Ms. Mentor" column in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

This book referred to the pleasures and perils that faculty encounter on most college campuses (especially on the tenure track). The chapters in this book range from "Stewing in Graduate School" and "Love and Sex in Academia" to "You're Hired! Early Years in a Strange New World" and "What is Life After Tenure?"

These chapters were relatively eye opening, but I really enjoyed a section titled, "What Do College Teachers Do?" in "The Fine and Quirky Art of Teaching" chapter. In this section Toth (2009) offers a mind boggling statement:

Ms. Mentor urges her flock - teachers and would-be teachers - to take stock of themselves once they begin teaching. It can be the most rewarding and enriching job on earth, and the most challenging...No other professions, except maybe courtroom law and standup comedy, pay us for constantly thinking, and for keeping our intellects sparklingly alive (p. 125).

In the same chapter, Toth gives advice to all faculty who wish to make a difference in their students' lives:

Learning students' names, create discussion circles, make chat rooms, assign hands-on group projects, require in-class presentations, encourage role playing. Today's students learn by doing - making a Civil War - era quilt from a pattern found on the internet, writing a sonnet...You may fear that you're denying your students access to The Expert (you). But if they are teenagers, most would rather interact with each other than listen to you (p. 141).

I strongly believe the last sentence of the prior paragraph. I was a millennial student and now I am a professor from the millennial generation. I have been in the same seats that the students are currently seated in. As a result, I know the boredom that some of them experience in the classrooms every day.

In addition, the book features a great bibliography. Some books that I plan to request through interlibrary loan are:

"I'm the Teacher, You're the Student: A Semester in the University Classroom" by Patrick Allitt

"Will Teach for Food" by Cary Nelson

"In Pursuit of Knowledge: Scholars, Status, and Academic Culture" by Deborah L. Rhode

I hope you enjoyed the short book review!

Millennial Professor

The Monday AFTER Spring Break

Amazingly, I am very excited about this week. My students had a break (thank goodness) and they are refreshed and ready to go. Surprisingly, the students on the back row of the class were extremely responsive today. Thank goodness for spring break!

Here's an update from Friday's list.

a. grade a qualitative blackboard test

b. update my google calendar (for work and home)

c. start my literature synthesis for research with Lora (keep me accountable)

d. create a HBCU/HWCU research boot camp strategy for my grant

e. find a journal for the HBCU/HWCU article

f. reply to my google and university e-mail accounts

g. critique speech topic proposals

This week, I have to:

a. Post the COMS 101 Online Weekly Assignments/Chapter 5 Notes

b. Grade a late speech

c. Start my literature synthesis for research with Lora (keep me accountable)

d. Create a HBCU/HWCU research boot camp strategy for my grant

e. Find a journal for the HBCU/HWCU article

f. Finish my presentation for the Gulf South Summit on Service Learning and Civic Engagement

g. Return some books to the campus library.

Seven items so far! I am excited! In addition, I turned in my grant proposal paperwork. Thank goodness! Now, time for the research!

Millennial Professor

The Blissful Back to School Process

I am too excited! My university goes back to school next week! No, I am not insane. Since last Friday, I have organized and cleaned EVERY inch of my house. In fact, I made a list:

Msg. sent to a friend during spring break...
I bought groceries, rearranged my office, swept the floor, cleaned the fridge, baked banana nut muffins, cooked dinner every night, purged lots of paper (ready for recycling), starting online bill pay for ALL of the household bills, started updating our monthly menus on a 2 week rotation (let me know if you want to see it).... I think that's it. In addition, I plan to finish reading three books before this "filled" week is finished. over with and I need to grade papers.

During the next 72 hours, I need to start my school preparation process. I need to:

a. grade a qualitative blackboard test
b. update my google calendar (for work and home)
c. start my literature synthesis for research with Lora (keep me accountable)
d. create a HBCU/HWCU research boot camp strategy for my grant
e. find a journal for the HBCU/HWCU article
f. reply to my google and university e-mail accounts
g. critique speech topic proposals

Okay, I need to get started!

Millennial Professor

Does a Professor's Attire Have an Impact on Student Learning?

The University of Cincinnati's Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning has a blog titled, "ProfPost". This website featured a VERY interesting video on the impact of professor's clothing on student learning. (As I stated before, I ALWAYS wear a suit to class.) I wonder a professor's attire has an impact on student respect or learning.

Here's the video from the ProfPost website.

Time Tactics of Very Successful [Professors] - Book Recommendation

Yes! After reading Time Tactics of Very Successful People by B. Eugene Griessman (a college professor) for three weeks, I finally finished it! This was a very intriguing book on tried and true, time management tactics. It seems our jobs are requiring more in less time. This requires many professors and student affairs professions to work during the evenings and on weekends.

This book has many great ideas on how professionals can effectively manage their time. Since graduate school, I have read many books on time management, but other books fail in comparison to this book.

Armed with the time management tactics written in this book, I feel that I will be able to publish at least two articles and deliver at least four professional presentations per year.

By the way, I just requested The Achievement Factors by Griessman through our library's interlibrary loan system.

Millennial Professor

*Has anyone else read this book?

If Students Meet the Requirements, Should They Receive As for their Effort?

According to Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes, an article in the New York Times, most millennial undergraduate students feel they should receive As for meeting the minimum requirements for their classes.

Since the beginning of my teaching career, I have held steadfast to an "above and beyond" principle on assignments and tests. On the first day of classes, I tell the students about this principle.

The Above and Beyond Principle
If you do what is required, you will receive a "B". If you go "above and beyond" the requirements, you receive an "A". For example, if a test question asks "Please list and explain at least two of the four windows in the Johari window", I am really looking for three or all four windows in the Johari window. In addition, before the test, the students receive a grading rubric for the qualitative questions.

Post-Graduation Boot Camp for Millennial Students
I make sure the students understand that I am preparing them for the post-graduation world. A majority of the entry-level jobs that are available to students after graduation will require them to have an annual evaluation with their supervisor. One of the categories on this annual evaluation will be "exceeds expectations". I try to prepare the students for this category by implementing the "above and beyond" principle. Most of the students understand and adhere to this principle, but others choose to merely meet the requirements.

Millennial Student Meeting the Minimum Requirements
What will happen to these students who choose to meet the requirements when they enter the workplace? Many employers are laying off employees and it seems much easier to release employees who merely meet the requirements.

Processing Questions
Will these students (future graduates) continue to choose the easier way out? If so, what are the implications for the future employers of our millennial graduates?