Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Good News! Packaged in Bad news

Today I got notice that I was nominated for our department's TA teaching award. Hooray! I wish that was where the email stopped. Instead it read forth the details of the portfolio of teaching thingies, and pedagological insights that needs to be submitted for review. I told Dr. Boss, secretly hoping. he would say, that is great!, but you don't have to if you don't feel up to it. Instead, he gave me copious details of the large format this thing should take on. Oh boy. I feel like I don't have much worth assembling, and little hope of actually winning this award (or ever wanting it anyway- man, I am grumpy tonight). The biggest challenge I forsee is the Teaching Philosophy. I am not entirely convinced that I have one of my own, and if I do- let's face, it won't be entirely compatable with the traditional structure of courses taught at this school. Ugh.

I supposed I should take this oppurtunity to get back in touch with Dr. Teacher, maybe he'll have some clues for me.

2 comments:

Gordie said...

Well, congratulations anyway! I can perceive that a teaching honor might be a decent bullet point on a resume that would be looking for a faculty position when earn-a-living time stikes again! Think of it as a free shot at writing your own reccommendation letter (which I think you've done before, now that I think about it...)

I'm sure Mom has better ideas than I do about what to actually say. Love, Dad

Sandlin said...

Yeah... that would be good- except I have already made up my mind that I have no interest in a faculty position. I don't mind teaching persay, but I think the academic lifestyle is for me. Right now I have my eye on fellowships for scientists in public policy, so this may help fufill the "demonstrated ability to discuss science with a non-scientific audience" aspect of the application.