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Professor Mamas in 2009

28K views 559 replies 43 participants last post by  Carita 
#1 ·
Welcome Professor Mamas! Here's your place for advice, commiseration, and celebration of life as a mom and professor.

2008 Thread
 
#77 ·
Sorry to be cryptic. There been some pretty crappy stuff going on here for about a year (though in retrospect, probably longer than that). I'd managed to avoid all parts of it until last week. I'm taking appropriate measures, those around me (chair, fellow faculty, hr) are very supportive and understanding, but everyone's hands are tied.

I'd written out a lot here because I needed to vent, but then decided this was too public. I copied and pasted it into an email to kerc instead.
:
 
#78 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by rock_dr View Post
wendy ??
Wendy just dropped me an email....keep her in your thoughts today. Icky situation going on there.

advise please:
I told ya'll about my job situation. It's working out ok and I think they like me. The students do (my best evals ever were last fall in the midst of 1.5 full time jobs + phd defense).

There's now an opening in East Asian history there. It's a 9 month (no mention of renewable) academic staff position. The person who currently holds it taught last fall: East Asian (2 sections), US Survey, and a history of US-East Asian relations (advanced course). My husband, underemployed is a recent U.S. Military Historian. He'd struggle to teach east asian (but we all know it can be done at the 100 level), but his big area is Vietnam. Technically: US Historian + Military are his main fields, Middle East History is his second (they required a minor and that was it). Does he apply? Does he call the tenured prof (in a dept of 4) who was in E's grad program just before him? Do I try to find someone I know? Do we just sit on it and worry about it when/if I get a longer term position? Currently dh is adjunct at 3 colleges. It would be *so* nice to move down to just one. Plus he'd really like to teach at a smaller college.
 
#80 ·
Rockdr: do you know anything about the workshop on teaching about energy that I just got an email about (SERC related). I'm considering trying to make it work. Looking for sources of airfare right now....
 
#81 ·
SERC workshops are great and worth the time.

On the job, there is zero harm in applying. Asking questions about the position also is fine. He might want to cast it as: "I'm really interested in this opportunity, and I have a lot of background due to the Vietnam link. Can you tell me more about the position?" There will be quite a bit of subtext in the response he gets to gauge if that's too much of a stretch.

Drinking coffee and eating a yummy muffin due to Kristin's email response. Thanks, k.
 
#82 ·
Getting ready to apply for a full time faculty position at one of my alma maters. They want a letter of intent - what all needs to go in? It is teaching Neuroanatomy with labs, 4 days a week with decent hours and benefits. I would love to get out of adjunct land and into full time with benefits. The last prof to teach this class has been teaching it for 30+ years (and he was amazing and current).
 
#83 ·
I have no issue with laptops during lecture. What I have an issue with is text messaging during lecture! It is incredibly rude. Personally, I prefer to take notes on my laptop, that way I can organize as I go. I am sure that many students feel the same way.
 
#84 ·
kristin - yes i think that workshop is going to be great. I already do alot of petroleum geology teaching but would like to expand my repertoire to some of the business/econ and environmental issues. At the moment I am hesitant to apply b/c it's scheduled for a busy time (field work) for me. but maybe.
also they sometimes have travel funds you can apply for...
 
#85 ·
I've attended two SERC workshops: Teaching Structural Geology and Teaching Introductory Geology and both were worth my time. They do have some travel funds if you do not have any other source of funding.

((((HUGS)))) Wendy

Hi CJ, going to China this year? or Mongolia?
 
#86 ·
SERC workshops are great!

Wendy -
(kerc stopped by) I'm sorry you have to deal with this!

Kristin - Definitely have him make an inquiry. That will help him find out more about the position and he can also take the opportunity to introduce himself to someone in the dept and let him know he's in town and interested. He could always offer to give a seminar, too. It always helps to know the other historians around town (well, I suppose it would help if you are a historian).

Dmitrizmom - Let the committee know which job you are applying for and why you are a great candidate for that position. Make sure you tailor your letter to that school and that position and show you are really excited about the possibility of working there. (And never address your cover letter "Dear Sirs:" - that one dropped off my list real quick)
 
#87 ·
kerc--I'd definitely have him apply, along with all the advice you've already gotten.

geofizz--sounds awful. (Well, I don't know what precisely sounds awful, but it sounds like it would sound awful.
) I hope the situation resolves pretty quickly, and in your favor.
 
#88 ·
no Asia for me this year D. (though I am planning a europe trip
)Have shifted focus somewhat to closer-to-home and we're thinking about ttc #2 this summer. How about you? I am still SO impressed that you have kept going out there. Also I can't believe Maya is 3 months already! How's she doing?
 
#90 ·
another day but maya is still fussy. I'm so glad she is 3 months old and maybe will start feeling better once she is a year old. I'm a freak-a-zoid right now and am really paranoid about SIDS. I just know too many mamas now with babylosses. But, she is a pretty good sleeper and not as high-needs as my first baby. Still fairly high-needs but I'm not complaining. She starting giving me those huge smiles about 2 or 3 weeks ago. She knows just when I need them. Thanks for asking CJ. Is all well out in beautiful rock exposure land?
 
#91 ·
Hi! I have posted before, I think, but I am a rehabilitation engineering professor. My department is starting a program in prosthetics and gave me the opportunity to be trained so that I will be able to teach in the new program. I was really excited about the opportunity, both because it will be cool to be able to make people artificial arms and because it will reduce my currently-almost-total dependence on grant funding. So I agreed. The program is 22 weeks online, then 10 weeks in Chicago (which is far from where I live).

I had planned to take my son with me - he will have just turned 4 when I go to Chicago. But now I am doubting this - what if he hates the daycare in Chicago? What if I end up having to study/work all the time and there is no one else in Chicago to help me with him (my husband will have to stay home)? He loves his daycare here and has so many little friends that I wonder if it would be better for him to stay here, even though I will miss him terribly. Anybody have any experience with anything similar? Any advice? I posted to this thread because I figure you mommas will understand the situation best. I have agreed and am most of the way thru the online portion. And my department paid the tuition - there is no "don't go to Chicago" option. I was really excited about this opportunity, but now I am worried (and overwhelmed by trying to do the online training while holding down all my other responsibilities).
 
#92 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by MomAndOliver View Post
Hi! I have posted before, I think, but I am a rehabilitation engineering professor. My department is starting a program in prosthetics and gave me the opportunity to be trained so that I will be able to teach in the new program. I was really excited about the opportunity, both because it will be cool to be able to make people artificial arms and because it will reduce my currently-almost-total dependence on grant funding. So I agreed. The program is 22 weeks online, then 10 weeks in Chicago (which is far from where I live).

I had planned to take my son with me - he will have just turned 4 when I go to Chicago. But now I am doubting this - what if he hates the daycare in Chicago? What if I end up having to study/work all the time and there is no one else in Chicago to help me with him (my husband will have to stay home)? He loves his daycare here and has so many little friends that I wonder if it would be better for him to stay here, even though I will miss him terribly. Anybody have any experience with anything similar? Any advice? I posted to this thread because I figure you mommas will understand the situation best. I have agreed and am most of the way thru the online portion. And my department paid the tuition - there is no "don't go to Chicago" option. I was really excited about this opportunity, but now I am worried (and overwhelmed by trying to do the online training while holding down all my other responsibilities).
Congrats on the new opportunity! I'm struggling with an upcoming long trip, too. I have one month of field work overseas scheduled this summer. I'm looking forward to it... and dreading it. I'm not taking the kids. I could probably find a nanny for them, but I work my tail off when I'm doing field work, and I really think they would have more fun at home. Sometimes I think my desire to have them with me is purely selfish, since I'm pretty sure they will be better off at home with Dad. But I'll still miss them terribly!

I have had extended trips in the past. I spent 8 weeks running some experiments out of town when my ds1 was 6-8 mo old. I took him with me, but dh had to stay home. That was incredibly hard, but the only obvious thing to do at the time since he was so little. I've also spent 2 weeks away from my ds1 teaching a class (at the time, ds2 was little so he came with me). In that case, I decided ds1 would be better off at home with Dad and his friends. I think your gut is telling you something - at some point kids may be better off staying home with their friends, daycare, home, comfortable surroundings, etc. even though you will miss them terribly.

My experience bringing ds (and not dh) on the 2-month work trip was hard because I had zero back-up. I found care for him, but he got sick, then I got sick, then he got sick, etc. and we had no safety net. One way or the other, one of you will be solo parenting for awhile, so do think about the size of your safety net as you decide what to do.

It's possible that you bring your son and you two will have a wonderful time together. It's also possible it could be really hard. I think you should feel comfortable making your decision either way. It's ok to bring him with you. It's ok to leave him home.

Is there any way dh and ds could come visit for a week half-way through your program? That would help break up the trip some. Otherwise, skype is pretty nice


And I'm still looking for suggestions and ideas, too.
 
#93 ·
My dh left dd1 (then 2.25) with me for about 6 or 8 weeks. It was super duper hard. Dh was finishing up his dissertation about 1500 miles away. We could have gone with (and in retrospect might have gone with if we'd known what my job status would be). But we didn't know what my work was going to be until the day he left.

Things that worked ok for us:
  • speakerphone -- even if my dd wasn't talking on the phone yet she could still hear dad talk to her.
  • calling at the same time every day. In our instance it was breakfast time. It became a part of our day, something to look forward to.
  • I took dd to visit grandma and grandpa about 2/3 of the way through the trip. It gave me a break, it gave her something to look forward to.
  • dh left notes/stickers/pencils/etc. for her for a weekly message from dad. It wasn't exactly weekly but dd was 2 so she didn't know. They were all written on the same paper, penned out the night before he left.
 
#94 ·
These are very helpful things to think about, I appreciate your help. I also asked his preschool teacher from last year this morning, since she saw what adjustment to daycare was like for him then. He was younger then, but I respect her as a teacher, and she knows him well. Her advice was also that he might be happier at home. It took him a little while to adjust to preschool (augmented a bit by the fact that preschool is in Spanish, which is not his native language), though he is very happy there now. He talks a lot about his friends at home, and I know he would miss them a lot. I think I am leaning toward letting him stay with his dad and trying to come home almost every weekend (it is a short, direct flight to chicago). Maybe my mom can get a week off and bring him out for a visit too. They could take the overnight train and make it a little adventure. The care packages are a great idea too! I also got an idea from a commercial - Oliver wants to send his small stuffed zebra with me (so I won't get lonely when I can't snuggle him at night), and I could take pictures of it different places in Chicago. I don't even remember what the commercial is for, but I like the idea. Calling at the same time every day is also a good idea and would make it easier for my husband as well (so I didn't call while they were in the car, etc.). I'm definitely open to any other ideas anyone has!
 
#98 ·
I'm supposed to be writing a conference paper that I need to give in two weeks. I'm lacking motivation.

Also, the state is playing funding games. I think it's a game of chicken in hopes of getting someone else to give up some money (long complicated story), but the gist of it is that if the state loses the game, certain colleges like the one my regular adjunct gig is at will lose 57% of their funding (community colleges will lose 62%) and there will be little-to-no adjunct jobs out there probably for a couple of years. I'm hopeful they are able to hammer out something a little more reasonable this week. *fingers crossed*
 
#99 ·
Good luck namaste mom!!

Real - I feel ya! We got trapped in the same kind of political crossfire, and not only did it mean that everyone got 12 days mandatory furlough but that faculty associates and adjuncts got booted, so the class I taught this semester was for free! It doesn't bother me because I volunteered to teach it for the experience and to help leverage a future job, which it did, but still would have been nice to get the promised FA pay


End of semester so close, can't wait


But it also means packing up and moving cross country (in July) to new job.

Any advice on what I should be doing now to make startup at new/"first" job smoother? I'm thinking about class prep and starting to outline an NSF proposal (our program deadline is sept/April, I'd like to get something in right away), ..... not sure what else to do
:
 
#100 ·
Callie, that sucks! I can't believe you didn't get paid for that.

For what to do -- get any "side projects" that won't be part of you primary program done and off your plate. It will be really hard to focus on it for a while once you move. Also get a bunch of stuff very close to submission and submit right when you get there or just before you go, so you have a flurry of publications with the new address on it (for the paper counters for tenure and annual reviews).

And take a vacation. Seriously. Take some time off before you move.

For those of you that see MS thesis drafts -- please hit me with your tales of Worst First Draft Ever. I need to feel better about what I'm reading right now. This is from the student that is way too independent, and I can't convince her that she needs to meet with me to move her work forward appropriately. She just disappeared for 2 quarters and then handed me a thesis. Stuff is just plain wrong with gaping holes (like she did a fraction of the proposal...)
 
#101 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Geofizz View Post
For those of you that see MS thesis drafts -- please hit me with your tales of Worst First Draft Ever. I need to feel better about what I'm reading right now. This is from the student that is way too independent, and I can't convince her that she needs to meet with me to move her work forward appropriately. She just disappeared for 2 quarters and then handed me a thesis. Stuff is just plain wrong with gaping holes (like she did a fraction of the proposal...)
well... I have explained the scientific modeling method about a dozen times in the last month to the same MS student. "We change 1 major variable at a time in a model in order to understand the role of different parameters." thesis version number 1 gazillion and he still doesn't have it right.
would recommend documenting all correspondence and drafts with comments, and involving other members of the committee - the fact that she doesn't want to meet is a warning sign.

oh and D GOOD LUCK and you are my hero. will you take me to india for fieldwork sometime?

ps any geo mamas going to aapg?
 
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