But my current 3 year position is a crush of 80 freshman every term. Nothing but the same intro class over and over, some long days, and an amount of grading I didn't even do as a young man.
I've finished year one but have told the chair I can't come back and do another one. Because of this grumpiness and my age, the powers that be have tried to lure me back with a reduction of teaching from 4 to 2 sections per semester in exchange for a bunch of nebulous administrative work - assisting a terrific and interesting director. It's lousy money, 70% of what I used to make in my 30s at a far better school, but it's the only job I have in front of me.I've decided I can't do another year of the straight 4/4 load of freshmen. But I fear - honestly - that my intractability will make it hard to work in administration FOR someone else. In all of my previous administrative work, I was in charge. I assessed the program, set a plan, organized the resources, found the money, and followed through.
This would not be that. This might include pushing a cart of bagels across campus, making some photocopies, and occasionally doing a little twirl in the ring on a topic with which I have experience.
There is no grand nest egg, though my spouse still works and could support us - I might have to switch to the lesser quality gluten free cookies. I don't have any appreciable other skills - my golf game has gone to shit after a surprising and long winter.
I sometimes feel like I'm staring at the retirement finishing line - oh so close - but with not enough steam to get to it. I'd like to do 4-6 more years of good work. But this opportunity - my only at this point - doesn't feel like it.
--Compound Cal
Hmm. If you're working for a terrific and interesting director, that may make it a bit more palatable, no? Of course, what'd probably end up happening is that you'd agree to the new role and reduced teaching load and the director would leave, being replaced by a complete buffoon.
ReplyDeleteBeing intractable could serve as a reality check for the powers that be, but they probably wouldn't see it that way. The work may not be good, but is it good enough? Only you can answer that.
No matter what, all the best to you as you decide!
Well said. My fear is the director will leave and I will have to do it all! It would be ideal if I was ten years younger. I want to get a few more good years in and this really in some ways gives me a teaching break and taps one of my strongest bits of knowledge. End of a long year is a bad time to make these decisions. Thanks for the insight.
ReplyDeleteSay, Cal, why don't you grab the opportunity to be in admin, and use it to enact some serious REFORM? (MUA-HA-HA!!!) To test the hypothesis that no one ever reads this edu-babble anyway, starting on page 3, pepper it with Easter eggs. If time pressures mount, just make stuff up: who will know? Also, anytime I make a list of prospective retirement hobbies, I think "Why wait?" and get started on at least one.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea! I always enjoy parts of administrative work, like when you can make some modest adjustments for faculty and students in your departments or programs. But I hate the melee with other administrators who seem to like to know what you’re up to and how they can ruin it! As for hobbies, I already golf several times a week, so perhaps I am in retirement mode already!
DeleteWell, smeg on them if they can't take a joke! Not at the golf course, they'd make you replace your divots.
DeleteI gave up. Conflicted badly as I have often been over the years. The trade-off of money and work didn't make sense to my family in the end. I don't know what will happen now.
ReplyDelete