Tough it Out? Or Time Out?
Choices as a faculty member going through bad times
Academic “Merit” — that bit of extra pay and recognition of what one has done and accomplished — comes at the close of summer, and adds a little fire under us for the coming fall and our choices about how we are going to go about our academic year.
My decision
Last year I made a conscious decision that I would check some mental boxes, and reach out beyond my own program, and try harder to contribute. I have been a contract teacher off and on since 1998.
I had to check “mental boxes” because we are never given any real boxes or guidelines. Indeed, at my institution there are no concrete, black and white directives for this.
The work I did — checking those boxes
At the end of the day — or year — I assembled my thoughts and notes and wrote my “highlight narrative” — which is what we are now calling it — citing my monthly work with the Faculty of Arts Council, extra pedagogical work, some research I’d assisted a student with, the usual tweaking of course material, the successful pivoting to online teaching. With that change, I had received so many emails of gratitude from students citing my courses as a point of relief in all the COVID-19 madness of the…
