In April 2016, I interviewed an associate professor in my field as an assignment for The Practice of Teaching in Higher Education (ALS 6015). This conversation shed light on the importance of creating effective learning environments, balancing values with time spent on various responsibilities, and training for future faculty. We discussed life as a faculty member at Cornell, how to balance several responsibilities, and advice for new faculty. Through this conversation, I gained the following insights:

On teaching

• Create an environment where students aren’t afraid of saying something wrong by asking if anyone has heard something about a subject, or whether it’s right or wrong
• Asking students questions and getting their thoughts and answers makes you seem more approachable
• Active learning approaches: importance of discussion after iClicker questions
• Pre-lecture reading and quizzes help you adjust the pace and content of your lectures
• May feel different amounts of pressure depending on the level of the course
• You can prepare a ton for the first time you teach a course, but you can’t truly know where it needs improvement until it’s been done (don’t overwork yourself the first time, the feedback will guide you and you will improve over the next few times you teach it)
• Amount of time needed to prepare will decrease as you teach a course for longer

On research

• Managing people was one of the greatest challenges as new faculty, have to find ways to inspire people to be effective and meet their goals
• Grant writing takes a huge amount of time, guidance writing actual grants as a graduate student or post-doc will reduce time needed to learn on the job

On service

• Service duties may be low starting out if more senior faculty “shield” you from them, but responsibilities will ramp up as you are promoted (pay it back)
• Service doesn’t always include outreach, but it could be valued, depends on the institution
• As an assistant professor, focus on service to national societies (organizing meetings, program or sessions committees) to help promote yourself professionally (looks good for your home institution too)

On balancing teaching, research, service, and life

• There’s only so much time you have to dedicate to all of your responsibilities, have to learn what to prioritize and how to say no
• Having a family will constrain your schedule, but could help clarify your values and define how you balance your time
• Home location relative to your institution: could save time commuting, fewer hassles in Ithaca vs. somewhere like NYC

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