Tuesday, May 11, 2010

I do still exist...

I took more than a temporary break from blogging about my trials and tribulations with teaching. Mainly, because as I mentioned last June (almost a year ago!), I was expecting my first child and not sure whether I was going to teach come the Fall semester.

So what has happened since?

1) I didn't teach in Fall... focused on my research and managed to get a TON done before the baby came. Amazing how much work one can accomplish when they are just working in the lab and not juggling research and teaching.

2) I applied to some faculty jobs due the fact that the husband was about to be relocated for his job. I didn't really think I had a shot at any of the jobs, however, I made the phone interview cut-off for one university. Which I proceeded to have while 9 months pregnant and thought it went AWFUL. More on that to come..

3) I had a baby. A little girl born in December. Yes, her birthday is close to Christmas... and no, I couldn't do anything about that.

4) The phone interview apparently didn't go as badly as I thought, as the university invited me to campus for an in-person interview. However they wanted me to come a month after Baby Girl was born and I was still on maternity leave. I debated it.... but then husband's job ended up not getting relocated and there was no need to move, so I said thanks but no thanks. (I was much more polite in the e-mail to them & tried not to burn any bridges)

5) Maternity leave is over and I'm back at work in the lab. Trying to juggle mommyhood and sciencehood.

6) I put in to team teach a graduate course at a nearby university and our "team" got selected. So come Fall, I will be teaching again, but to a completely different group of students. No longer will I be dealing with undergraduates who are required to take an intro bio course, but with graduate students who want to take an advanced biology course. This teaching should be a lot easier on me as it will only be 5 lectures, and its just once a week. I think this is the perfect way for me to continue to teach and not be pulled away from my family too much.

So thats the update on me...... how is everyone else out there?

-TempProf