Getting into teaching

I haven't been out of college for very long, but I know I'd like to get into teaching journalism as an adjunct.

I work at a top-50 newspaper in a city where there is one university and multiple four-year colleges along with community colleges.

I'm wondering if my age and experience -- I'm in my mid-20s and have only been with this current paper for about a year -- will preclude me from consideration.

At the same time, some of my colleagues with similar positions have taught.

Have you ever done adjunct teaching? What's the best approach to getting into it?

 

You'll likely need a masters.

 

To teach at practically any college requires a master's ... which I am getting in December, so I guess I qualify .

It requires a lot more schooling, but I've had a blast teaching high school journalism.

 

At my (fairly highly rated) journalism school, we had adjunct professors without masters. They were part-timers and not paid much. I suppose most of them had many years in the industry, though.

 

I've seen journalists in their mid-20s, maybe three years out of school, land adjunct positions.

Helps to have a splashy skill like page design or Flash animation.

 

I think it totally depends on the individual and the program. I've seen places where the only qualification to teach was to have a pulse. Other places, not so much.

If you know professors in the programs, obviously start there. If not, you might as well write and/or call the program chairs, relay your qualifications and tell 'em you'd like to be involved in the program. I wouldn't ask for an adjunct job straight out; you might start by being a professor for a day in a class or two. If the school likes you, you can go from there. I'm not sure how else you get in the door if you don't have contacts. Since you're relatively recently graduated, maybe somebody from your school knows somebody in these programs.

Be aware that some adjunct jobs pay very little. And teaching is not for everybody, no matter how much you've romanticized the notion. In the little teaching I have done, I was shocked and saddened by how incompetent and uninterested students are, in general. And if you've never created a syllabus or lecture, that can be a learning experience.

 

When I was running a college sports page I tried to get a distribution rack placed at the arena on campus and was rebuffed. We did have them at the gym where some sports played and the student and athlete training center, pool and coaches offices etc were located but for whatever reason the hockey rink was a no. Never tried having people give them out at games so not sure how that would've gone over.

 

ask tony danza

 

Thanks for the advice. Fortunately, I don't romanticize anything. I know it won't be like "Lean on Me."