On Juggling Within Faculty Roles

Faculty members in a college are skilled jugglers.  There are a lot of different types of juggling that everyone participates in.  There is a work-life balance for finding a happy medium between your life on and off-campus. There is a work-life balance for finding a happy medium between your fun activities and the expected responsibilities of being an adult. (yeah adulting!)

And there is the juggling that is the sole domain of being a faculty member.  That is the juggling of teaching, research, and service. Finding the optimum state of balance isn’t for the faculty member alone; the college itself establishes the terms of the juggling act. 

“Juggle with 5 balls” by Alexandre Dulaunoy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Ball 1: The role of “teacher” has changed over the years, even in the relatively short span of the last 20 years. I arbitrarily chose 20 because that is the span of my own experience.  Faculty members, while still content experts as required by our degrees and certifications, are no longer the “sage on the stage”. We as faculty revitalize ourselves with a better understanding of pedagogy and andragogy,  constantly self-reflection on appropriate teaching strategies focused on our student’s learning. We facilitate student’s learning as we enable students to develop the skills and abilities that help them master content and skillsets needed for their future.  We encourage them to develop beyond the rote materials, inspiring creative and critical thinking as we help students move beyond the ‘cog in the machine’ thinking to expanding conceptual knowledge and honing their inquiry skills. We empower students for learning that extends well beyond the classroom and well beyond the course content. At GCC, I have noticed that this focused dedication in teaching by so many faculty is creating a well-rounded campus learning environment with contributions from every department.  I have enjoyed being a part of the experience as faculty go through workshops and programs that help them “Reimagine Teaching and Learning”, myself included, and find it inspiring how student-focused the teaching role is in this community. I have placed “Ball 1” at the front because teaching is central to all that we do.

Ball 2: The role of research in a faculty experience is dependent on the college, the academic field, and even the department.  Faculty members are often expected to contribute to the shared knowledge base, usually to an audience of disciplinary colleagues world-wide.  Research-oriented faculty bring a sense of prestige as they bring in internal and external funding to explore empirical studies and theoretical examinations. One of the more interesting elements that I have found recently is how much of the research faculty at GCC are doing in an applied manner.  Rather than hitting straight journal publications, rather than centering on the theoretical implications, the research that I have been seeing is not only applied but centered on teaching and learning. The findings are discussed at conferences and in presentations where more peer feedback is actively sought after and ideas are expanded upon in a more dynamic and active approach to research endeavors.  This is an amazing “ball” to watch in the community college setting. This isn’t the domain of the “dry and stuffy”, though that certainly has its place. It is an involved process that moves, grows, develops, and actively encompasses the education process in a way I don’t think is even possible in a traditional setting. It is fast, with dynamic being the only truly applicable word I can think of. While there are continued contributions to the knowledge base, what I am seeing is so much more.  

Here is a challenge to you, dear reader.  How many of these active research elements do you see in your department? Is research being used to expand the knowledge base or do you, like me, see a more active and involved process that contributes to shared knowledge as well as influencing daily decisions in teaching and learning?  How do you research?

 Ball 3: The role of service is complicated. Service happens on committees and boards, it happens in advising, it happens with tutoring, it happens with clubs, it can move beyond the campus location with outreach community programs, connections with local business and community stakeholders, and responsiveness to local needs. Some institutions care more about research and teaching and can even discourage service commitments, others recognize the service role as a demonstration of the institutional commitment to the community. This is one of my favorite aspects of being a part of a community college. The service commitment is fully and completely the community aspect of community college. Participation in service happens both on campus and within the community at large. 

Central to all of the service engagements that happen here are the students.  Any committees or boards are thinking or planning around our specific student population.  Advising and tutoring are all about the students. Club activities are primarily a way to empower students and help connect their outside interests with their academic interests. Even when connecting outside groups like the United Way or Food Banks, the service efforts made are expected to address our student’s needs.  Unlike at the university setting where this ‘ball’ can be pushed aside for the twins of research and teaching, the community college recognizes that focus on the students leads to service as a full aspect of the balanced “balls”. 

Recognizing that these three roles are in a very real sense a juggling act, conceptually and practically, can help faculty understand the necessary overlap and integration needed of each role.  What I love about the community college system is how “in-balance” these three roles seem to be. I came across an article in my reading that demonstrated severe gender and ethnicity bias in academia when these roles are not in balance, when one role is seen as more important than the others.  While the research is dated and is university-centric, the idea is clear that viewing all three roles as a balanced approach makes for a more meaningful experience.

To me, that meaningful experience is key.  When the faculty roles are in balance, it makes the whole system work. It means that I can feel comfortable with all the other roles I have to play. In my case, I can spend time in the roles of mother, daughter, granddaughter, student, and friend as well as the very necessary role of just being me. Me reading, me relaxing, me getting a sunburn while tending my roses  (never underestimate the importance of sunscreen), me watching my British murders (yeah Agatha Raisen & Vera).

And with someone with my personality type, this is when life is simply wonderful.

This week’s Genial.ly is an interactive image with mouse hovering elements. If the embed code isn’t working, you can view it here. 

Selected Reference

Park, S. (1996). Research, Teaching, and Service: Why Shouldn’t Women’s Work Count? The Journal of Higher Education, 67(1), 46-84. doi:10.2307/2943903

On being F.A.T.: A reflection on teaching and working with diverse groups of individuals.

“You are one of the most F.A.T. people I know,” Tricia said with a smile.  One of my colleagues was speaking to me about dealing with change in our university setting and how we could prepare for the new policies. Tricia was from the U.K. and a resident of Australia who had worked in Singapore.  She was a very experienced communications teacher. You can imagine my surprise at her claim that I was F.A.T., so I asked her what she meant.  

The F of F.A.T. stands for Flexibility.  In general, flexibility refers to how quickly one can react or respond to change, a willingness to adapt to events. This is the open mindset, the willingness to embrace ambiguity, the quick adjustment as the situation changes, and the attitude that is taken.  

Early in my teaching career, I was in a setting that was the perfect introduction to that flexible mindset. On Friday, I was given my schedule for classes that I would be teaching on Monday.  On Monday morning, I was given a new schedule and told that I would be teaching in completely different classrooms 10 minutes before my classes started; I had new rooms, new times, and new students.   I had a choice, I could get upset or I could accept that the situation had changed and move forward with a positive attitude. So, I went forward with a smile. 

In fact, that positive attitude is central to being flexible.  It wasn’t an easy start, but I felt much better about my reaction when I discovered that the reason for that sudden change had to do with a few classrooms no longer having electricity or windows and there had been a concern about snowdrifts entering the classroom.  In the end, I was grateful for the change and glad that I had gone about it with a smile. That flexibility meant less stress for me. I simply accepted that I had no control over the situation and chose to be positive in response. 

Years later, in another country and another position, when the same situation occurred and I responded with that positive mentality, my colleagues ended up asking me to be their interim department chair.  

The A stands for Adaptability.  Adaptability in this context is about behaving in uncharacteristic ways in order to effectively deal with situations or people.  My previous employer funded a training called “True Colors”, a personality training that encourages people to better understand themselves and their colleagues.   This program went over core values, needs, and communication styles in order to encourage better communication. In a company with over 45 teachers, only 3 of us were labeled as “Gold”.  Everyone else fell strongly into Blue, Green, and Orange. Gold personalities are generally not that adaptable, as they have a strong desire for order, rules, and authority. My personality test was so far in the gold that the other colors were mere slivers.  The communications coach said they had never seen anyone that far into the Gold category. He asked me how I could even function with all the changes that happened at my work. My colleagues were stunned at my color ‘reveal’.   

“You can’t be Gold, you are so diplomatic!  You never say anything bad about anyone and you are always smiling when people interrupt you or your schedule changes,” said Kyra.

“When I came into the office for the first time, you smiled and welcomed me and took the time to explain things to me, even though you were clearly busy.  You are the only reason I didn’t turn around and go back home!” declared Paul.

“No, it makes sense.  Whenever you are faced with a scheduling problem, you tend to offer choices of solutions.  Everyone else always asks me to solve the problem for them,” said Manar.

“When I needed to take longer with the students, you waited patiently for me to finish.  And, I cut into almost 20 minutes of your class time. But you didn’t complain, you just smiled and said “No Problem”,” said Jeff.

While my personality may prefer structure and order, being adaptable means being willing to understand where the other person is coming from,  being able to adjust to the situation through understanding. So, when my order was being interrupted, I continued to adopt a flexible, positive attitude and adapt to the changes that were presented. When my schedule was suddenly changed, I accepted that I had no control and moved with the situation.  When the technology in my classroom stopped working, I may have had a moment of panic, but I moved forward with quick thinking and adapted to the use of the dry erase boards instead. Being adaptable may mean working outside of my comfort zone, but I find that reaching out to others in that way simply helps. Situations are easier to solve, people are easier to work with. 

The T stands for Tolerant. Tolerance is accepting opinions and practices that are different from your own.  Embracing the interchange of cultures with varied interests. A willingness to listen to others’ points of view, even when you disagree.  

Did you know people of different cultures have very different comfort distances when having a conversation? Personal space distances are not universal. When I worked in central China, my students would come within 2 inches of my face to speak to me. I knew that this was a comfortable distance for them, while it made me very uncomfortable.  I learned to turn my body slightly so that my shoulder would face the students for my personal comfort because shoulder-distance is different than chest-difference with personal space. It was a challenge to me, but one that I learned to deal with and accept.   

When I worked in the United Arab Emirates, the school I worked for hired Canadians, Australians, the British, and Indians.  I was one of 2 Americans when I started at the college, a situation that lasted for more than 4 years of my 9 with the college.  I was also the only American in my neighborhood. I had a lot to learn and a lot to tolerate. From the camels in my backyard to the goats in my garden, from the rules about dress and public displays of affection to learning how to Morris Dance and participating in British Pantomime, I learned that being open to opinions and practices that were different from my own could mean temporary discomfort but more often led to acceptance, excitement, and contentment.  I wasn’t there to change anyone’s mind or make anyone change their ways, I was there to teach and learn. Being tolerant didn’t mean I had to agree, it simply meant being understanding and accepting that other people hold different beliefs than I do.  

Personally, I think that is part of what makes this world such an amazing place.  

On reflection, I am flattered that Tricia felt that she could label me “F.A.T.” with such confidence.  Each time I am approaching a new teaching methodology, a new educational technology, a new colleague, or a new group of students, I take a moment to consider what it means to be F.A.T. and hope that I can continue to be Flexible, Adaptable and Tolerant, both as a teacher and in life.

For this week’s graphic, if it doesn’t appear below try the link.