What Do Environmental Science Professors Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Environmental Science Professors teach courses in environmental science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research. They also evaluate and grade students’ class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.

Other tasks include:

• Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Supervise students’ laboratory and field work.
• Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
• Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
• Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.

We asked Environmental Science Professors how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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83% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 83% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Environmental Science Professors perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head. They evaluate and grade students’ class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.

A typical day for a Postsecondary Environmental Science Teacher will also include:

• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
• Supervise students’ laboratory and field work.
• Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
• Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
• Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.

We asked some Environmental Science Professors a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	57% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	45% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	55% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	14% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	11% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	41% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Environmental Science Professors also maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students. They may also serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Environmental Science Professors Supervise students’ laboratory and field work. They might also Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.

In addition, they Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Evaluate and grade students’ class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.

To some Environmental Science Professors, it is also their responsibility to Participate in campus and community events.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Postsecondary Environmental Science Teacher, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm

http://www.cgsnet.org/

https://www.acteonline.org/

http://www.teach.org/