Day in the life of
Assistant Professor – Niya Pickett Miller, Ph.D.
I’m a Post-doctoral Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Samford University.
I do not have classes to teach each day. Each semester, the days and times of my classes vary. This semester, I have three courses that meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I teach from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on these days. So, the bulk of my time on these days is occupied with course instruction, and squeezing in brief moments to check email and potentially eat—unless there is a faculty meeting called. Then, my break is taken up with meeting time. However, this does not happen often.
On non-teaching days, 2-3 hours of my time is spent planning for upcoming class meetings. Usually, I am searching for in-class activities, memes, short films, television shows, etc… essentially anything that is culturally relevant and helps me bring the course material to life for students. Now, more than ever, I understand the importance of keeping students engaged. Another chunk of the day is allocated to grading assignments and responding to emails. IF I am lucky, I have an hour or so to work on my research. Or, get a bit of writing done. I have an edited book under contract right now, and every moment to type a word counts!
Pros
It includes knowing I am directly responsible for improving the understanding that others have about the world in which they communicate in—especially when it comes to communicating about race, diversity/difference, and inclusion. It is rewarding to have a part in advancing the trajectory of someone’s personal and professional goals.
