Day in the life of
Assistant Teaching Professor – Melissa Morris
On a typical day, I usually teach two or three classes and then meet with students, grade assignments, or prepare for class. I may also attend meetings or work on writing or other projects. In the evenings or weekends, I work on writing or researching insurance articles.
Typical day
8:00 am: Check emails, quick review of what I need for class
8:30 to 9:45 am: Teach one class
10:00 am to noon: Office hours, meet with students, respond to emails
Noon to 1:00 pm: Prep for class or grade assignments
1:00 to 2:15 pm: Teach second class
2:30 to 3:45 pm: Teach third class
4:00 pm: Wrap up emails or make a to-do list for tomorrow
Pros
The biggest pro for me is working with students. I love talking with them and sharing my passion for health, nutrition, and fitness with them. I enjoy seeing how much progress they make throughout the semester. The knowledge they gain from my classes will help them both personally and professionally, which is so important.
My contract is for nine months, so I am not required to teach in the summer. I do, but I also get paid extra for it. I love the flexibility of summer, I can work at my own pace, do research, write, or plan for my fall classes. I can travel and work remotely in the summer as well. I also enjoy our longer break for winter and spring break.
Cons
The biggest con is that I never quite feel caught up. I am so busy some days that I don’t get to interact with all of my students as I would like. Some semesters I have 140+ students so I would love more one-on-one time to talk with them throughout the semester.
Some might say the pay is a con in education, but I didn’t work in education to get rich. The pay is ok, but I also teach summer classes and extra classes to bump up my salary, which helps. Another con is that I cannot take a vacation anytime I want.
I am locked in during the semester because I can’t miss a week of classes to take a vacation. But, I have a lot more flexibility over winter break and summer break.
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Graduate Teaching Assistants
assist faculty or other instructional staff in postsecondary institutions by performing teaching or teaching-related duties, such as teaching lower level courses, developing teaching materials, preparing and giving examinations, and grading examinations or papers. Graduate teaching assistants must be enrolled in a graduate school program. Graduate assistants who primarily perform non-teaching duties, such as research, should be reported in the occupational category related to the work performed.
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