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Session 1475

New Kids on the Block – Tips for the First Few Years

MaryFran Desrochers Mechanical Engineering Technology, Michigan Technological University

Abstract

This paper is a “Top Ten” summary of suggestions for successfully starting a new teaching position, written by a new engineering educator. The paper covers topics of concern for new faculty and suggestions for “making the grade” inside and outside the classroom. Major areas of discussion include: having a life outside the work environment, attitude (yours and theirs), volunteering, and classroom expectations.

Starting a new job can be a very stressful experience. Many faculty find themselves in places they have never been, expected to do things they have never done. This list is a compilation of suggestions from many faculty, both new and experienced, on how to start out successfully:

á Have a personal life. Join a bowling league. Go on vacation. Get married. Start a family. To be effective in any profession it is important to take time away from it. The time away will have you feeling refreshed and give you more energy for your job. When the students are having trouble working on a difficult concept or problem, I encourage them to take some time away from the problem and do something they enjoy.1 When they return to the problem they can look at it from a different perspective.

á Get involved in the community. Join a church. Volunteer at the local animal shelter. Join a local club. Be a Big Brother or Big Sister. Many faculty have had to move to areas where they don’t know anyone. Getting involved in the community gives you the chance to meet other people (not just those you work with) and to feel like you are a part of the community.

á Learn new things. Take up cross-country skiing or scuba diving. Start woodworking, stained glass, cross- stitching or scrap-booking. Learn a new computer language. Learn a foreign language. Take a class in another department. As faculty members, one of the most important parts of our jobs is to encourage our students to be life-long learners; we should do the same.2 Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2001, American Society for Engineering Education

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Desrochers, M. (2001, June), New Kids On The Block Tips For The First Few Years Paper presented at 2001 Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 10.18260/1-2--9606