Conference room, classroom: the same, but different

We all pursue adjuncting for different reasons. For some people it’s an investment in future generations. For others it’s the flex to say “I’m a professor”. Some people want a little extra money. Others are so attached to their career field they just can’t resist talking about it 24/7. For many of us it’s all of the above. Bringing your professional expertise to the classroom sounds straightforward; you’re an expert, you’re delivering content at an introductory level. But, there are a few differences between the conference room and classroom. I wish I’d known these sooner!

Technology. This is a big part of the learning environment today. Materials prep, sharing, grading and the actual teaching experience all happen with technology. In theory, most of us in corporate roles should be pretty adept at doing all of this. But campus environments can be different and there isn’t always “an IT person” to call after 5:00 pm when you’re there, or on a Sunday when you’re grading assignments. Carve out time to learn the university’s online platforms (likely Blackboard or Canvas) before class starts. On the first day of class, bring an HDMI cable. If you’re a Mac user, bring an adapter. Don’t assume you’re tech-savvy and “will catch on” because it’s different than your office and there’s nothing worse than expectant students looking for class materials posted online ahead of time.

Academic Terms. Nope, a rubric is not that cube every kid from the 1980’s had! Learning outcome. Syllabus. None of these are things we encounter in our corporate jobs but students will expect them and university departments likely require them. Once you write the syllabus, every assignment needs a rubric. You may need to create midterms and finals. There is a learning curve for us adjuncts, too! Also, there are administrative items you may need to do, for example: be mindful of a NCAA athlete’s travel schedule, especially if they are D1 because those travel commitments can be significant; respond to timely requests for class logs and attendance that can govern financial aid funds being released. Again: just because we are awesome in our day jobs doesn’t mean we will come to all parts of teaching naturally.

Campus Community. There’s a ton of stuff going on all around us at college campuses. As an adjunct, probably teaching a night class, it’s easy to go in with a little ego, drop some knowledge on the next generation, and exit the parking garage a few hours later. But there’s a *whole world* going on inside the gates of the campus where you teach! There are important cues to what’s going on socially and culturally; construction projects hint at the university's future self; foot traffic near athletic facilities and theaters tells you what type of entertainment your students like. Look around you. It’s where your students call home and they’re essentially welcoming you into it. The adjunct experience is so much better when you do.

Student Experience. Gen Z has experienced a lot of different life events than we did. They were born into technology, they were disrupted by the pandemic, they have been exposed to rapid social change. I can even see distinct differences in learning styles and classroom experiences between my Millennial students of the 2000's and the Gen Z'ers of today. It's important to view each class as individuals. Even if you've been teaching for years. Earlier this week I watched a video from Matt Abrahams, who teaches at Stanford Business School and has authored books on speaking, among many other things. Something he said about being a good presenter really resonated with me: “You are in service to your audience.” Teaching is the same. We are in service to our students. While I knew this on a basic level when I began teaching more than a decade ago, I understand it on a different level today after completing several semesters, having several more jobs and even becoming a parent. You will succeed as an adjunct if you remember you are in service to your students.

Are you thinking about becoming an adjunct someday? Watch here, or stay tuned to my LinkedIn posts because I’ll be hosting an online session soon about all the above and more. Thanks for reading and I always appreciate and invite feedback!