New job is one thing, but a new career is so much bigger! I hope I’m not too old to learn a few new tricks!
I’ve left my career as a marketing communications professional after 30-ish years to take on a new fulltime role teaching college students.
I’m calling this my third profession – first as a newspaper reporter… next moving to public relations and communications… and now this! “Megan 3.0” kicks off at the end of August! Look out students – don’t count me out yet.
There’s still so much I don’t know! It’s been ummmm….. several years since I’ve been a college freshman, and I’m sure things have changed a bit. Although I thrive on change, the unknown about this new vocation has left me with so many questions.
- How do I get the students to engage? Boy, do I have enthusiasm for the curriculum, but I don’t want to scare them with my over-the-top lectures and animated slide shows – or is that what they want? I think professors were still using overhead projectors when I was in college! Ideas welcome! I need a wild distraction tool to get their attention away from the TikToks.
- Did you say pedagogy for Bloom’s Taxonomy? Known for my love of words, I’m struggling a bit with this new educator’s vocab. I’ve tried to learn the proper pronunciation of pedagogy and to casually drop it into conversation with other professor and educator friends. So far this hasn’t gone over well. I’m not giving up!
- What’s a Cavalier? My new employer is Johnson County Community College and their mascot is the Cavaliers. But what is it? I tried researching because I’ve seen images around campus of a man with a mustache (looks kinda French) wearing a fedora. Here’s what I learned: His name is Jean Claude the Cavalier. (He goes by JC.) The college’s athletic teams have been called the Cavaliers sine 1983 when students voted to change the name from the Kansans. OK, now I’m getting into this guy. Read more here.
- Why is this syllabus so long? I’m thrilled to be full-time faculty at one of the best community colleges in the country, and I’m learning that there’s a lot of rules to follow (yes, all of that information must go into the syllabus – yikes!). I need to become better at coloring inside the lines.
- Multiple choice vs. short answer? I think we know the answer to this one. As a seasoned organized and prepared professional, it’s going to be very difficult for me because I’ll be reading the textbooks and creating the lessons right along with the students (hopefully a week or so ahead of them!). Let’s go with multiple choice for this first year, and we’ll see how it goes in year two!
- I think I’m ready to be called Professor Neher? I may have been an educator at heart my whole life. Just as my soul yearns to live on the beach in Southern California, I’ve been a closet teacher for many years, and I’m finally OUT. Yes, it’s going to be a BIG change, but I’m ready to bring my passion to the classroom.
Megan 3.0 is more than a third career change. It’s a final stop for my long-held dream job. I’ve had some tough gigs and this might be the hardest, but I’m ready for challenging and meaningful work with endless possibilities. I’m scared and excited! Mostly, I’m ready to inspire students’ curiosity and do my darnedest to get them ready for their own exciting careers – which will probably have a few twists and turns along the way too. Let’s go Cavs!
