How to become a college instructor (professor)

As an experienced college instructor who's also worked in the business world, I'll give you the steps you'll need to take in order to enter this rewarding career.

Instructions

1. ** Qualified to teach **

   The first and foremost thing you must have is a college degree. And you'll need one level higher than you intend to teach.

   For instance, to teach Bachelor (undergraduate) level classes, you'll need at least a Masters. To teach Master's (graduate) level classes, you'll need a doctorate (terminal degree).

   And many schools require your degree be in the field you'll be teaching or closely related to it. For example, to teach economics, you can have a related degree in something like finance. However, most places will require you have at least 18 graduate credits in your teaching subject area. And notice how I said GRADUATE credits.

   The reason for this is because it establishes you as a subject matter expert. And that's extremely important for anyone who wishes to enter the teaching profession. Students and department heads must feel comfortable in your command of the subject. If not, then everthing else you bring to the table is totally irrelevant! So you must have this solid command of your subject or your chances are very, very slim of gaining employment!

2. ** A great personality **

   A college instructor, no matter what title you are given--professor, instructor, lecturer, adjunct, etc--you must have a personality that will relate well to students. So you must be very personable!

3. ** Teaching style **

   You must be able to use a wide variety of instructional methods in order to be a good college educator. This is because one method won't work for all students! In other words, teaching is not a "one style fits all" type of field.

   For example, in my classes, I've used a combination of lecture, demonstrations, Q&A, simulations, and projects. And present material both visually and auditory. This is because some people learn better when they "see it," while others learn better when they "hear it."

   So you must bring an arsenal of different teaching methods to the table if you wish to become a college educator. And know when and how to use them effectively!

4. ** Problems **

   Problems will come up from time-to-time in the classroom. For example, a student may be causing a disruption. Or comes to class late over and over again. So you must be a good problem-solver!

   And if you'll be doing team teaching, then you'll may run into problems working with your cohort. For example, when I did team teaching, my partner and I had a great relationship. She and I divided the material so each of us had some "fun stuff" to teach. But many others at the school didn't work this way. The morning instructor would do all the "fun stuff" and leave all the "boring stuff" for the afternoon instructor. So there was some tension between the two instructors because the afternoon one didn't appreciate being given all the dull stuff to teach all the time.

   So be prepared for problems involving teacher-student, teacher-teacher, teacher-boss, and teacher-administration. Most problems though will be between yourself and your students.

5. ** Tenure isn't an automatic **

   Some schools have totally done away with tenure. For those of you who don't know what tenure is, let me define it. Tenure basically means you're guaranteed classes and employment. So as long as you have students and can teach classes there, your job is safe.

   But you don't simply walk into a job and have tenure! It's a process that takes years to complete. How many years will vary, but it can range from 5-8 years.

   In other words, you have to prove yourself "worthy" of being given tenure. And that can only happen over time! However, not being given tenure doesn't mean you're a bad teacher. Your job can still be relatively safe, but you don't have any guarantee of continued classes and teaching. That's all tenure really gives you--security in knowing you will have guaranteed classes to teach each quarter or semester.

6. ** Test teach **

   Many schools and departments will requires there applicants to go through what's called a test teach. This involves your actually teaching something to people at the school. Who are those people? Most often, they're faculty, administration, and maybe staff. They play student and evaluate how good a teacher you are.

   What will you teach? You may given a general subject area like corporate finance. Or you could be given a very specific topic to teach, such as multiplying decimals. They could even give you carte blanche to teach anything you wish. I've been put through all of these in my career!

   How long will your test teach last? Generally, they will last around 10-15 minutes. In other words, it's just enough time to see you in action and get a good sense of what kind of teacher you are. And quite often, you will get immediate feedback on how you did. But that's not an automatic.

   So take your test teach very seriously! If you blow this, it won't matter how knowledgeable you are, how great a personality you have, nor how good your are resolving problems. Why? Because when it came to your being in the classroom, you failed! And teachers are hired to educate students in a classroom environment. So that's what counts most of all--your actual ability to teach!

7. ** Motivation **

   To be a college educator, you must be motivated to becoming a good teacher. This means learning how that school and/or department do things. How their curriculum works and is structured. But it's also about motivating your students to do their very best! So you have to be part "cheeerleader" in order to get your students excited about class and motivated to learning.

   Now as someone who's literally taught subjects ranging from accounting to web design, I can tell you from personal experience that it's not easy with all subjects. There are many that are more "dry" and "dull" in nature to students. So you have to find a way to make it more interesting to them.

Tips & Warnings

• You must be a subject matter expert and have the educational credentials to back it up

• The ability to teach well is the most important skill a college educator must posess. If you don't have this, then nothing else will matter!

• College teaching is a very rewarding and exciting profession with lots of opportunities and diversity

• Tenure is a process that can take years to complete. But if you are granted it in the end, then you have a lot more security!