Somehow, after doing well in college and grad school, I make less money than ever. I like what I do -- teaching writing to college students -- and I'm good at it, but it's messed up career. For the past few years I've been an adjunct professor at a state college. The good things about the job are that I love the work, I love the students, and I have good benefits (or we'd never be able to afford Dr. Baby Factory). The bad things are the 2+ hour commute (that's each way, via subway, train, and bus), the irregular hours, the excruciatingly low pay, and the semester-to-semester uncertainty of employment.
In the fall, I get up at the crack of dawn (usually before that) to teach Freshman Comp for the better-paying Humanities Department; in the spring I stay up late to teach evening classes for perpetually-broke Continuing Ed. I'm finishing a semester of 4-class days: 8:30, 10:30, 2:30, 4:30. This spring, I'm teaching long, late classes on Mondays and Thursdays. If we finish early, I might be home by 10 or 10:30, though we should really go late enough that I wouldn't be home before 11:30.
My fall boss just offered me an 8:30 section of Freshman Comp -- nice of her! Adjuncts don't often get the spring sections of that class. But, ye gods, the thought of leaving the house at 6:15 and getting home so very, very late...I just don't think I can swing it. We could use the money -- I don't see how we'll buy more sperm if what we have doesn't get the job done, let alone put money away towards motherhood -- but I think working those hours will leave my body too messed up to conceive.
I have to call her this afternoon with my decision. Ugh.
(Anybody in the NYC area need a great writing teacher? Or an editor, a writer of video scripts for social work interventions, a test-prep writer?)
That sounds like a horrendous schedule. Hope the economy settles down soon and that lets your schedule settle down.
ReplyDeleteYou could try homeschooling groups. They LOVE to have a time where their kids are in an actual class and they pay very well.
ReplyDeleteI remember schedules like those. Spring semesters for the adjunct comp instructor lead us to some pretty hideous arrangements. I hope you were able to work this out!
ReplyDeleteThanks, y'all. I decided not to teach the morning class. I'll have to find some other way to scrape some money up.
ReplyDeleteKaren -- what a great idea! I hadn't thought of that at all, but I have lots of experience with different age groups, so perhaps I can figure something out.... Do you happen to know anything about how to find home school groups?