“Yet seven years in a comp paper writing sweat shop is not the most benign gift higher education has ever offered” (42).

First it was Scholes telling me there are far more PhDs than there are jobs;  now, Cary Nelson is painting a thoroughly tragic picture of the post-doc world.

Nelson writes, “As many graduates learn instead, the PhD can mean the end of their careers rather than the beginning of a better phase” (43).  Um, what?  Nelson describes a constant struggle for new post-doc graduates, one that doesn’t seem to have any indication of improving any time soon (nor does it look like departments want this to change: they get quality teachers for practically nothing).  I think most people (myself included until I stepped into this class) have an image of college professors with office walls lined with leather-bound books, suede patches on the elbows of blazers, and–that almighty holy grail–tenure.  All of that has come crashing down.  Nelson recognizes that a change needs to be made, but it is really a fruitless endeavor.  Even his attempt to create a kind of safety net for his post-docs at Champaign-Urbana has swiftly lead to resentment and the hiring of post-docs from other institutions, completely defeating the purpose of the program, which is to help their graduate students prepare themselves for a full-time teaching position.

And then there is the money…

As Nelson points out, there is a drastic cut in pay once PhDs head out into the “real world” of professorship, which seems completely contradictory.  Example: “Rutgers University pays many of its graduate student teaching assistants a sound $6,000 per course; upon completing their degrees they are eligible for part-time teaching at $2,400 per course” (43).  Taking out my handy calculator, that would be $12,000 for five classes.  Hello poverty line!  Personally, I really don’t want to be a 30-year-old “doctor” living at home, and I’m pretty sure my PhD and I would get laughed out of the welfare office.

As I continue to search through PhD programs, I like to look at where the program’s PhD candidates have ended up.  While the majority are teaching, I do see some who have gone into corporate or government jobs.  This seems like a far more promising path than staying in academia.  After all, why would I want to stay in a field which seems so intent on treating me like crap?  I may love English, but it doesn’t seem like English is ready to love me back.

**Was locked out of word press and was not able to post this yesterday prior to class**

Article 4: We’re ALL Teachers of English- by Caren J. Town

Wow- what a new concept: high school teachers and college educators working together in order to bridge the academic gap between these two institutions. Wait, I think Scholes might have written a little something about this same topic in much greater depth. Ahh… Yes a little piece called “The Rise and Fall of English Studies”. High schools and colleges have existed for hundreds of years. Now, why has it taken US-people in this field-to realize that a disconnect does in fact exist and that it needs to be addressed- not only for students, but for their educators as well. The government is heavily involved in high school curriculum standards and decisions and of course has its hands in Education curriculums and colleges and universities. They have made arbitrary standardized tests that are designed to gauge a student’s knowledge in one way—as mentioned on pages 55 and 56 by Caren J. Town in her article “We are ALL Teachers of English” –yet these same students, less than a year later or so are expected to evaluate and value texts  in a very different way. The texts are to be appreciated for their artistic and rhetorical value on the college level and the basic mechanics of composition are the primary focus the twelve years preceeding college admission. So here is the first disconnect, the bigger issue becomes that in the past we have assumed a certain responsibility of familes to produce their children to be educated citizens and now that responsibility is falling with greater weight on the education system in America. Later in Part III of Transforming English Studies, the article in Chapter 8 follows up on this point by basically saying that society now depends on the schools to produce educated citizens. Less responsibility at home, means greater responsibility for schools and educators, but nothing has changed about the educational system that has existed since the beginning of time. These articles in Transforming English Studies are all helpful, but they seem to lack the answers. They are all pointing out fairly relevant issues, but what are we supposed to do with this knowledge. Not to mention that these are not huge contributions to the subject, we have heard very similar, if not the same identical arguments from more established scholars in greater detail with, at times, further research to back up their clams. These issues seem potentially hazardous to the current system if these same students who are missing out on the elementary level are passing through their college years, appreciating English in a very different way and then become educators of the field and must now teach in a way they have not experienced their discipline in over four years, in many cases, longer. The ideas in Caren J. Town’s article make sense, but they focus mainly on Southern Georgia and hardly serve to advance the discussion of the breakdown of English as a discipline.

            So, here I am once again, attempting to figure out what my plan for my life is. Things have been so hectic in my day to day life recently, that I have not really had the opportunity to stop and think much about what exactly it is that I intend to do over the next few years or so.  I need to figure out how my academic life with mesh with the rest of my goals and aspirations and decide what it is that I truly want from Kutztown University.

            The next two years, roughly estimating, may look much like this semester turned out. I had been struggling to juggle my intensive in-patient treatment, which has just as of late become intensive out-patient treatment for my eating disorder with my desire to continue my education in the path of obtaining my masters degree. Part of me truly wants to simply earn a Master of Arts in English, but I am fairly certain that my intention is to teach, so it will need to be a Master of Arts in Secondary Education in English in order to do just that.

            I love school and I enjoy children a great deal, however, I am terrified by the thought of investing the time, energy, and funds into completion of  my masters and this ending in a result of not liking my chosen career. There is no sure way for me to know if I will be content as a secondary education instructor or if part of me will yearn to pursue other endeavors.

            I do not even know who my advisor is or supposed to be. I have spoken with my peers to attempt to assemble some idea of classes for next semester, but I certainly have no idea what I am doing. I definitely need some assistance and motivation to explore who my advisor is and contact them as soon as possible to get the ball rolling for next semester. I am a Professional Credit student and as I understand it, I need to apply for acceptance into the Secondary Education Masters Program, but I do not even know what that entails. As far as I know, I will need to get three letters of recommendation, take the Praxis I, and complete the written application. If I decide on a Master of Arts in English, I will need a letter of intent and complete the Graduate Records Exam for admission.

            For now, I simply need to find out who my advisor is or should be and sit down one-on-one with them and develop a plan for my academic future. I had had several email correspondence with Dr. Chernakoff, but I believe I need to meet with someone in the Secondary Education department at Kutztown University. I may not know the answer for sometime as to whether or not I will make a suitable teacher. In the meantime however, I need to determine who my advisor is, explore my educational options and work toward completion of that plan, one step at a time.

Dr. Mahoney–

Uploaded the final on Berlin’s review to the Media center. Will bring hard copies of review and personal study tonight so less printing for you. Either way, electronic copies are the same as hard copy.

Thanks,

Berlin Book Report 11.9.09

This Transforming English Studies, at least Part 1 which I read, is pretty good stuff. Chapter Two’s account of the workplace realities faced by three idealistic SUNY-Albany graduates in their individual attempts to introduce reform is sobering. The essay has the earnest overtones of a how-to or self-help manual. The authors introduce the concept of “con/fusion”, the coinage signifying (is it okay to use that “s” word?) that curricular reform is an ongoing struggle (albeit a positive one) in pursuit of evolving vision, not the one-time transformational result that North’s definition of “fusion” might imply. Questioning unexamined assumptions, listening carefully, seizing the opportunity to introduce change through other efforts in progress, working collegially and not individually– such things characterized the successes of these three teachers. It was refreshing to read a from-the-ground example of how institutional change can get started, if not accomplished, though much of what is presented here as being novel or a breakthrough method for making progress sometimes seems to me fairly obvious considerations in dealing with any established bureaucratic or managerial hierarchy. A paramount need the essay stresses is The direct participation of the student in any reforming efforts is paramount, the essay emphasizes, with the teacher serving as catalyst. In this sense, it is an echo of Berlin.

I also enjoyed Susan Burt’s discussion of the sociolinguistic aspects of the global spread of English, and the many implications this has, such as the language’s use in political resistance. Burt stresses the benefit that comes from having so many (metaphorical) immigrants/disciplines under the English Studies umbrella, a position I fully agree with.

Hi Dr.M,
I just uploaded a copy of my personal study plan to the media library (my first time trying this on the blog)… it should be there, but just in case, I emailed you one, too.
Joe

Lee–I saw this in the New York Times. You had mentioned this as an area of interest.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/college-ivy-sprouts-at-a-connecticut-prison/

OK…turns out this is more complicated than it needs to be.  So, here’s  the deal for Wednesday:

Read ANY three (3) articles from the book, Transforming English Studies. On Wednesday evening, we will proceed through the book chapter by chapter.  If the article you chose is in that chapter, will help lead discussion.

That’s probably the easiest thing to do.  Cool?

Below (possibly) are my book review and personal study plan. Better late than never I suppose. In terms of choosing sections of Transforming English Studies I think I’d be most interested in exploring Part IV on Kairotic Approaches, that is, unless it’s the longest chapter in which case I don’t want any part of it. I’m kidding…I think.

mahoney6

mahoney 7