How to Become a lecturer: All you need to know
The first step in choosing lecturer career is to make sure you really want it and that no one wants to waste time on something they don't like. If so, get to know the job, including its content, pros and cons, salary, etc.
Lecturers usually complete a bachelor's degree in one or more professional fields, plus postgraduate studies with a master's or doctoral degree. Teaching experience is also important. In this article we will provide some useful tips for becoming a lecturer.
Step1: Understand lecturer description and responsibilities.
Lecturers are teachers who teach undergraduate and graduate academic and vocational courses. They work in universities and colleges of higher education. They are called lecturers, not teachers, because they give classes larger than the average classroom, hold seminars, give tutorials and make practical presentations. The instructor will teach students a profession and prepare them for the qualification of the chosen profession.
Lecturers have such responsibilities.
-Teaching, seminars and practical demonstrations - Teaching is a daily responsibility. You have to give speeches and seminars and show that you are an expert in this area, and if necessary, you have to show actual demonstrations.
-Preparing lessons, creating activities - Lecturers spend time creating lecture and seminar plans, collecting resources, creating activities for students and implementing new teaching methods. As a lecturer, in order to keep lectures interesting, you must find new ways to teach students theories and tasks. By applying the new teaching methods, you will see the fastest way for them to learn, so the selected teaching methods can be used in more difficult units.
-Assessment work - assessment takes a long time, so mastering the time is very important. Assessment can also help students find out which areas are more difficult, and as lecturers can help them by reviewing the topic.
Step 2: Think before you do: whether is it worth to be a lecturer?
Before you step into the field, think whether is it worth to be a lecturer.
Advantages:
-Research: as a lecturer, the organization may provide you with time and resources to conduct research.
-Job satisfaction: most people who become lecturers are passionate about the courses they teach. As a lecturer, you have the opportunity to challenge ideas and debate theories.
-Making a difference: lecturer is the best place for teachers and friends to inspire students. You will know that you are changing many people's lives.
-Flexibility: in most cases, the job has a lot of flexibility. Whether on vacation or not, university teachers can balance work and life through teaching plans.
-Travel: This is especially true for experienced lecturers, but all lecturers have the opportunity to speak at other universities and conferences abroad.
Disadvantages:
-Competition: it's a very competitive area, so it's not always easy to find a job, even with a qualification.
-Working hours: Despite the flexibility of the curriculum, lecturers often work on weekends and evenings.
-Pay: lecturers can live a decent life, but it's not always commensurate with the effort and time they put into work.
Step 3: Research Best colleges and universities for lecturer
1. Southern New Hampshire University
2. University of Chicago
3. Harvard University
4. Yale University
5. Duke University
6. University of California
7. University of British Columbia
8. New York University
9. University of Toronto
10. University of Amsterdam
11. Cornell University
12. Northwestern University
13. University of Washington
14. Columbia University
15. University of Minnesota
16. University of North Carolina
17. Ohio State University (Main campus)
18. University of California, Davis
19. University of Melbourne
20. University of Groningen
Step 4: Getting a lecturer education
Most universities require lecturers to have doctorates in their research fields. Having a Ph.D. degree can prove your expertise in a certain field, and it can also give you experience in research and teaching. In smaller colleges and technical schools, you are more likely to be hired as a lecturer with only a master's degree. In any case, you almost certainly need an education outside of college. When you start to study for a doctorate, be prepared for the long term. Although some doctoral programs can be completed in 3 years, there are many that need 7 years. More and more lecturers have or are working hard to obtain teacher qualification. The names of these certificates are various, including Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) and Postgraduate Certificate in higher education learning and teaching in higher education.
Step 5: Complete an Internship
Trainee lecturers can provide valuable skills and experience for anyone wishing to become a career lecturer. Internships can take place at any level, including high school, college and professional. Whatever your internship level, you won't regret the opportunity. The following steps will show you how to get your dream lecturer internship:
1. Decide whether you want to be a lecturer.
2. Determine if you want to start an internship during college, during the summer, or upon graduation. Graduate internships are available, usually in university graduate assistant programs or professional programs.
3. If you want to complete an internship in high school or college, please meet with them. Explain your career goals, why you chose them, and what school or college you're attending.
4. Make your internship your job.
5. Recognize the wealth of knowledge you're gaining. Most high school and college internships pay little or nothing, unless they are considered scholarship work. Graduate and professional internships are usually paid, but not full-time.
6. Make the most of your experience as much as you can. The experience you gain from your internship can be used for many years to come.
Step 6: Prepare relevant skills for lecturer
Oral and written communication - both oral and written communication skills are important if you are going to be a lecturer. Be able to communicate with your students, both orally and in writing, so that they can understand you, even if the topic is complex.
Creativity - as a lecturer, you have to be creative. Teachers have to involve their students, so you have to use new methods to involve them. For example, create an interactive PowerPoint presentation with the graphics interchange Format "GIF" and video.
Confidence, patience and control - sometimes it's hard to educate young people. You have to trust your students, but you also need to know how to control them and not let them distract you from your lectures.
Commitment - as a lecturer, first of all, take the time to give a speech, prepare for the course, and correct the examination and evaluation on time. Therefore, teachers must be committed to providing students with high-quality courses.
Step 7: Find relevant lecturer jobs, and apply for it.
Read some requirements on lecturer jobs that can help you understand the skills and demands of this job. In this way, you can compensate for your shortcomings and improve your advantages. If you are ready to become a lecturer, you may want to know where to find a relevant job. Now we provide you with a website where you can research for the job you want, you can click on it: https://jobs.salary.com/.
Important Tools for a successful lecturer
- Moodle. Moodle is a learning management system for students and teachers, paying particular attention to the needs of colleges and universities. It can be used to store information about courses, such as calendars and assignment deadlines, or to distribute information about individual lectures, such as handouts or additional instructions.
- Blackboard. Board, another learning management system, is a substitute for Moodle. It has similar functions and features, but focuses more on e-learning and the addition of online elements in course teaching, such as video and interactive quizzes. For professors who teach a large number of courses, excellence is a tool for organizing and scoring class assignments. If your students can also and agree to use the app, they can submit assignments, and then you can rate them and return them, all assignments are electronic.
- Edmodo. Edmodo is a social website for students and teachers, which can be called "Facebook of the classroom". It allows teachers to set up groups that only invite students to participate, and students can join groups to participate in discussions and share information.
- Socratic. Socratic teaching may be useful to you if you are interested in teaching the whole class online or if you want immediate feedback from your students. It is a tool that allows teachers to set real-time questions for students to answer and then summarize and visualize the results.
Develop your career path
The prospects for promotion vary depending on many factors. In the first few years, you may focus on developing your teaching skills and experience and developing your research profile. As your career progresses, you can take more responsibility in teaching, research, or management, and in some cases, all three. Management responsibility may also increase. Promotion to a higher level will depend on whether you are willing to take on different roles and whether you continue to show positive research profiles. These senior positions may include positions such as senior lecturer and chief lecturer.
If you continue to accumulate expertise after acquiring these positions, you may be promoted to reader, chairman, professor, or dean. You have the opportunity to take on more development and management responsibilities, such as course directors or module heads, which can reduce the proportion of time devoted to research and student time. Further career opportunities include being an examiner or academic writer.