Haven't been regularly in the classroom as a teacher for ~30 years. Now, at the end of my business (non-teaching) career, I've been offered what on paper looks like a lovely position at a German university teaching half-time for two years. I would view it as a transition into full-time retirement, or something even less than half-time, so it makes sense logistically at this time in my life.
I'd be interested in hearing from anyone on this board on the following topics: Did you ever do this in the late stage of your career? If so, how did it pan out? Pleasant and unpleasant surprises? Given that the world in which I last taught full-time was quite different (30 years ago email was rare and cell phones were unheard of), what surprises might I face in the university classrooms of today? A friend of mine said the students had fundamentally changed and that I wouldn't like this. He's a disgruntled chap, though, and I have trouble believing that students are so much different.
Anyway, this is sort of an open-ended reflection on my part, so any opinions from your end will be welcome.
Thanks.
Offered a half-time teaching job in a university at age 64--should I take it?
Response
I have not personally but know a few ITs that have. Most of them did it though because they really couldnt afford to retire fully yet, or at least they felt like an opportunity for a couple more years might not come along later if they found out they really could have used more coin in their savings.
Your disgruntled friend isnt too far off. The modern Uni classroom isnt the same one of 30 or even 20 years ago. It depends what your teaching. If your teaching CSI/ICT, maths, science, engineering those are different students. They tend to be more problem resolution driven and focused on outcomes and results. Can you help them get to the right answers. There also tends to be less pop culture in those classes and fields. Even when discussing topics such as generative AI, those students can separate the ethics, and human approach to utility from the technical skills and aspects. Whereas humanities and social sciences tend to get more of the extremes in student beliefs and dispositions. You get a lot more push from students in those fields and if your not progressive enough in their mind set your more likely to face confrontation. Business tends to be in the middle. Its less about ideology though and more about how the business approach of times past was focused on finding and playing a role in a larger corporate entity. Get those skills, get the job, move up. Now its focused to a much greater degree on entrepreneurship. The difference between the two being that the old school thinking was specializing and filling a niche or role working for someone else, where the new school of though is the generalist who needs to know enough about everything to run their own business.
Your disgruntled friend isnt too far off. The modern Uni classroom isnt the same one of 30 or even 20 years ago. It depends what your teaching. If your teaching CSI/ICT, maths, science, engineering those are different students. They tend to be more problem resolution driven and focused on outcomes and results. Can you help them get to the right answers. There also tends to be less pop culture in those classes and fields. Even when discussing topics such as generative AI, those students can separate the ethics, and human approach to utility from the technical skills and aspects. Whereas humanities and social sciences tend to get more of the extremes in student beliefs and dispositions. You get a lot more push from students in those fields and if your not progressive enough in their mind set your more likely to face confrontation. Business tends to be in the middle. Its less about ideology though and more about how the business approach of times past was focused on finding and playing a role in a larger corporate entity. Get those skills, get the job, move up. Now its focused to a much greater degree on entrepreneurship. The difference between the two being that the old school thinking was specializing and filling a niche or role working for someone else, where the new school of though is the generalist who needs to know enough about everything to run their own business.