2.3  College Teaching

College teaching is quite different from teaching at the K–12 level not only because of the age of the students and the level of knowledge but also because many college appointments involve a significant amount of research alongside the teaching. The kind of experience you can expect as a college-level teacher depends on which kind of institution you choose: community colleges, four-year undergraduate-focused universities, or research universities.

Teaching at a community college can be an interesting and rewarding experience. The students are often older and more diverse and international, which can make for fruitful discussions both in and out of class. Many of the students are taking classes specifically to build skills toward a career that will help build stability for their families and children. The classes are often smaller than at a large university, which means that the instructor often gets to know his or her students better. The emphasis at the college is on teaching, rather than research, which helps to foster the feeling that the instructor is strongly contributing to the college's overall mission.

Some community colleges rely quite heavily on part-time faculty, who sometimes do not have an office on campus. Others have made a concerted effort to have most of their faculty be full-time, as they recognize the stability that brings to their curriculum.