Thread by @AnnaMeierPS

I went to an #APSA2020 panel on applying for jobs at teaching-oriented institutions—something many R1 grads want but that R1 faculty aren't always equipped to advise them on. Here's a thread with what I learned: 1/

1. Apps for teaching institutions need to look different from apps at R1s. You need to center teaching in your cover letter & CV—don't bury either. Def. don't put teaching at the end of your cover letter like you might for an R1. 2/

2. Teaching institutions know they are often not R1 applicants' 1st choice. If they *are* your first choice, you need to drive that home. Research the institution & explain why you want to work *there* specifically. 3/

3. On that note: there are many kinds of teaching institutions (liberal arts colleges, community colleges, state universities focused on teaching, etc.). & institutional identities may be changing as you apply, i.e., turning more toward research. Ask the search chair! 4/

4. It's very important to have a strong teaching philosophy. Even if you haven't taught much before, you need to show that you'd make (or are making) *purposeful* decisions in your teaching. Consider how you'd make your classroom more inclusive. Learn about universal design. 5/

5. For teaching institutions, your specific research area may matter less than your teaching expertise. For example, IR security people can apply to a posting asking for someone who can teach IPE—this doesn't mean they want you to research IPE (as long as you can teach it). 6/

6. Teaching institutions may view scholarship on teaching and learning as equivalent (or a substitute for) disciplinary scholarship. Put differently: publications on political science education/pedagogy count, & for some schools just as much as other publications. 7/

7. If you get an interview, it'll likely involve a teaching demo. (Not clear what this will look like in COVID times.) Make sure the takeaway of the lesson is clear & that you engage students in some way—don't just lecture. 8/

8. If you can, practice your teaching demo beforehand. One person recommended practicing for your family—if they can understand your explanations, your students probably can too!

(Side note: I have never heard of depts encouraging practice teaching demos. Maybe get on that?) 9/

9. During an interview, Qs about how you would teach any class mentioned in the job ad are fair game, so prep for these.

Also make sure you ask lots of Qs yourself. One panelist said interviews should be "bidirectional." 10/

Odds & ends:

-a super ambitious research agenda that requires lots of teaching release time is a disadvantage
-learn about the makeup of the student body & think how you can meet their needs
-put a cover page on your teaching portfolio saying what's in it! 11/

Big thanks to @tanyabschwarz and Terri Desai for chairing the panel and to @CharityButcher, @julianashe, Marcus Allen, and Christi Silver for taking the time to share their wisdom! /fin