tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21758751493293069632024-03-19T02:34:50.146-07:00Get a Life, PhDSucceed in Academia and Have a Life TooTanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-59115349959078658442024-02-18T06:08:00.000-08:002024-02-18T06:08:44.644-08:00Five Tips That Will Help You Thrive as an Academic Administrator<p> </p>I have been in an administrative position for just over a year now. I started in January 2023. My position is unique. I am not a Dean or Provost. I direct a Center, but the role is unusual in that I am responsible for the physical building, the budget, the staff, the faculty, and the students. We have 20 staff members, 10 adjunct or visiting faculty, and about 200 students who live in the building at any given time. Our Center is akin to a very small campus.<div><br /></div><div>Because my position is unique, I have been hesitant to extrapolate from my experience and offer any general advice or reflections on being an academic administrator. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtBLpDmGWjflyM9F4-XvJdY-a8V9trPQzQ-uQtOYPHbMw-cAx9ojlU8KCxODygtIwMpKJuaOj0n39n9NE2R9vICytysBQPiq5_OjQpeQFGJdZ8mwjeo19djrqUgU0erh9hT8bYjTJb_qu7fRxoAcvHJ4oKdcda2uz4MjhNLB4jIBwm4cDYGVUlJCGu5E/s722/Screenshot%202024-02-18%20at%209.00.53%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="722" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtBLpDmGWjflyM9F4-XvJdY-a8V9trPQzQ-uQtOYPHbMw-cAx9ojlU8KCxODygtIwMpKJuaOj0n39n9NE2R9vICytysBQPiq5_OjQpeQFGJdZ8mwjeo19djrqUgU0erh9hT8bYjTJb_qu7fRxoAcvHJ4oKdcda2uz4MjhNLB4jIBwm4cDYGVUlJCGu5E/w320-h292/Screenshot%202024-02-18%20at%209.00.53%20AM.png" title="Photo of an event with the Provost at UCDC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's me on the left - moderating a conversation with our Provost.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>That said, here are five things that have helped me thrive in my first year as the Executive Director of the University of California Washington Center. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Read books on leadership and people management.</b> There are tons of books that offer guidance and most of the advice translates to the academy. I prefer the books that are based on empirical research over the ones that are just the insights of one successful leader.</li><li><b>Block out two hours a day for “focus time.”</b> Use that time to do tasks that require deep thinking. For me, that is sometimes my research and sometimes strategic planning. I enjoy writing and thus make time for it but my job also requires some deep thinking so I choose which of those two kinds of tasks I will focus on each day.</li><li><b>Be ruthless about only working eight hours a day and not working on weekends</b>. The tasks will fit into the time you allocate them. Try it before deciding it's impossible.</li><li><b>Be ruthless about protecting time for self-care and connection with people who care about you. </b>For me, this involves daily meditation, yoga, daily hikes with friends, and cooking and eating home-cooked food. </li><li><b>Get clarity on your values and stay true to them</b>. Only do the work if it’s meaningful to you.</li></ol><div>What about you? Have you considered taking on an administrative position?</div></div></div>Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-90422838763675565192022-09-09T08:02:00.000-07:002022-09-09T08:02:54.433-07:00How Time Blocking and Time Tracking Can Keep You on Track While Working from Home<p> This academic year, I am back on campus and back in the office, but our adaptation to remote life means I have more work-from-home days than I did pre-COVID. The semester is just getting started, but it looks like I will have at least 3 days a week where I can work from home.</p>
<p>I love working from home, at least part-time. But, I also find that I can spend the entire day in front of my screen all day without feeling like I have gotten very much done. Somehow the whole day goes by, and I still haven’t gone for a walk, cleaned my kitchen, or responded to all the emails. To address this issue, I decided to pull out my toolkit and see what tools are most useful for my work-from-home days.</p>
<p>Drawing from the infinite wisdom of <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2010/01/18/semester-needs-plan" target="_blank">Kerry Ann Rockquemore</a>, <a href="http://www.raulpacheco.org/2013/08/scheduling-my-academic-life-to-the-very-minute-my-weekly-template/" target="_blank">Raul Pacheco-Vega</a>, and <a href="https://www.calnewport.com/blog/2013/12/21/deep-habits-the-importance-of-planning-every-minute-of-your-work-day/" target="_blank">Cal Newport</a>, I developed a system for working from home that involves a weekly template, time blocking, and time tracking.</p>
<p>The first step is to develop a weekly template, which I explain in more detail in this <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2013/08/start-semester-off-right-make-weekly.html" target="_blank">post</a>.</p>
<p>This semester, I am teaching just one class, but I have a fair number of commitments and thus have a lot of meetings. Thus, my afternoons are generally blocked off for teaching and meetings. My mornings are my <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2010/10/when-is-your-prime-time.html" target="_blank">prime time, </a>so that’s when I write.</p>
<p>Here is my weekly template for this Fall semester.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPr_4g4oGmz-zbDoAhb_TAUVyRV9svthYGmT66SRy9UxrYJAC4-P5ZgjlUBkd-bXwldXbNCwCs7NVLNh7sJxoYwLTQKcFeyPR__1sxwyFY2IOZucT4HrJCODuLpByFyaY5Px2Y5755ulHxH5onXAwueJwC7Kr4TD60p9qycZbbuq9JecXIdkLozvN/s1042/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-09%20at%207.47.15%20AM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1042" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPr_4g4oGmz-zbDoAhb_TAUVyRV9svthYGmT66SRy9UxrYJAC4-P5ZgjlUBkd-bXwldXbNCwCs7NVLNh7sJxoYwLTQKcFeyPR__1sxwyFY2IOZucT4HrJCODuLpByFyaY5Px2Y5755ulHxH5onXAwueJwC7Kr4TD60p9qycZbbuq9JecXIdkLozvN/w320-h228/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-09%20at%207.47.15%20AM.png" title="My weekly template for Fall 2022" width="320" /></a></div>
<p> This is just a template. I can copy and paste it into a new Excel tab and adjust it according to the time I wake up and the actual meetings and tasks I have for that day. For example, on Thursday, I woke up very early (thanks to jet lag) and had two meetings planned – one at noon and one at 3pm. Before doing my meditation, I made a plan for the day based on my commitments and aspirations (which included going for a walk and doing some virtual yoga).</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt-iIfiRP_ugJXp7_Z2bxVGVig-mP9YTqS0PZyB_LbEPOiwSpsQJ0fFYQu-6_G-CQ5yal6y9HwMHfG2lYB3WJ5VsuJYkAldwWg5g4Sb9H7fLkOPfGIkT5kAblEE_FJb8FGo1kPRV9QxuM9cnIAFM-pHKQoyLBmyydTW6iWxugXiGUnMP_kw5stlc0/s844/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-09%20at%207.49.54%20AM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt-iIfiRP_ugJXp7_Z2bxVGVig-mP9YTqS0PZyB_LbEPOiwSpsQJ0fFYQu-6_G-CQ5yal6y9HwMHfG2lYB3WJ5VsuJYkAldwWg5g4Sb9H7fLkOPfGIkT5kAblEE_FJb8FGo1kPRV9QxuM9cnIAFM-pHKQoyLBmyydTW6iWxugXiGUnMP_kw5stlc0/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-09%20at%207.49.54%20AM.png" /></a></div>
<p>I pretty much never do exactly what I say I am going to do. However, I more or less stay on track by time-tracking in 30-minute increments. On Thursday, I did write for two hours as planned, but not exactly in the time slots I had planned. When it came time to do yoga, a nap seemed more appealing. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, I had written for two hours and completed a pending review. I also responded to all the emails I needed to answer and went to my meetings.</p>
<p> At 4:30pm, when my last meeting was over, I felt empowered to shut down my computer and go for a swim.</p>
<p>If I hadn’t done the time tracking and time blocking, this kind of day – which started at 4:45am and ended at 4:30pm – could feel like a 12-hour work day. But, the data make it clear that I in fact worked for 7 and a half hours, and the rest of the time was spent napping, exercising, and taking care of my basic needs. The time tracking also made it clear that I could stop working at 4:30pm as I had a very productive day.</p>
<p>This system may seem a little <i>extra</i> to some of you. But, if you find yourself floundering while working from home or not getting the self-care you hope to get, I encourage you to try a version of this system of creating a weekly template, time blocking, and time tracking.</p>
Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-40278948310286585872021-11-12T11:33:00.000-08:002021-11-12T11:34:30.530-08:00Three Things Your Academic Book Must Have: An Argument, a Theoretical Contribution, and a StructureI recently challenged authors on <a href="https://twitter.com/tanyaboza/status/1458267253233750017?s=20" target="_blank">Twitter</a> to state the core argument of their non-fiction book in a tweet. It’s harder than it sounds to state your argument clearly and succinctly. It’s also a necessary step in the manuscript development process. <div><br /></div><div>If you are writing a nonfiction book and can’t articulate the argument in a tweet, don’t worry. I have written several books, and usually have no idea what the argument is until I have drafted most of the chapters. If you aren’t there yet, keep writing and thinking. </div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">You need an Argument </h2><div>So, what is an argument?
An argument is not a topic or a description of themes the book addresses.</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead, as Wendy Belcher writes in her <a href="https://amzn.to/3DdpBwX" target="_blank">book</a>, an argument is a statement someone can disagree with. And, as Helen Sword <a href="https://amzn.to/3wI68lF" target="_blank">explains</a>, every non-fiction book needs a question. The process of leading the reader from your question to your answer is your argument. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are some examples of clear and succinct arguments from the tweet thread:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhy_3Z9XT2CqIijBqBNzYbTAJSH9s39Qoth-RzvkebQBjl3zcZn1dN4e1ob01v4Skfg7UxZUSjpcP23myVYt4ZOl6M9AF-UWyc-C-v5hpzEzUOFTnNN8d9JHcBgHXSi86OSdnfY2NVRgE/s1156/Screen+Shot+2021-11-12+at+11.15.05+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="1156" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhy_3Z9XT2CqIijBqBNzYbTAJSH9s39Qoth-RzvkebQBjl3zcZn1dN4e1ob01v4Skfg7UxZUSjpcP23myVYt4ZOl6M9AF-UWyc-C-v5hpzEzUOFTnNN8d9JHcBgHXSi86OSdnfY2NVRgE/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-11-12+at+11.15.05+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bQzaJEHuTayCVEpqWvcjBNLsU3szRF3Qi97_QfTz-p6Hj-vlOEe45xvXv0uSV-OLij2aB2qZXuGSJfDwIFSotIZ5W0U0L8QXNtEQabnVup3v19Jg-fFl2R95KjRntZmFSpkcvAQ2UJE/s1192/Screen+Shot+2021-11-12+at+11.14.47+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1192" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bQzaJEHuTayCVEpqWvcjBNLsU3szRF3Qi97_QfTz-p6Hj-vlOEe45xvXv0uSV-OLij2aB2qZXuGSJfDwIFSotIZ5W0U0L8QXNtEQabnVup3v19Jg-fFl2R95KjRntZmFSpkcvAQ2UJE/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-11-12+at+11.14.47+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The thread inspired me to gain some clarity on my argument in the book I am currently writing. I have been writing this book since 2017, have drafted most of the chapters, and am still working on my argument. Thus, I came up with two versions. The first version describes the argument I am making in the book, using academic language. </div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">Disinvestment and coercive investment in Black communities in DC have displaced and dispossessed Black residents, making gentrification through racialized reinvestment possible.
</div></blockquote><p>I explain all those big words in the book. But, after reading through the thread, I realized I liked the arguments that use simple language better. So I tried again: </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">The choice to use prisons and policing to solve the problems faced by Black communities in DC in the 20th century, instead of investing in schools, community centers, social services, health care, drug treatment, and violence prevention, is what made gentrification possible in the 21st century. </p></blockquote><p>As you can see, you can disagree with this statement. And, per Helen Sword’s guidance, my argument answers my guiding question of what factors led to gentrification. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">You need a theoretical framework </h2><p>In addition to an argument, you need a compelling theoretical framework. The theoretical framework is where you explain how your argument is novel and how it relates to what we already know about your topic. You could have a great argument like: “Mass incarceration is the New Jim Crow,” but, <a href="https://amzn.to/3onkgwD" target="_blank">Michelle Alexander</a> already made that argument so it’s unlikely anyone would want to publish that. </p><p>An academic book does not need a literature review in the same way a dissertation does. If you don’t believe, me, pick up your favorite academic book and see how much lit review there is in the introduction. Often, it’s just a few paragraphs. It is almost never a full chapter. </p><p>The manuscript I am working on engages with three fields: housing inequality, the War on Drugs, and gentrification. Thus, I explain in the Introduction what we already know about these three areas and how my intervention is new. </p><p>The Introduction explains how Black communities, even those dominated by Black homeowners have been <i>dispossessed</i>; how poor, working, and middle-class Black communities across the city experienced <i>disinvestment</i> and then <i>coercive investment</i>, and how <i>reinvestment</i> is racialized today.
As you can see, it all has to stay on the same theme – with a tight focus on the core argument. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">You need a structure </h2><p>Once you know what your core argument and interventions are, you need to figure out how you are building your argument throughout the book. Each chapter should contribute to your core argument. </p><p>I am doing this in my book manuscript by focusing first on <i>disinvestment</i>, then on <i>coercive investment,</i> and then on <i>reinvestment</i>. This is in line with my argument that <i>disinvestment</i> and <i>coercive investment </i>in Black communities in DC have displaced and dispossessed Black residents, making gentrification through <i>racialized reinvestment </i>possible. </p><p>I am not making the whole argument in each chapter, but instead focusing on one piece of the argument in each section, which includes two chapters. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Part I: Disinvestment </i><br />Ch 1: Disinvestment in Black DC <br />Ch 2: The Violence of Disinvestment <br /><i>Part II: Coercive Investment </i><br />Ch 3: Crack in the Neighborhood <br />Ch 4: Bringing in the Feds <br /><i>Part III: Reinvestment </i><br />Ch 5: Chocolate City No More <br />Ch 6: Racialized Reinvestment </div></blockquote><p>There are other ways to build an argument. In my book <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3nbkBTQ" target="_blank">Deported</a></i>, I set the book up to follow a deportee’s journey, from growing up in the country of origin, to crossing the border, to growing up in the US, to getting into trouble in the US, to getting caught, to detention, and then to life after deportation. This structure allowed me to explain how global capitalism shaped each aspect of their migrant journey. </p><p>If you are having trouble envisioning how to build your argument, try using a mind map. This is where you pull out a pen and paper, write down your argument, draw a circle around it, and start drawing more lines and circles to visualize the connections you are making. This can help you see the elements of your argument and to make decisions about what chapters you need to write to build your argument. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Finally: Writing a book is an iterative process. </h2><p>Don’t expect to sit down, write a book, and publish it as is. Instead, sit down, write a draft, stop, figure out what your argument is, rewrite the manuscript to fit your argument, and then revise your argument to fit your manuscript. Repeat this process until the manuscript is doing what you want it to.</p><p>Since it takes years to write a book, make sure you have a community to support you through this long process. If you don't know anyone working on a book, the Twitter thread has lots of people you could reach out to and ask if they are also looking for support.</p>Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-27285992628816760552021-02-24T12:37:00.000-08:002021-02-24T12:37:04.552-08:00How to Teach Engaging Discussion Sections as a Teaching Assistant<i>This is a guest post by <a href="http://www.mariadduenas.com/">Maria D. Duenas,</a> PhD student at the University of California, Merced, and a long-time Teaching Assistant and Teaching Fellow in Sociology.</i><div><br /></div><div>
Graduate students are often tasked with leading discussion sections, yet graduate departments sometimes do not provide adequate <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0092055X14565516?casa_token=DXy42XWxt7UAAAAA%3AfYPUTIg0gwYwe56i_MVyyTPEq0mxxXRSNMMIa5K3RjB-vEg8o3NBojaFqvKDP13_eodxAentv7dx">training</a> on how to teach effectively. </div><div><br /></div><div>During the first year in my Ph.D. program, I remember my cohort and I feeling unsure about what we needed to do in a discussion section since, for many of us, our undergraduate institutions did not offer discussion sections. Even if you have experience being a student in a discussion section, it can be difficult to know how to plan your classes. </div><div><br /></div><div>The goal of this guest blog post is to help ease graduate student anxieties about what to do in discussion sections by providing a structure you can use in your own classes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Before describing my recommended structure, I'd like to point out that the first task you should complete when designing your discussion section is to ask your instructor of record what expectations they have of you and the discussion sections. Getting clarity on those expectations up front will make things easier down the road. </div><div><br /></div><div>Unless I get specific guidance to do otherwise, the format of my discussion sections is class announcements, a mini-lecture reviewing the key concepts of the week, and class activities.
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYNLT1CCLdtHSR7YTQ_cJmjbGxUiPhV3xNyplgw3ksruHiALqU0meoke0b_855i3G7r4r_0CQlSNS0TothXOFn4skidGsWf1qEriRXVfskd9E_fD4FlLVPkLY6h0bmFYy3-w92tDN9kI/s2048/m-monk-E813FON0wDQ-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Image of an empty classroom" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYNLT1CCLdtHSR7YTQ_cJmjbGxUiPhV3xNyplgw3ksruHiALqU0meoke0b_855i3G7r4r_0CQlSNS0TothXOFn4skidGsWf1qEriRXVfskd9E_fD4FlLVPkLY6h0bmFYy3-w92tDN9kI/w320-h213/m-monk-E813FON0wDQ-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@ingsn?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">M. Monk</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<b><div><b><br /></b></div>Class announcements </b></div><div>A good way to start classes is with class announcements. Make sure to leave plenty of time for student questions, especially in weeks with upcoming assignment deadlines. After that, I either transition into a class activity or a mini-lecture.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>A</b><b> mini-lecture reviewing the key concepts of the week </b></div><div>I review the key concepts of the week in a mini-lecture in PowerPoint. Your mini-lecture can be from 5 to 15 minutes and should cover the substantive arguments from the readings and lectures and how the arguments are supported. I use clear language and word choice in my mini-lectures and large font sizes in my PowerPoints to help create an inclusive class environment for students with disabilities and for students for whom English is not their first language. At the end of this part of class, I leave time for student questions. </div><div><br /></div><div> <b>Class activities </b></div><div>Discussion sections offer an important learning opportunity for students to discuss course concepts with each other that they may not have in a big lecture. I use 1-2 <a href="https://crlt.umich.edu/active_learning_introduction">active-learning </a> class activities (3 at most – and only if they are shorter activities) in a 50-minute class period. </div><div><br /></div><div>Using backwards lesson design, I develop class activities that get students thinking critically and talking to each other in smaller groups of 2 to 3 about the main ideas or concepts of the week. As students are discussing in groups, move around the classroom, ask students questions about concepts or the discussion questions, and answer any questions they may have. Then, bring the students into a larger discussion as a class where you incorporate clear explanations of the key take-home points throughout the discussion. If students are misunderstanding a concept or idea, class activities allow you to see what to clarify and to continue reenforcing key points. </div><div><br /></div><div>Active-learning class activities can take many forms. One example is discussion questions with open-ended questions that engage students in critical thinking. Todd Beer at <a href="https://thesocietypages.org/toolbox/critical_thinking/">Sociology Toolbox </a>has an excellent blog post with critical thinking discussion questions you can use in your classroom. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another idea is to have students watch a video that provides a real-life example of a concept and design discussion questions that ask the students to think critically about how a concept applies to the content presented in the video. You can also facilitate a guided class discussion where students inductively learn a course concept through a guided conversation. I developed a class activity that uses this technique to teach <a href="http://trails.asanet.org/Pages/Resource.aspx?ResourceID=13625">Goffman’s impression management.</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>Students enjoy game-like review sessions using <a href="https://youtu.be/mPPOHVLcrIg">Taboo</a> created through PowerPoint or <a href="https://kahoot.com/">Kahoot</a> and simulations like <a href="http://playspent.org/">PlaySpent </a> that are followed up with reflection questions. </div><div><br /></div><div>Innovative activities that get the students doing something they do not usually do are memorable and exciting. For example, I designed an <a href="http://trails.asanet.org/Pages/Resource.aspx?ResourceID=13826">activity</a> where students move around the classroom in groups to visit chat stations that list statements containing racist discourse and identify whether the statements are biological racism or one of the four frames of colorblind racism. ASA’s Teaching Resources and Innovation Library for Sociology (<a href="https://trails.asanet.org">TRAILS</a>) offers a great repository of class activities and other teaching resources that you can use in your classroom. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Concluding thoughts </b></div><div>Think of the class announcements, mini-lecture, and class activities format as adaptable to your specific course and student needs. For example, if you need to include a weekly quiz into your discussion sections, please feel comfortable adding this assessment into the general discussion section structure I present here. Christine <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2019/01/15/how-save-yourself-overpreparing-your-classes-opinion?utm_content=buffer0afca&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=IHEbuffer">Tulley</a> advises us to think of class content as interchangeable segments you can use to build a class. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lastly, remember to be easy on yourself. You are learning how to teach, which takes time. Be understanding and patient with yourself as you develop course activities, ways to explain concepts, appropriate pacing for mini-lectures and activities, and more. </div><div><br /></div><div>What are some of your favorite class activities that you incorporate in your classroom?</div>Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-62363928768578262992021-01-26T15:54:00.005-08:002021-01-26T15:54:54.409-08:00How to Write a Compelling TEDx Script: Revise, Get Feedback, RepeatI just finished writing a script for a <a href="https://youtu.be/eakUZX-pRCQ" target="_blank">TEDx talk</a> and I am certain I have never before put in so many hours into such a short piece. <div><br /></div><div>I chose to write a script instead of speaking from an outline. The talk needed to be 12 minutes or less and the best way to ensure that would happen was to write a script. <div><br /></div>
As an academic, writing a <a href="https://youtu.be/eakUZX-pRCQ">TEDx</a> script is like exercising a whole new muscle. I write all the time but had never done this particular form of writing. Learning how to do this well took a lot of time and feedback. Thus, I did something I have never done before: I got a <a href="https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/" target="_blank">speaking coach</a> who read and listened to multiple drafts.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnh4DqT9_I_syyvSyYIEPVU_SlR_9tUE2AL8lWYlWSVEwRJX3O_WFxAFAwxaGnh_opciahZMG6OnrLfGmIArzesvxXhB4dUiGUb0cppPRoOJS5w6abSBHKkj5UsjA3Zom_xVABIkjYPus/s1294/Screen+Shot+2021-01-20+at+7.25.16+AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="854" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnh4DqT9_I_syyvSyYIEPVU_SlR_9tUE2AL8lWYlWSVEwRJX3O_WFxAFAwxaGnh_opciahZMG6OnrLfGmIArzesvxXhB4dUiGUb0cppPRoOJS5w6abSBHKkj5UsjA3Zom_xVABIkjYPus/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-01-20+at+7.25.16+AM.png" /></a></div><div>The first draft of my <a href="https://youtu.be/eakUZX-pRCQ">TEDx talk</a> was similar to talks I have given in academic venues. The talk had place-based and historical references. It explained policies like redlining, White flight, and slum clearance. Here is my attempt at explaining why what I was saying in the talk was novel:
<blockquote>"If you read <a href="https://amzn.to/3pf5DL7" target="_blank">The Color of Law</a>, then you know that federal policies created racial segregation. If you read <a href="https://amzn.to/3ocXeGA" target="_blank">The New Jim Crow</a>, then you know that Black communities were devastated by mass incarceration. And, if you read <a href="https://amzn.to/2LXpIqZ">How to Kill a City,</a> then you know that gentrification has led to the displacement of working class and Black people from cities. Now, what you might not know is that segregration, incarceration, and gentrification are connected. My research into the neighborhood where I grew up has taught me that policies that created segregation laid the groundwork for mass incarceration, which in turn made gentrification possible."</blockquote> <div><br /></div>
I shared a version of the talk with this verbiage with my <a href="https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/" target="_blank">speaking coach</a>. After listening, she told me she felt like she had just attended a fascinating academic lecture. But, that is not what a TEDx talk is. I needed more storytelling. I needed to cut some of the policy descriptions to make room for the stories. I needed to slow down and tell those stories. I also needed to cut the paragraph above because most people have not read those books.<div><br /></div>
I also reached out to a developmental editor I’ve worked with in the past, <a href="http://theoutsidereader.com/OR/about/meet-audra/" target="_blank">Audra Wolfe</a>, as she has done some work on podcast and radio editing. She told me I needed to tell the stories in a way that evokes the senses and emotions. This was hard. For an academic, I might be a pretty good storyteller, but this was a whole new level. I wasn’t ready to invoke smells. But, I could try sounds. And, I knew I could invoke the visuals. I decided to describe the bus ride from my house in a primarily Black neighborhood to my school in a primarily White neighborhood.<div><br /></div>
I then presented the talk to a group of generous colleagues. My humanities colleagues, however, told me I needed to slow down and really tell the stories. This meant telling more of my own story as well as that of my friends. It meant providing more details and texture to the stories. This meant cutting even more of the policy discussions.<div><br /></div>
As a sociologist, I endeavor to strike a balance between storytelling and structural analyses. To tell more stories, I had to cut some of the policy discussions. This was hard as it all seemed so important!<div><br /></div>
I cut the part about how the Washington Real Estate Board’s code of ethics promoted racial segregation, about how White people were able to access federally-backed loans to open businesses in the 1940s, and about how only 2% of the loans insured by the FHA went to Black borrowers. I also had to cut the part about the wealth gap – DC’s White residents have 81 times the wealth of DC’s Black residents. I had to cut those because I didn’t have the space to explain them fully. There is no use giving a random fact if you can’t flesh it out.<div><br /></div>
I went back to my speaking coach with my revised script. She suggested I focus and really tell the stories I did tell. I cut the story of a family who left during White flight so that I could flesh out the other stories.<div><br /></div>
My speaking coach also said I needed a call to action for the conclusion. This was very hard. What should I tell listeners to do?<div><br /></div>
After a gut-wrenching discussion of the violence of disinvestment, lives lost, and people displaced and imprisoned, I couldn’t think of any policy suggestions that did the topic justice. More affordable housing? Changing lending laws? Providing jobs to formerly incarcerated people? None of these did the topic justice.<div><br /></div>
I reached out to my brothers, who share my politics and are not academics. I had come up with something about lessons learned and how White supremacy is encoded into laws. My brother Sean said: “Why just acknowledge the harms? Why not abolish the police?” My brother Ian said: “You wouldn’t end a talk enumerating the harms of chattel slavery by vaguely talking about profits over people and the deep roots of White supremacy, right?”<div><br /></div>
They were right. I had to stay true to my message and my values. <div><br /></div>
I revised the conclusion and ran it by my colleague and friend, Crystal, who suggested I end by calling back to the stories I had mentioned earlier. So, I did that.<div><br /></div>
I then gave the talk to three of my closest friends from Washington, DC who are not academics. They suggested I add in at least one uplifting story, so I did that. I ran it by my other brother, Justin, and his girlfriend, Tina. They suggested a couple of points that needed explanation. <div><br /></div>
I don’t know if you’re keeping count, but I definitely called in a lot of favors for this talk. I asked at least 27 friends and colleagues to either read the script or listen to the spoken version. I haven’t even mentioned everyone here. My colleague Anthony also read it and provided great feedback. He gave great tips on how to phrase things and where to slow down for more impact. My mother gave me feedback on an early version. She told me I needed to narrow down the points I was trying to make. My friend Christina told me I needed to make the argument clearer. <div><br /></div>
Once the script was done, it still wasn’t over. I needed to rehearse and to figure out how to perform the script. There was a part of the script that was very hard to deliver effectively because of the emotional ride in that part. I reached out to a friend and colleague, Nicole, who is a theatre professor and she stepped in and generously gave me some amazing tips on delivery. <div><br /></div>
My university agreed to professionally record the talk, so I delivered it on a stage. I got a student to help me with the graphics and the university’s media team put the video and graphics together. It thus looks a lot better than just me in front of the zoom screen.<div><br /></div>
I didn’t tabulate the hours I put into this effort. But, I know I worked on the talk at least 10 hours a week for 8 weeks, so at least 80 hours of writing and revising. I also spent at least another 40 hours practicing it. I listened to it and practiced it out loud every single day on my afternoon walks.<div><br /></div>
Was all this effort worth it for the <a href="https://youtu.be/eakUZX-pRCQ">TEDx </a>talk? Watch it here and let me know!
</div>Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-51114048434986515172021-01-17T07:42:00.002-08:002021-01-26T15:56:26.175-08:00If You Want to Do a TEDx Talk, Start Preparing NowExciting news: My <a href="https://youtu.be/eakUZX-pRCQ" target="_blank">TEDx talk </a>"How to Kill a Neighborhood and Make a Profit" will be released on January 23, 2021! <div><br /></div><div>I have long thought about doing a TED or a <a href="https://youtu.be/eakUZX-pRCQ">TEDx </a>talk. (TEDx events are independently organized TED events.) Thus, when I heard of a local opportunity, I applied immediately. That was in February 2020. As you can imagine, that event was canceled due to the pandemic. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once I applied, however, I started giving some serious thought to what I would say in a TEDx talk. To apply, I had to tell the organizers what I would say, so I had already come up with a throughline: Disinvestment in Washington, DC made gentrification possible. </div><div><br /></div><div>The throughline is the argument on which your entire talk is based. If you imagine your talk like a tree, the throughline is the trunk and you use the branches to fill the argument out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Your throughline should be based on your expertise. I am writing a book on this topic, am a Washington, DC native, and am a sociologist of race. For academics, the expertise and credibility part is straightforward. However, I also wanted to choose a topic I have personal as well as academic interest in. I could have given a talk based on one of my other areas of expertise, but this topic is the nearest and dearest to me because everything I discuss in the talk happened in the neighborhood where I was raised.</div><div><br /></div><div>Your throughline also should convey something novel or unexpected like Barry Schwartz’s TED <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_paradox_of_choice?language=en talk" target="_blank">talk</a>, which explains that more choice makes us less happy. That’s unexpected, right! </div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7JhGb6CvgszC2Jx52dJWPxlyMXiJPAx6ni8SQX8bvi8SfWCInhXOlOWkzyX9aqe5m15uPCkcYnY9IlZThcAb3zWyzYWARjb4V6KVjTgzfIbx7T4aR9tRljlB9WnoHpiJti5Ct6nI9jM/s2048/TedX_talk_Golash-Boza_210111-2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7JhGb6CvgszC2Jx52dJWPxlyMXiJPAx6ni8SQX8bvi8SfWCInhXOlOWkzyX9aqe5m15uPCkcYnY9IlZThcAb3zWyzYWARjb4V6KVjTgzfIbx7T4aR9tRljlB9WnoHpiJti5Ct6nI9jM/s320/TedX_talk_Golash-Boza_210111-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanya Golash-Boza delivering her <a href="https://youtu.be/eakUZX-pRCQ">TEDx talk</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The novelty doesn’t have to be something only you know, but it should be novel to a broader audience. For my topic, academics who study gentrification know that gentrification requires disinvestment. However, most people have not thought about the fact that racist housing practices and policies like redlining and blockbusting led to disinvestment in Black communities and made gentrification possible. Another twist in my talk is that the community I discuss is a Black middle-class community, which adds another novel dimension to the conversation on gentrification. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Once I had my throughline in place, I began to think about which stories I would tell – both from my own story of growing up in a neighborhood that has gentrified and from my research. There are so many stories to choose from, so I had to decide which stories would be the most compelling </div><div><br /></div><div>On November 17, 2020, the organizers from the TEDx UC Merced event reached out and told us they decided to go virtual so the event was going to take place in January 2021. And, the script was due on December 23, giving me less than five weeks to prepare. </div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily, I had already begun working on the talk because five weeks is a very short time to come up with a compelling script.
So, the first lesson in all of this is: If you want to deliver a TED or TEDx talk, start working on it now so that you are ready when the opportunity arises. (There are plenty of opportunities to deliver a TEDx talk – this <a href="https://www.ted.com/tedx/events " target="_blank">website</a> lists several events every day!) </div><div><br /></div><div>Come up with a throughline and a full outline before applying. First of all, you need a good throughline to apply in the first place. And, secondly, this will give you a head start on preparing. </div><div><br /></div><div>When I received my invitation to give my virtual TEDx talk, I had my throughline and a very draft-y version of the talk prepared. Only a few lines from that original draft made it into the final version, although the throughline stayed the same. I worked on my talk every single weekday (and some weekends) between November 17 and the date I delivered it: January 11, 2021. </div><div><br /></div><div>I will write a couple more blog posts in the coming days to provide more TEDx related tips. So, please comment below if you have questions!</div><div><br /></div><div>And, please watch and share my <a href="https://youtu.be/eakUZX-pRCQ">TEDx</a> talk!</div>Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-20517911508795563632020-05-18T08:02:00.003-07:002020-05-18T08:02:51.198-07:00How Deep Work Can Enhance Your Productivity and Creativity During the Summer of the PandemicWe are facing unprecedented times. The summer is now upon us and it will be unlike any summer we have ever experienced.<br />
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This will be the first summer in over two decades that I will stay put. When I moved to Merced, I knew the summers were very long and very hot. But, I also thought that I would be able to leave for at least a month each summer to escape the heat. Clearly, that won’t be happening this summer.<br />
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I am particularly disappointed about having to postpone our writing <a href="https://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/belize-2021.html" target="_blank">retreat</a> which was going to be on a private island in Belize, but, this is our new reality and I have accepted that.<br />
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With three long, hot months ahead of me, I know I need to plan to make sure that I emerge from the summer feeling relaxed and rejuvenated and ready to take on whatever the fall semester may bring.<br />
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I also have work to do as I have <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1917867" target="_blank">grant-funded research </a>that needs to happen this summer.<br />
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Fortunately, I know from both research and experience that it is possible to have a summer that is both productive and relaxing. Today, I will share some strategies with you that will also help you to have a productive and relaxing summer.<br />
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This will require using small chunks of focused time for <a href="https://amzn.to/367NKVW" target="_blank">deep work</a>. Cal Newport, a computer science professor at Georgetown University, defines “deep work” as “professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capacities to their limit.”<br />
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<a href="https://amzn.to/367NKVW" target="_blank">Newport</a> argues we have to work in distraction-free environments to reach the limits of our cognitive capacity.<br />
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The work we do as academic writers requires tremendous cognitive capacity. To publish our research, we have to create new knowledge. That requires first understanding at a very deep level the current state of the field and then having the creativity and ingenuity to create new knowledge. The work we do is not mundane. We are creating new knowledge and this requires deep work.<br />
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There are some knowledge-creators who have the luxury of going to lakeside retreats by themselves for weeks or months at a time where they can achieve a state of flow and concentration that allows them to make important breakthroughs. If you are a single person who lives alone, you may wish to try out a monastic strategy where you cut yourself off from the world completely for a week to focus on your research and writing. However, I know that is not possible for most of us. And, fortunately, there are other ways to achieve this state of distraction-free concentration.<br />
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My strategy is to carve out two hours each morning to focus on deep work. I know from over a decade of experience that focused work for two hours every day is all I need to achieve very high levels of productivity. I have been keeping track of the time I spend writing since 2007. Thus, I can say with certainty that I have written for about two hours a day every weekday for the last 13 years. I have only written more than two hours on very rare occasions and have written several books and dozens of journal articles within that time. Thus, I am confident that two hours of deep work is all I need to have a productive summer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl3cblJmA3YrVo1Wug_Lvxen4slFFtt2vC7wE_9qq-xjJuyhRlUV3kN8cnIQG49fjOB-DXS-blaeI3bH7e-BkpVdra2wFLBypgPR4ajVeKQQLZyTFWOl8plSDk7YcXywTG0XA1HrsXGE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-14+at+9.05.02+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1308" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl3cblJmA3YrVo1Wug_Lvxen4slFFtt2vC7wE_9qq-xjJuyhRlUV3kN8cnIQG49fjOB-DXS-blaeI3bH7e-BkpVdra2wFLBypgPR4ajVeKQQLZyTFWOl8plSDk7YcXywTG0XA1HrsXGE/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-14+at+9.05.02+AM.png" width="326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Summer 2020 weekly template</td></tr>
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<br />Unfortunately, I won’t be able to just write for two hours and call it a day because I have lots of other work to do that is not deep work. Thus, I plan to set aside another two to three hours each weekday to manage the dozen or so employees I have working for me, to respond to emails, and to plan out and troubleshoot my ongoing research.<br />
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I also know that exercise and self-care will be very important so I have set aside time in my schedule for those activities.<br />
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I show you my summer plan here and will walk you through the logic behind my decisions. I wake up very early. I am an early riser, so this is not difficult for me. Also, as I mentioned above, it gets very hot here in Merced, California. However, the early morning hours are cooler and this is the time I would be able to get in a jog. Thus, I plan to jog for 30 minutes four days a week, first thing in the morning.<br />
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I also will meditate just before writing as I find that meditating greatly improves my focus and helps me get into the mindset of doing deep work.<br />
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Sitting for two hours is not the best thing for my back, so I will do yoga after meditating to stretch out those kinks. Then, I will take a break to have lunch and do some housework. Then, I will spend 2 to 3 hours taking care of email and meeting with my students and employees before dedicating the rest of the day to hang out with my partner and our three teenage daughters.<br />
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And, one day a week I will break up this routine and go on a long morning hike. I chose the morning time because this is the only time it will be cool enough for a long hike.<br />
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You will notice that I also set aside time for email and housework. The logic behind doing that is that, knowing that I have those activities on my calendar will make it easier for me to not <a href="https://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2020/01/dont-check-your-email-in-morning.html" target="_blank">get lost in email </a>when I should be writing or decide that I really need to dust the ceiling fans during times I have set aside for writing.<br />
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How about you? Have you come up with a <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2013/08/start-semester-off-right-make-weekly.html" target="_blank">weekly template</a> for your summer? Will you be able to set up an hour or two of distraction-free time for yourself?Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-33254160835840178832020-04-03T15:42:00.000-07:002020-04-03T17:00:12.319-07:00How to make effective teaching videos for online instructionWhen preparing an online class, videos may be the first thing to come to mind. And, videos can be a great idea. However, you certainly do not want to transform your 50-minute lecture into a 50-minute video.<br />
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Instead, think carefully about your learning goals for each class session. And, think about which portions of your lecture class are best suited for video format.<br />
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You can teach your learning goals that don’t require videos through lecture notes, assigned readings, discussion boards, podcasts, and online activities. (You can check out my LMS site for some <a href="https://catcourses.ucmerced.edu/courses/15043">examples</a>.)<br />
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Once you’ve settled on a learning goal you think is well-suited for a short video, the first step is to do an online search to see if someone else has already made an excellent short video on the topic. There’s absolutely no need to reinvent the wheel. If you want to introduce a concept and there is a highly produced, scientifically accurate video freely available online, by all means, use that one.<br />
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(For example, I have created <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f7Pe5bO82E&list=PLS0kClioGuMg7u5DWMH6V5Iaohy4xDcbb">18 videos for teaching race and racism</a>, and you may find some of these useful instead of creating your own video that explains the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OYqBNtnBpM&list=PLS0kClioGuMg7u5DWMH6V5Iaohy4xDcbb&index=5">difference between race and ethnicity</a> or what <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f7Pe5bO82E&list=PLS0kClioGuMg7u5DWMH6V5Iaohy4xDcbb&index=1">racial formation theory</a> is.)<br />
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If, on the other hand, there is nothing available that conveys exactly what you’d like to teach, it’s time to make your own short video. <br />
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<b>How to make own videos for teaching<br />
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Making videos for teaching can be fun, although making high-quality videos takes a lot of time. I took over a year to make those 18 videos, and I had a lot of help. Here are a few simple steps to follow to make your videos.<br />
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<b>Step 1: Write a script.<br />
</b>Your script should be between 100 and 500 words. It takes about one minute to read 100 words, so that will keep your videos at an ideal length of 1 to 5 minutes.<br />
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<b>Step 2: Decide on the media for each sentence.<br />
</b>Look at each sentence in your script and decide on the best way to convey that sentence. There are at least four possibilities: 1) live-action; 2) still images; 3) slides with words; and 4) pre-recorded videos.<br />
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Our brains use two primary channels to take in information – audio and visual. We can use both channels simultaneously but can only take in input on one type of channel at a time. Both listening to and reading words are on the audio channel. So, we can listen to audio and look at an image. But, we can’t listen to audio and read words at the same time. Thus, if you show words on the screen, use the same ones you are speaking, and keep the words minimal.<br />
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<b>Step 3: Create a story board that assigns media for each sentence in your video.<br />
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I use PowerPoint for my story boards, but you should use whatever technology is easiest for you. Some people like to use Excel sheets for story boards, for example.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Photo of Woman Holding Brown Book With Her Child" height="213" src="https://images.pexels.com/photos/3818561/pexels-photo-3818561.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=750&w=1260" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels<br />
<a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-holding-brown-book-with-her-child-3818561/">https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-holding-brown-book-with-her-child-3818561/</a></td></tr>
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<b>Step 4: Start with still images.<br />
</b>There are tons of free images available on sites like <a href="https://www.pexels.com/">pexels</a>, <a href="https://unsplash.com/">unsplash</a>, and <a href="https://flickr.com/">flickr</a>. You can also find historical images in wikicommons. Try to find images that add value to what you are saying. If you are talking about emotional bonds, for example, you can show a photo of a mother and child. The image reinforces the message. Look at each sentence and decide if it can be conveyed using an image.<br />
<br />
<b>Step 5: Add in one or two pre-recorded videos</b>.<br />
Pexels and other sites also have free videos available that you can record your voice over. The use of moving images instead of still images can keep the viewer entertained for longer periods of time. There may also be concepts that are better captured through movement such as the movement of boats across water to discuss migration via sea routes.<br />
<br />
<b>Step 6: Add in slides with words, phrases, or figures that are critical.</b><br />
Your slides with just words on them should be minimal. But, if there is a definition, concept, sentence, or figure students need to see, include a slide with that concept.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXsiWyuTq7tQCzh8-DZDYxewMQa9LKIB3Ojg2VcNus2ewPVyYb5iOtuyJypDDixBaIkyllhNeuBPkkq8NTFs2cd8_NUeMBO4-yB6RLZYZYv68OCfhyphenhyphen4xZT-Jb0bNuKb9GRBDVt3eX3JA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-04-03+at+3.40.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="1282" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXsiWyuTq7tQCzh8-DZDYxewMQa9LKIB3Ojg2VcNus2ewPVyYb5iOtuyJypDDixBaIkyllhNeuBPkkq8NTFs2cd8_NUeMBO4-yB6RLZYZYv68OCfhyphenhyphen4xZT-Jb0bNuKb9GRBDVt3eX3JA/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-04-03+at+3.40.38+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example of a slide that includes a definition and an image.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Step 7: Include some live-action</b><br />
Live-action involves you speaking. When students see your face, it creates a human connection. So, having some live-action is useful. It can be a good idea to include some live-action at the beginning or in those places where you can’t find an image that works well.<br />
<br />
As should be clear, making good videos takes a lot of thought and time. So, only make videos for your classes if you have determined you really need them. Otherwise, use alternative methods of conveying information.<br />
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<br />Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-83118518544329841992020-01-06T14:57:00.002-08:002020-01-06T14:57:19.263-08:00How to Have a Productive Day Working from HomeIt seems as if it should be straightforward – if you have the whole day to work at home, you should be super productive. Just work all day, long, right?<br />
<br />
If you are able to consistently have days where you sit in front of your computer and write for hours on end, then kudos to you. I, on the other hand, find that if I am not mindful about how I spend my time, a day that is free of appointments can end up being a frustrating, unproductive day.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2gG1EZH_funOBJNcqLwlNVlMySs_VSUJf1pvNTMUviIaZx623PtxitTiMcLdbtIlqJfB6l0k5TKFdayxc0A8ELO29da9dlgmS1rhKVDN2TbbYhbXzvjqwB8asHOqiKiAg7rLH42SX40/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-06+at+2.50.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="958" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2gG1EZH_funOBJNcqLwlNVlMySs_VSUJf1pvNTMUviIaZx623PtxitTiMcLdbtIlqJfB6l0k5TKFdayxc0A8ELO29da9dlgmS1rhKVDN2TbbYhbXzvjqwB8asHOqiKiAg7rLH42SX40/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-01-06+at+2.50.14+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love my home office!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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My very best writing days are the ones I have at my annual writing <a href="https://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/belize-2020.html">retreat</a>, where I am in a beautiful location, surrounded by amazing women writers. I try and replicate that experience about once a month by meeting up with friends at a mountain café and then going on a hike with them afterward. Alas, I can’t do a <a href="https://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2017/08/mini-retreats-writing-blissfully-during.html">mini-retreat</a> every day or even every week.<br />
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I can, however, work my schedule such that I have at least one day where I work from home. And, how I cherish those days!<br />
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<b>Here is my recipe for a productive day of work from home:<br />
</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Wake up: 5:45am (I know … I am an early riser)<br />
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5:45-6:00am: Prepare my almond milk latte and sit on my couch and savor it.<br />
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6:00am-7:00am: WRITE!<br />
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7:00-7:20am: Take my daughter to school (We live in a small town so I can do a round trip in 20 minutes)<br />
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7:20-8:30: Go for a run and have breakfast.<br />
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8:30-9:30am: WRITE!<br />
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9:30-10:00am: Shower and get ready for the day (I always need a little break after a long writing session)<br />
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10:00-11:00am: Reading and/or data analysis<br />
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11:00am-11:30: Lunch prep (I do love putting things in my Instant pot and then getting back to work).<br />
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11:30-12:30pm: Reading and/or data analysis.<br />
<br />
12:30-1:00pm: Lunch<br />
<br />
1:00pm-2:00pm: Email (It is important to avoid email for most of the day to stay focused but I can't ignore it all day, so after lunch is a good time to check it.)<br />
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2:00pm-3:00pm: Review papers. Take care of administrative business.<br />
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3:00pm-3:30pm: Youtube Yoga session<br />
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3:30-4:30: Meet colleague for tea or have phone call.<br />
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4:30-5:00pm: Final email check of the day<br />
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5:00pm: Shut down work for the day<br />
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<br />
If you are counting (and I know some of you are), that’s 2 hours of writing; two hours of reading and/or data analysis; 90 minutes of email; one hour of meetings; and one hour of administrivia.<br />
<br />
For me, that would be a super-productive day at home. What is most important to me about this schedule is that I get all of my focused work done in the morning. In my experience, the single most important thing I need to make this happen is to avoid email and social media before finishing all of my focused time. The second most important thing is to have a clear cutoff time for email – where I stop checking email for the day.<br />
<br />
Having this schedule is also helpful because, when I am writing, I might start thinking: “I really should put a load in the laundry.” If I have some light housework on my schedule, I can just tell myself that I will do it at the scheduled time. Likewise, if I remember an email I have been meaning to send, I can make a note and then send it when my email time comes around.<br />
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I also will schedule phone calls in the afternoon of my stay-at-home days because I often can take those calls while going on a nice walk around my neighborhood. Having this schedule in mind makes it easier for me to time those phone calls well.<br />
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How about you? What does an ideal work-from-home day look like for you?<br />
<br />
PS: We have had a couple of cancellations for our <a href="https://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/belize-2020.html">retreat</a> in Belize this June. Apply <a href="https://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/belize-2020.html">here</a> today and we may be able to get you a spot!<br />
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<br />
<br />Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-37952699123834497782020-01-02T10:22:00.002-08:002020-01-02T10:24:36.653-08:00Don’t Check Your Email in the Morning<br />
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<img alt="Woman in White T-shirt Holding Smartphone in Front of Laptop" height="213" src="https://images.pexels.com/photos/914931/pexels-photo-914931.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=750&w=1260" width="320" /></div>
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You likely have heard this advice before. You may have even followed it for some time. You may have even read the book: <i><a href="https://amzn.to/39wo9qV" target="_blank">Never Check Email in the Morning</a></i>. But, if you’re anything like me, you tried avoiding email in the morning, and it worked for a while before you slipped back into your old habits.<br />
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We tell ourselves all kinds of stories for why we have to check email in the morning. Here are a few things I tell myself:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>It’s efficient to check and delete emails from my phone while drinking my morning coffee.</li>
<li>It’s important to know what’s coming for the day.</li>
<li>There may be something urgent I need to respond to.</li>
<li>I can quickly scan my emails and then move on to other tasks.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Despite what I may tell myself, I am not that important. Nothing will happen if I don’t check my email all morning. And, although it may seem efficient to scan my email in the morning, it is not.<br />
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I recently read this great book by Cal Newport called <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2SMzInP" target="_blank">Deep Work</a></i>. In that book, he describes research which reveals it is harder to focus after checking email or social media. He explains that any activity you do affects your level of focus in the next activity you engage in. Thus, even if you take five minutes to scan your email or scroll through Twitter, that experience will leave a residue. The “attention residue” from email or social media is detrimental to your ability to focus on the next task. Email and social media are particularly detrimental to activities that require a high level of focus such as writing.<br />
<br />
<br />
You will be able to achieve a higher level of focus and clarity in your writing if you get your writing done before checking your email and social media accounts.<br />
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I am Department Chair this year and I have to respond to lots of emails in that and other administrative capacities. During the Fall semester, I was able to handle those responsibilities while also getting my writing done in September and October. In November, however, I added three out-of-town trips to my already packed schedule and my writing fell by the wayside. Looking back, one of the main reasons I got so little writing done in November is that I began my days responding to emails. Once I opened my emails, it was difficult to achieve the focus I needed to make progress on my writing.<br />
<br />
When I couldn’t focus on my writing, I turned to social media, which was a further distraction from my writing.<br />
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Thus, in the coming Spring semester, I am going to avoid email and all social media until I complete my writing tasks for the day. Then, I will limit both activities to specific times of the day.<br />
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My plan is to wake up at 6am, write for one hour, take my daughter to school, go for a run, have breakfast, and then sit down for my second writing session. Once my second session is over, I will check my emails. I then will close my email and check it again at the end of the day. At 5pm, I will log out of my email and close the program until the next day. In <i>Deep Work</i>, Cal Newport also recommends having an official end to the workday to allow the mind time to reset and refocus.<br />
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I also set up my phone so that I am limited to a total of 30 minutes per day on social media. I will only engage with social media once I have finished my writing and will avoid social media after dinner. This will allow me more time to spend focusing on my family as well as reading great books.<br />
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It should not be difficult for me to keep this routine during the month of January, as my semester does not officially start until January 14th and classes don’t begin until January 21st. Thus, no one expects a quick response from me during this time. My hope is that I will be emboldened and inspired by my writing productivity during the month of January and that I will thus keep this up for the rest of the semester.<br />
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How about you? What will it take for you to get your email and social media habits under control?Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-3412599832921695732019-07-11T09:09:00.002-07:002019-07-11T09:09:20.033-07:00Seven Strategies to Help You Become a More Creative and Productive WriterWould you like to become more creative, more focused, more relaxed, and more productive? Did you know research shows there are specific habits you can develop that will enhance your ability to be all of these things?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGS96cGmZsQJqw6Pw_JBttuIf4Bt6kd92DCc4hzK1Ub1eEstVS46Wb8i0AUHetDP6VvzpggIe8gmtiqrs3Ak4iyzgB1nX87Ww-jxJShtzH0KqRD3u3K_zwnd0Fphh-eC4hWr1U_WpffO7/s1600/018-Belize+island+resort+overwater+bungalows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGS96cGmZsQJqw6Pw_JBttuIf4Bt6kd92DCc4hzK1Ub1eEstVS46Wb8i0AUHetDP6VvzpggIe8gmtiqrs3Ak4iyzgB1nX87Ww-jxJShtzH0KqRD3u3K_zwnd0Fphh-eC4hWr1U_WpffO7/s320/018-Belize+island+resort+overwater+bungalows.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagine writing in this environment!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There are many myths prevalent in academia that make it difficult for many of us to imagine we can be creative, focused, relaxed, and productive. These myths include: “the only way to be successful is to work all the time;” “some people are gifted writers;” “I can only write when I feel inspired;” and “a balanced life is impossible when you are on the tenure track.” These myths are counterproductive and prevent many academics from reaching their full potential.<br />
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Instead of believing these myths, I <i>know</i> that anyone can become a great writer by practicing their writing; that you can be successful and have a life too; and that there are specific strategies you can learn that will help you tap into your creativity.<br />
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Developing new ideas, which is at the core of academia, requires being creative. Your ability to tap into your creative potential is severely limited when you are frazzled, stressed, and overworked. Thus, although it might seem contradictory, being productive requires setting limits on how much you work.<br />
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I am sure you can think of a few writers you admire for their craft. I am also sure that those writers did not just wake up one day with the ability to write. Instead, they developed that skill over many years. The good news is that you can do that too. You can develop the ability to write clearly and convincingly, by practicing and honing your writing skills.<br />
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There are many strategies you can learn that will help you to become less stressed, more creative, and more productive. Seven of my favorite strategies include:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Daily writing</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>Unplugging</li>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Spending time in nature</li>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Meditation and mindfulness</li>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>Getting regular exercise</li>
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<li>Connecting to others via conversations about your work</li>
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You can find ways to incorporate these strategies into your summer writing routine. For example, have you considered writing every morning before connecting to the Internet? Have you tried meditating? Are you using the summer months to catch up on your sleep? Are you enjoying the beach or the mountains this summer? Have you considered taking a walk without your phone in the evenings?<br />
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If you would like some help thinking about how to do all of these things, I incorporate all of these strategies into the <a href="https://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/belize-2020.html">Creative Connections writing retreat</a> I co-facilitate every year. If you are interested, we have a few spots left for the June 2020 retreat. Participants find that this retreat is the perfect way to refresh and start their summer.<br />
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The <a href="https://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/belize-2020.html">Creative Connections</a> writing retreat for women academics is based on the idea that there are four elements that lead to enhanced creativity: 1) focused writing time; 2) spending time unplugged and in nature; 3) connections via conversations about our work; and 4) meditation and mindfulness activities that enhance focus and allow us to tap into our creative potential.<br />
<br />
This retreat will use a combination of these proven techniques to create a space that not only provides for productivity during this week, but that also teaches participants valuable skills they can use for the remainder of their careers. Producing cutting-edge scholarship requires imaginative and creative abilities and this retreat is designed to maximize creativity and productivity.<br />
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The retreat is already 50% full. If you are interested, apply today to secure your spot.<br />
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Whether or not you are able to join I wish you a creative, productive, and relaxed rest of your summer and look forward to hearing in the comments the ways you use to tap into your creativity.<br />
<br />Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-63213323506984792122018-10-25T09:52:00.001-07:002018-10-25T09:52:17.514-07:00Why Daily Writing Leads to ProductivityI began developing my daily writing habit in December 2006 – over ten years ago! Since then, I have written almost every weekday, except for vacations, of course. And, I have written a ton. I also have <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SY4FRAgAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">published</a> a lot.<br />
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In 2006, when I began to write daily, I had two published articles and a dissertation. Today, I have published five sole-authored books, over 50 articles and book chapters, and dozens of blog posts, online essays, and OpEds.<br />
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A few years ago, I wrote a <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2015/10/how-to-develop-daily-writing-habit.html">post</a> about how to write every day.<br />
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This post is about why daily writing works.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoF2T1SqvWhNzz0ZThVE3seIy0YJVfahfdXoYyi4X1eSga4-haBh-ynTRGLiaCiNCWYwt7ubUvLlqg14OD6jRiq03hvhnasHBSjwu03LewdwWxRmUyJktRGw9Z0gNcm9WcLa8oHvOp-c/s1600/pexels-photo-273222.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoF2T1SqvWhNzz0ZThVE3seIy0YJVfahfdXoYyi4X1eSga4-haBh-ynTRGLiaCiNCWYwt7ubUvLlqg14OD6jRiq03hvhnasHBSjwu03LewdwWxRmUyJktRGw9Z0gNcm9WcLa8oHvOp-c/s320/pexels-photo-273222.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have writing on my calendar every morning. I write for two hours a day most days, and I get in a minimum of 30 minutes of writing on days when my schedule is packed with teaching and/or meetings. I thus write for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of two hours every weekday.<br />
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At the beginning of the week, I decide what writing tasks I will work on, and which days I will focus on which tasks. Sometimes, I have no pressing deadlines. This means I have to think ahead to figure out which writing tasks I should focus on.<br />
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For example, I have an article due November 15. But, my co-author is working on it. I need to wait to hear back from her before I can work on it again. I also have been working on a grant proposal due in January. But, I don’t want to work on it now because I sent a draft to two readers. I am waiting to hear back from them before I get back to revising it. This means I don’t have anything to work on right now that has a deadline in the next couple of months.<br />
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I thus am writing today only because it is a habit – not because I have an upcoming deadline.<br />
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On Sunday evening, I pulled out my task list for the year to see what I can work on.<br />
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I have three pieces due at the end of February 2019. For two of them, I have to wait for co-authors to do their part before I can move forward. But, there is one of them that I can work on. I thus am likely to finish that piece way ahead of schedule. And, that is great because I have two other pieces also due in late February.<br />
<br />
I think this is one of the main reasons daily writing leads to high productivity. <b><i>If you set aside time to write, you will write regardless of whether or not you have an impending deadline.</i></b> And, if you wait until you have a deadline to write, you might find that your deadlines are stacked together, making it difficult for you to meet them.<br />
<br />
My preference is to write daily, but the most important thing is that writing becomes a habit. If you set aside two days a week to write and write on those days no matter what, I suspect you would find the same thing – that you write because it’s on your schedule, not because you have a deadline.<br />
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What about you? Have you developed a writing habit? Have you ever found yourself writing even though you don’t have an impending deadline?Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-65997136837608728242018-05-31T07:04:00.002-07:002018-05-31T07:04:56.013-07:00How to Restart Your Writing Practice: A Few Ground RulesAre you looking for a reset after a long year of teaching? Are you struggling to get back into your writing for the summer?<br />
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Many academics are mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted at the end of the academic year. So, the first step is to intentionally take some days off. At a minimum, take the weekend off. And, make sure you have some summer vacation planned, as you will need a real break. I plan a two-week vacation with absolutely no work every year. This year, after my writing <a href="https://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/peru-2018.html" target="_blank">retreat</a>, I will spend that vacation in Peru! I hope you are also planning a vacation for yourself this summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFx7k3xz3h8UvthwxWn_uVgTYCpphgpaKmA8sj0wLgSidf3Jt3aUsvzWaFQwZR1akb2gUoJa85R9S6pdEj4G3W5oJCBm-c-nUaMHV2wEMSwb3NfNrD-p3wZ88LHi84Bdb-QuJf4U3DeSw/s1600/bags-blur-bottles-571150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFx7k3xz3h8UvthwxWn_uVgTYCpphgpaKmA8sj0wLgSidf3Jt3aUsvzWaFQwZR1akb2gUoJa85R9S6pdEj4G3W5oJCBm-c-nUaMHV2wEMSwb3NfNrD-p3wZ88LHi84Bdb-QuJf4U3DeSw/s320/bags-blur-bottles-571150.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Once you are ready to get back to work, one strategy that might work for you is to set some ground rules for yourself to get back into your writing practice. I set ground rules for myself and adjust them according to the season. I find they are helpful to keep me on track with my writing.<br />
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Here are some examples of ground rules for getting your writing done:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>No social media before noon on writing days.</li>
<li>Don’t check email until writing is complete.</li>
<li>Complete two hours of writing before doing any other work or household tasks.</li>
<li>Take the weekend completely off.</li>
<li>Get some <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2018/04/how-academic-parents-can-find-time-to.html">exercise</a> 3 days a week.</li>
<li>Spend at least one afternoon a week enjoying nature.</li>
<li>Read fiction at least 30 minutes a day.</li>
</ol>
<br />
You may notice that only one of these sample ground rules is actually about writing. The first two are about what <i>not</i> to do before you write and the last four are about self-care. That is because, in order to ensure you write every day, you also need to take steps to avoid distraction as well as take time to refresh. And, summer is a great time to get back into fiction reading. (I am currently reading <a href="https://amzn.to/2LOp6z8" target="_blank">The Ministry of Utmost Happiness </a>- what's on your list?)<br />
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What do you think would be good ground rules for you? What do you need to do to keep up your writing practice this summer?<br />
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If you want to be a super-nerd about this, you can do what I do, which is to create an Excel spreadsheet with your ground rules and give yourself a gold star for each week that you meet all of them.<br />
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Also, keep in mind that it is perfectly fine - even recommended - to change your pace of work during the summer. I talk a bit more about "summer hours" in this <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2015/06/summer-hours-enjoy-your-summer-and-be.html">post</a>.<br />
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I wish you a productive and relaxing summer – at least for those of you in parts of the world where it is summertime!<br />
<br />Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-49465659792078729722018-04-08T13:10:00.002-07:002018-04-08T13:11:39.613-07:00How Academic Parents Can Find Time to ExerciseA question that often comes up when I do campus <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/p/check-out-my-other-blogs.html">workshops</a> on work/life balance is how and when busy academic parents can find time to exercise. As we get older, it becomes increasingly important for us to exercise in order to stay healthy and keep our stress levels in check. I find time to exercise because I know how important exercising is for my mind and body.<br />
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Like many aspects of work/life balance, how and when I exercise is something that has shifted over the course of my career.<br />
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Here are a few tips on ways to make time to exercise as an academic parent.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/marirn/16252279130/in/photolist-NA62B-bXV2CA-qLabn9-U5gTHo-Gwda3g-ako8CD-RZpJy2-5oViGL-4SXBpd-gpReQ2-bVvLs9-r7ANUt-qWvJ4W-bP3rx-8DrJ99-4LBPvV-pmr2f-4Qa3qL-8cekqQ-aL6fc-qExQ62-qD7iV-4GHW4V-bNGGB-54LUbJ-dQVfLc-NtKaz7-fas8ot-bC4k3j-4gJSV9-4g87Ep-bP2Yq-7zjj4d-4q4xgt-bobyQ2-tZQPnj-6CSxNa-aqxogE-8g3s1o-iYyPjh-7qUmVE-cqM9q7-7uAV2Q-6ypFz6-3i1kCZ-dG8jvQ-768mVE-iYwFDx-83syAt-poRRCd" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Jump"><img alt="Jump" height="320" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7349/16252279130_cb8e468298.jpg" width="213" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<b>Find a gym that has daycare</b><br />
When my children were of pre-school age, I took advantage of the childcare offered at the YMCA in order to be able to work out. One strategy that worked for our family is my husband and I would alternate between going to the gym and cooking dinner. For example, on Mondays and Wednesdays, I would pick the kids up from daycare and drive them to the gym. My husband would stay home and cook. We’d get home around 7pm and eat dinner together. He would go to the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the kids and I would cook.<br />
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Some parents may not like the idea of having the kids in daycare all day and then taking them to the daycare at the gym. However, we found this system allowed us to spend quality time with the children during and after dinner. And, that was much preferable to us being stressed out and trying to prepare dinner with the kids running all over the house.<br />
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<b>Exercise with your kids</b><br />
Another way to get exercise in is to exercise with your kids. When my twins were infants, I would bundle them up in the jogging stroller and take them out for a jog or a walk. As they got older, I could walk or jog around the track while they biked. Eventually, I could walk or jog with them alongside me. Taking long walks with my tween daughter was extremely helpful for both of us at one point.<br />
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<b>Exercise while your kids are doing something else</b><br />
Once my children became school-aged, I often had to take them to various afterschool activities. For example, I would drop my youngest daughter off at gymnastics for her 90-minute practice. Instead of waiting at the gymnasium with her, I would drop her off and use that time to exercise. Sometimes I would go to the gym and other times I would go for a walk or jog in the neighborhood near her gymnasium. When she played soccer, I would walk or jog around a nearby track during her soccer practice.<br />
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<b>Exercise while your kids get themselves ready for school</b><br />
As my children got older and became capable of getting themselves ready for school, I realized that the early morning was a perfect time for exercise. My teen-aged kids wake up and begin to make noise around 7am and leave the house around 8am. I am always awakened by their noises. Thus, I get myself out of bed, put on my jogging clothes, and go out for a 30-minute jog in the morning while my kids shower and get dressed. I then make it back in time to have breakfast with them. The bonus is that I don’t have to hear the kids arguing about whose turn it is to take a shower!<br />
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<b>Just do it</b><br />
I have been meaning to do yoga on a more regular basis for years. However, the class schedules never seem to align perfectly with my schedule. My gym has an 8am yoga class that I really enjoy on Tuesdays. That doesn’t work perfectly with my schedule because the class is from 8am to 9am, and it means I don’t get home until 9:15, and I can’t realistically start working until about 9:45. That puts a real dent in my morning productivity. However, I made a decision that I am going to just do it. I am going to go to my once-a-week yoga class even if it means I will have a little less time for writing on Tuesdays. I have been doing that for about a month, and, guess what, everything is fine!<br />
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<b>Have walking meetings</b><br />
One way to get some mild exercise into your day is to have walking meetings. For example, if you need to meet with a student and the weather is nice, you can offer to walk and talk for your meeting. I have also gotten into the habit of arranging my phone meetings at times when I can take the phone call while walking. That way, a 30-minute phone call turns into a 30-minute walk. Of course, there are some meetings that require you to be in front of a laptop. But, there are many that solely require your attention.<br />
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It can be challenging to find time to exercise when you have kids of any age. However, if you are creative with your schedule and willing to prioritize getting in your exercise, you should be able to make it happen.<br />
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What are your tips for finding time to exercise when you have young children?<br />
<br />Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-18013381540338213892018-02-13T10:33:00.001-08:002018-02-15T11:27:11.088-08:00Getting the Most out of Academic Travel: The Ideal Work TripI have been traveling a lot for work lately, which is great, but it also means I need to make decisions about which invitations to accept, as well as what to ask of my hosts to make travel more feasible and enjoyable. Jet-setting around the world can be fun, but also exhausting.<br />
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Several years ago, I wrote a blog <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-would-your-ideal-day-look-like.html" target="_blank">post</a> about my "ideal day," inspired by Barbara Sher's book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2nYck6V" target="_blank">Wishcraft</a>. I think of this exercise often, although my ideal day has shifted a bit since 2011, as I have gained clarity on what I want and need, and what makes me happy.<br />
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During a recent work trip, I realized I could use the "ideal day" exercise to think through what my ideal work trip would look like. What kind of work trip would I look forward to?<br />
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Envisioning what an ideal work trip would look like allows me to try and arrange my visits to reflect that - and to actually enjoy traveling for work.<br />
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Here is what I came up with for my ideal work trip:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWeHvKFEBGmUTy2shOMGd-dHG-IlJx15-4VDuHNShM2sW4KOjp-avShPw1EDMXFBu-vFL2uYPxalAHfQOGmamnNMmysHEOswNniW-y1IVVPY1W2dRxcKUGyONHcl3wcGf-GsYmHQk5cnk/s1600/24129498_10105303108819379_8204468975021997467_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWeHvKFEBGmUTy2shOMGd-dHG-IlJx15-4VDuHNShM2sW4KOjp-avShPw1EDMXFBu-vFL2uYPxalAHfQOGmamnNMmysHEOswNniW-y1IVVPY1W2dRxcKUGyONHcl3wcGf-GsYmHQk5cnk/s320/24129498_10105303108819379_8204468975021997467_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from a recent work trip to Costa Rica!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Tuesday evening:</b><br />
Pack for my trip so that my travel bag is ready to go.<br />
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<b>Wednesday morning:</b><br />
6:00am: Wake up at home and write for an hour<br />
7:00am: Go outside for a jog.<br />
7:40am: Have breakfast with my family before they leave for the day.<br />
8:00am: Shower, get ready.<br />
8:30am: Write for another hour.<br />
10:00am: Leave the house for my work trip<br />
… travel to my destination ….<br />
6:00pm: Have an engaging dinner with hosts<br />
8:00pm: Back at hotel, relaxing with a novel<br />
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<b>Thursday morning:</b><br />
6:00am: Wake up and write for an hour<br />
7:00am: Go outside for a jog or to hotel gym if weather is not suitable<br />
7:40am: Have breakfast.<br />
8:00am: Shower, get ready for the day.<br />
8:30am: Write for another hour.<br />
10:00am: Leave the hotel for a day of engagement with hosts and other guests<br />
… this day can include meals, talks, meetings, and downtime …<br />
8:00pm: Back at hotel, relaxing<br />
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<b>Friday morning:</b><br />
6:00am: Wake up and write for an hour<br />
7:00am: Breakfast<br />
7:30am: Shower, get ready.<br />
8:00am: Write for another hour<br />
9:00am: Leave the hotel to do something enjoyable - preferably a long nature hike. If I'm in a city, visit a museum or something I can only do in that location.<br />
12:00pm: travel back home<br />
….<br />
6:00pm: Back home with my family<br />
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My ideal workday at home involves waking up early, exercising, and getting a couple of hours of writing in. My ideal work travel visit also involves having some alone time in the morning when I am writing and not skipping out on my exercise routine. If I can travel and keep my writing routine going, I feel better about my projects. If I can travel and find time to exercise, I feel better all around.<br />
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I enjoy engaging with others. But, I have also realized that one full day of engagement with people is plenty for me. So, I can request that my meetings be limited to one day. I enjoy having meals with people and trying new food, so I also try and arrange my travel such that I can make it in time to have dinner the night before.<br />
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When I travel, I also enjoy doing at least one activity that I can only do in that place. During a recent trip to Oregon, I went on a hike up a butte, for example. And, when I went to Costa Rica, I was able to visit a volcano!<br />
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I travel a lot for work, and often miss my family when I do. It thus works better for me to travel during the week so that I am home on the weekends and can spend time with my partner and three kids.<br />
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Now that I have a sense of my ideal work trip, I can aim to mold my future trips to emulate this as much as possible.<br />
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Of course, I am dependent on airline schedules, conference schedules, and my hosts' needs and location. However, knowing what I want makes it easier for me to make decisions about which invitations to accept, as well as when to schedule my flights.<br />
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For example, I have an upcoming trip to give a public lecture on a Thursday evening. I am unable to leave on Wednesday for that trip so I will have to leave early in the morning on Thursday. I have a three-hour flight, so hopefully will be able to get at least an hour worth of writing done on the plane. I have asked my host to schedule all of my meetings on Thursday so that I have Friday to myself. I will wake up on Friday, write for a couple of hours, and then find a great place to hike and have lunch before getting on a plane back to California.<br />
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Now, I am looking forward to that trip and especially to finding a cool place to hike!<br />
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What about you? How are you handling work travel these days? What does your ideal work trip look like?Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-23239984030913489482017-08-13T09:00:00.000-07:002017-08-13T09:00:47.567-07:00Have a Little Fun with Semester Planning<i><b>Are you ready for the semester yet? <br />
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Sorry if that question provoked a panic attack, but I am sure I am not the first one to ask you. I know I have been asked at least a dozen times this month.<br />
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<a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2012/01/five-steps-to-making-semester-plan-for.html">Preparing for the semester</a> is rarely fun, and academics seldom feel ready when the semester begins. To change the mood a bit, in this post I will explain a few ways planning for the semester (or quarter) can actually be enjoyable.<br />
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For me, one fun aspect of semester planning is looking at my (relatively empty) calendar and scheduling things I enjoy as well as things that are good for me – before my calendar gets out of hand.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/linahayes/4750312604/in/photolist-8eLArs-rBiFBn-SiiN8L-qZH9CG-gxkKXa-SazLAC-3oNAtX-7Dvn7G-eyrwP7-7WQJf9-WmjmgK-bqgV57-9H2aRH-SB74Ty-5aMXmG-rEtWZ8-HWYAi1-5D4gLT-bqgVe3-oxo6d6-dStyDB-8GRc7E-2mpZDX-7JFjxd-U2gBgy-bDnVrD-bLiFip-bocjGB-9KCztB-G3P2ND-nF6KgK-RQz4Sd-dNbvbU-6KXhhn-rTE4dF-5gkMQ8-7rfcCd-bqQVWN-anH2FB-2FRJeH-d49NS-dNjwvd-nScjKL-9KFoiY-qpfpgW-hQ7aMy-bqt2g3-bN3wLx-aDpah9-TTAoyi" title="Untitled"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4096/4750312604_e818defc88.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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Trying to find time for something fun in mid-October can be nearly impossible for many of us who work on a semester or quarter system. But, right now, my October calendar is looking relatively open. So, why not schedule in some fun stuff now before all my time is taken?<br />
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You may say to yourself each year that you are going to spend more time with your family or go to the gym more often. Putting it into your calendar now, however, makes that much more likely to happen.<br />
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Here are some ideas for things you can put in your calendar now that you not only will enjoy putting into your weekly template or <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2012/01/five-steps-to-making-semester-plan-for.html">semester plan</a>, but also will enjoy when they happen.<br />
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<b>Exercise</b><br />
When are you going to exercise this semester? How about a jog or a walk every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning or afternoon? Why don’t you check out your gym’s Fall schedule and see when that awesome yoga or Zumba class is? Perhaps there are two days a week when you can bike to campus? Whatever it is, try putting a repeating event in your calendar now. Plan something feasible – something you know you will actually stick to.<br />
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<b>Short Getaways with Friends or Family<br />
</b>My close friend and I try to plan at least one getaway to the beach every semester. We find a day that works and book one night at a hotel. We go somewhere fabulous for dinner, spend the night at the beach, go for a walk along the beach in the morning, and then head home. These trips are extremely rejuvenating. They can be super hard to plan due to our work travel and other commitments. But, now is the best time to plan them. If you can’t afford a night away at a hotel, perhaps you have a friend who lives near the beach or in a cabin in the mountains? Either way, looking at your calendar, when can you plan a quick getaway?<br />
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<b>Date night or Friends night<br />
</b>When are you going to go out with your partner or your close friends for dinner or drinks? How about setting aside the time now? What would be ideal for you? Once a week? Once a month? Twice a semester? Whatever it is, make plans now so that you can ensure it happens.<br />
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<b>Mini-Retreats</b><br />
A <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2017/08/mini-retreats-writing-blissfully-during.html">mini-retreat</a> is a day where you do not check email or social media, and instead, spend the day writing and doing things you enjoy. I explain those in more detail here. You can do these alone or with friends. The key is to plan the mini-retreat now, while you still have some open days in your calendar.<br />
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<b>Doctors, Hair, and other Appointments<br />
</b>Okay, this might not be super fun. But, have you had your dentist, eye doctor, and doctor visit yet this year? When is the last time you had a haircut? You might be able to get some of these things done before classes start. At the very least, you can make the appointments now so that you can get those appointments at a convenient time. Personally, I hate going to the dentist, but if I make my appointments well in advance I can get a late-afternoon appointment so that at least I don’t have to go back to work after my visit to the dentist.<br />
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So, think about it: what are some fun things you can work into your calendar – while there is still some empty space in it?<br />
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Finally, if you are thinking way ahead and want to sign up for our <a href="http://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/peru-2018.html" target="_blank">writing retreat in Peru</a>, there are still a few spots left! Now, that would be something to look forward to!<br />
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I wish you all the best with your semester planning and I hope you are able to put some things in your calendar other than classes, meetings, and work trips. Let me know in the comments what you have planned.Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-83809508914005505192017-08-06T14:00:00.000-07:002017-08-06T14:15:27.865-07:00Mini-Retreats: Writing Blissfully During Busy TimesI began my summer with a fabulous <a href="http://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/">writing retreat</a> with 21 other women in Bali. During that week of bliss, we woke up each morning, had a healthy and delicious breakfast, meditated, and then wrote until lunch. In the afternoons, we shared work with the brilliant participants, and then went on a little adventure.<br />
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My goal with that retreat, which I organized with my amazing colleague, Ayu Saraswati, is to show people how it really is possible to be amazingly productive and enjoy life at the same time. This all seemed quite possible while we were in Bali. I am usually able to maintain a similar schedule in the summer when I have few responsibilities. But, how can this practice translate into the semester?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQ9ET6mP0OY5WMp18U5NKybNSAdCSxTIlOXtnja-nwEcfKUA6Lc_Ja8s6FeQVelZtC9O07qcnEzaAN_yzZKCob1aMP1uNyRKbpA8mcTDZ8fwHQz-WTA65ybQ6RJGGf7SsTBhKRcpWvZM/s1600/Photo+May+29%252C+11+00+32+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQ9ET6mP0OY5WMp18U5NKybNSAdCSxTIlOXtnja-nwEcfKUA6Lc_Ja8s6FeQVelZtC9O07qcnEzaAN_yzZKCob1aMP1uNyRKbpA8mcTDZ8fwHQz-WTA65ybQ6RJGGf7SsTBhKRcpWvZM/s320/Photo+May+29%252C+11+00+32+AM.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writing in Bali with an amazing view!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Is it possible to maintain this level of peacefulness, focus, and productivity when the demands of the semester ramp up? The answer to this depends in part on your schedule during the academic year, and in part on your perspective.<br />
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Being calm, focused, and productive is very important to me. So, this semester, in addition to all of the practices that I usually incorporate, I plan to have a one-day mini-retreat of my own at least twice a month. I'd like to say that I will do it every week, but I know that is not feasible. So, I will aim for twice a month.<br />
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I teach on Mondays and Wednesdays, and usually have meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so Fridays seem like a logical day to carve out for my mini-retreats. I put "mini-retreat" in my calendar for every Friday, and then went through and deleted the ones I know will not happen due to travel and other commitments.<br />
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So, what will I do on my mini-retreat days?<br />
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First of all, I will not check email or social media on the morning of my mini-retreat days. This is hard for me, but <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2013/12/do-you-need-to-go-on-information-diet.html" target="_blank">experience</a> tells me it is the best way to be productive and peaceful.<br />
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My house is fairly busy in the mornings with my husband and three kids getting ready for their day. So, I will exercise in the morning while they are still in the house. This may include a jog or a yoga class, depending on the weather and the gym schedule. I will then enjoy breakfast with my husband and remind him that today is a mini-retreat day.<br />
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I will begin my writing day at 9am with ten minutes of meditation. I will then use the <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-enhance-your-writing.html" target="_blank">pomodoro</a> technique and get in at least 5 25-minute writing sessions. Then, I will pause to make and enjoy a delicious healthy lunch. I will then spend the afternoon doing something I enjoy either alone or with someone I enjoy spending time with. There are several beautiful hiking spots within an hour's driving distance from me, so I may go to one of those. I also could go for a swim, to a yoga class, or get a pedicure. The point is to do something I enjoy doing in the afternoon.<br />
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I will have to plan some of my afternoon activities in advance so I need to make sure to make plans ahead of time. I may even plan some of these mini-retreat days out of town with some of my lovely friends who live in beautiful places.<br />
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What about you: do you think you can work a mini-retreat into your semester schedule? I am sure you can pull off at least one well-timed mini-retreat - especially if you put it into your calendar now. Most of you can likely make once a month happen. And, if you are on sabbatical, this could be your everyday routine!<br />
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Finally, if you are interested in the weeklong retreats that Ayu and I host, the next one will be in <a href="http://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/peru-2018.html">Peru</a>! My husband is Peruvian and I did my dissertation research in Peru. It is one of my favorite countries, and we are going to one of my favorite spots in Peru - the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You can find out more about our <a href="http://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/">academic writers retreat for women on this website</a>. And you can sign up for the June 2018 trip <a href="http://creativeconnectionsretreat.weebly.com/peru-2018.html">here</a>.<br />
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Attending the writing retreat each year is a great way to renew my commitment to these practices, to nurture my creativity, and to remind myself of the joys of the life of the mind. I hope to see you there!Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-62100835567965613742017-07-13T08:39:00.001-07:002017-07-13T08:39:18.882-07:00How I Created an Edited Volume in Record Time: Less Than Two Years from Idea to PrintMany academics will tell you to steer away from creating an edited volume. Yet, judging by academic catalogs, clearly, some academics continue to create edited books. Why would any academic pull together an edited volume?<br />
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The reason is that there are some cases when creating an edited volume makes sense. I recently edited a volume for Oxford University Press and I will explain in this post why I did it, how I did it, and why I am extremely gratified to have edited this book.<br />
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I decided to create <a href="http://amzn.to/2umBKzI">Forced Out and Fenced In: Immigration Tales From the Field</a> because I had an abundance of rich stories from my research with deportees that I wanted to share. I thought about writing a popular book that highlighted deportees’ stories, but I did not think that I had enough stories to fill a book. Moreover, I had just published a book based on deportees’ stories and did not want to try and spin another book out of that research. I did, however, want to reach a broad readership with the stories.<br />
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As I thought about how to get these stories out to a broader audience, I asked myself if other researchers might also have stories that needed to be told. It turns out they did! When I reached out to my colleagues, I received an enthusiastic response both regarding the desire to tell these stories and to hear the stories of others affected by immigration law enforcement.<br />
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In this case, it made sense to edit a volume as opposed to writing a monograph because I wanted to highlight a broad range of stories of people affected by immigration law enforcement, and I wanted a combination of historical and contemporary stories. This kind of project requires a team.<br />
<br />
It is also critical that the team was excited. This book gave the contributors an opportunity to share parts of their research that may not fit into a typical academic article or even a monograph. <a href="http://amzn.to/2umBKzI">Forced Out and Fenced In</a> highlights people’s stories. The argument and historical context form the backdrop. The contributors were excited about the opportunity to try a different kind of academic writing.<br />
<br />
This enthusiasm then translated into what might be the most seamless production of an edited volume in the history of book publishing. <a href="http://amzn.to/2umBKzI">Forced Out and Fenced In: Immigration Tales From the Field</a> was created in what must be record time due to the enthusiasm of the contributors and the extraordinary efforts of the team at Oxford.<br />
<br />
This volume took only a year to put together—practically lightning speed in academic publishing. In early September 2015, I sent a note to Oxford University Press editor Sherith Pankratz to ask if she might be interested in an edited book on immigration enforcement. She said she was. In mid-September, I sent a query out to twenty-five scholars. By mid-October, twenty-one of them responded and said they were willing to contribute essays. The other four politely declined. I wrote a full proposal and sent it to Sherith, along with a sample contribution. She got back to me with reviews in mid-December 2015. By January 2016, we signed a contract.<br />
<br />
I then reached out to the contributors and asked them to send me their contributions by mid-March. If you have ever worked with academic authors, you will find the next sentence surprising. All of them sent in their chapter drafts on time. We sent the full manuscript out for review, asked the authors for revisions, and they consistently met every single deadline multiple times. This is practically unheard of in academia. By mid-October 2016, every single author had sent me the final version of their chapters and we were able to get this book into production by the end of November 2016.<br />
<br />
The book was released in June 2017 – less than two years from idea to publication—which must break all kinds of records for edited volumes in academia. I was fortunate to have secured contributors who are not only at the top of the field, but are also timely and responsive.<br />
<br />
In case you are curious, the Table of Contents is below. If you are in the humanities or social sciences, you will see that I was able to recruit an amazing group of folks!<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=arewetheworld-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=019063345X&asins=019063345X&linkId=590b5582c09de01585964b22208d5bed&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br /> </iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Foreword</b> - Roberto Lovato<br />
<b>Introduction</b>: Forced Out and Fenced In - Tanya Golash-Boza<br />
<br />
<b>Part I: Migration Histories: How Did We Get Here?</b><br />
1. Wong Foon Chuck: Making Home in the Borderlands between China, the United States, and Mexico - Elliott Young<br />
2. Lost in Translation - Mae M. Ngai<br />
3. Rebel, Deportee, Governor: The Life of Antonio I. Villarreal - Kelly Lytle Hernández<br />
4. Mexican Migrants, Family Separation, and US Immigration Policy since 1942 - Adam Goodman<br />
<b>Part II: Families Torn Apart: How Do Deportation Laws Affect Families?</b><br />
5. Becoming American - Lisa M. Martinez<br />
6. ’Til Law Do Us Part: Immigration Policy and Mixed-Status Family Separation - Ruth Gomberg-Muñoz<br />
7. Double Jeopardy: Deportation and the Life-Course Rituals of Twin Sisters - Kara Cebulko<br />
<b>Part III: Living Without Papers: How Do Undocumented People Navigate the Challenges They Face?</b><br />
8. The Law Doesn’t Care About Love: Intimate Relationships in Cities with Restrictive Immigration Laws - Angela S. García<br />
9. “It’s a Strange Condition”: Being in College Under a Cloud of Uncertainty - John S. W. Park<br />
10. How Will I Get My Skull Back? The Embodied Consequences of Immigrant Policing - Nolan Kline<br />
<b>Part IV: Seeking Refuge: What Does It Take to Get Asylum in the United States?</b><br />
11. “Is This America?”: Asylum-Seeking in an Era of Humanitarian Decline - Sarah M. Lakhani<br />
12. When American Dreams Are Shattered - Tanya Golash-Boza<br />
13. The Power of Law: How Immigration Policy Shapes Salvadorans’ Experience of Family and Motherhood - Maya Pagni Barak<br />
<b>Part V: Gendered Exclusions: How Are Deportation Experiences Gendered?</b><br />
14. Gendered Exclusion: Three Generations of Women Deported to the Dominican Republic - Yolanda C. Martin<br />
15. Caging Paloma: Illegality and Violence Along the United States–Mexico Border - Heidy Sarabia<br />
16. The Ripple Effects of US Immigration Enforcement: A Young Mexican Deportee’s Story of Isolation, Precarity, and Resilience - Christine Wheatley<br />
<b>Part VI: Deporting DREAMers: How Do “American” Youth Navigate Their Lives in Mexico after Deportation?</b><br />
17. I Used to Believe in Justice - Juan Carlos Guevara, Angela Stuesse, and Mathew Coleman<br />
18. No Place Like Home: From High School Graduation to Deportation - Alexis M. Silver<br />
19. Call Centers, Transnational Mobility, and (Neoliberal) Citizenship - Jill Anderson<br />
<b>Part VII: Returning “Home”: What Happens to Migrants Who Return to the United States After Being Deported?</b><br />
20. No hay otro: An Ecuadorian Tale of Repeated US Immigration - Nancy Hiemstra<br />
21. Barred Por Vida: María Inez’s Battle to Find Health and Well-Being - San Juanita García<br />
22. Sergio Rodriguez’s Dream Deferred: Illegality, Deportation, and the Long-Term Impacts of Lives in Limbo - Roberto G. Gonzales<br />
<b>Epilogue</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-43222223382935094842017-05-19T14:51:00.003-07:002017-05-19T14:52:38.511-07:00Work/Life Balance as an Academic Mama of Teens: Seven Strategies to Keep You Sane<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I started writing </span><a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get a Life, PhD</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, my twins were eight years old and my youngest was five. Thus, much of my blog has been from the perspective of an academic mother with elementary school children. Today, seven years after I first began blogging, my twins are finishing up the tenth grade and my youngest is about to finish the seventh grade.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92aUR9GPgOtDA6nvNNArIxyiPXIwxPhyphenhyphenuE4_fBNIxPz8UvJz1_sBRfjRkCKChmSKJ76E1iXae0_pGVMnhadxuBY-Ap6ILMPgYD3LUxpl1cUoO1PSaIsr6VJXUwGXRGmtCe5tS5KuePV4/s1600/chicas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92aUR9GPgOtDA6nvNNArIxyiPXIwxPhyphenhyphenuE4_fBNIxPz8UvJz1_sBRfjRkCKChmSKJ76E1iXae0_pGVMnhadxuBY-Ap6ILMPgYD3LUxpl1cUoO1PSaIsr6VJXUwGXRGmtCe5tS5KuePV4/s320/chicas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep - three teenagers!</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, what is it like to be an academic mom of teens? If you are a long-time reader of my blog, you may know that my children have had an unconventional childhood, having lived in several cities, spent a year </span><a href="http://globetrottingmamita.blogspot.com/2009/05/rough-start-to-long-trip.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">traveling</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to four countries with me to do research, and spending every summer </span><a href="http://globetrottingmamita.blogspot.com/2015/07/our-epic-pacific-northwest-two-week.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">traveling</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><a href="http://globetrottingmamita.blogspot.com/2009/05/rough-start-to-long-trip.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My worldly teenagers, nevertheless, have the same set of needs as do most teenagers, and I have had to learn to balance out their needs with mine.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While the children have grown up, my career has also progressed and my work now requires me to be on campus a lot more for committee meetings than when I was an Assistant Professor. Moreover, my career involves a significant amount of travel, especially short trips to lecture about my most recent book on </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deported-Immigrant-Disposable-Capitalism-Sociology/dp/1479843970/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=arewetheworld-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=A5L72FY34DGBNTLK&creativeASIN=1479843970" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">deportations</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This spring semester, for example, I have visited twelve campuses, gone to two multi-day out-of-town academic meetings, and three single-day out-of-town academic meetings.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All this travel certainly takes away from family time, and </span><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/children/11848710/Why-teenagers-need-quality-time-with-their-parents-more-than-toddlers-do.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">teenagers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> need quality time</span><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/children/11848710/Why-teenagers-need-quality-time-with-their-parents-more-than-toddlers-do.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with their parents for healthy emotional development. My teens, like all teens, have had their ups and downs and have at times sought out a close relationship and other time avoided me. My goal has been to make it clear that I am available when they need me and that I care about them. So, how do I keep my career moving forward and still maintain a close relationship with my teenage children?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strategy 1: Find small pockets of time during the week</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is hard to have lots of time together during the week not only due to my work schedule, but also because my kids are busy too. The twins leave the house early in the morning for school, and don’t come home until 7:00pm after swim practice. The seventh grader has gymnastics practice three days a week and doesn’t get home until around 8:00pm on those days. Most days, nevertheless, we do eat dinner together, and have a no-electronics rule at the table, which leaves room for conversation. And, about once a week the kids are finished with their homework early enough for us to squeeze in an episode of a television show we are watching together. I let the kids pick the shows we watch and our current favorite show is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jane the Virgin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Watching TV together may not be the best bonding activity ever, but it provides a basis for conversation both during the show and at other times.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strategy 2: Limit working on weekends</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I try very hard to not work on weekends. Sometimes I will spend Saturday mornings cleaning out my email inbox but I try to get that done Friday afternoons to leave ample time to spend with my family on weekends. Often we use this weekend time to get chores done and hang out together. Sometimes we will take a short trip or go shopping. If I am traveling, I try to return home in time to be home for at least one full day over the weekend so I have time to spend with my family.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strategy 3: Travel with the teens</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I am traveling somewhere for work that is within driving distance, I try to find ways to bring the family with me. For example, I recently was invited to give a talk at a liberal arts college in Southern California, which is within driving distance from my home. I brought the family with me, and the kids took a campus tour while I was giving my talk. And, we used the honorarium money to treat ourselves to tickets to Universal Studios the next day. That trip was an ideal example of work/life balance, and we had lots of bonding time together. Next year, when the twins are juniors, I hope to take them on a few more trips as they will be thinking more seriously about college. I also always take the whole family when I go on extended research trips.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeknApcBckOsp979y3qII3snZJPHgZiqIdCPadypWu1_awkeFo-IXDNFLQvHVmL9cH7Yvdk5Qoqm5h0fBFrYE5xQ3c1NFFZU5Y2mn250SD9NuX5FoJVmCTj34iYFZlRxqp7vfZecMaiI/s1600/mujeres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeknApcBckOsp979y3qII3snZJPHgZiqIdCPadypWu1_awkeFo-IXDNFLQvHVmL9cH7Yvdk5Qoqm5h0fBFrYE5xQ3c1NFFZU5Y2mn250SD9NuX5FoJVmCTj34iYFZlRxqp7vfZecMaiI/s320/mujeres.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selfie with my teen daughter at Universal Studios</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />Strategy 4: Take advantage of the summers</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The summertime is when we get some serious family time together. I have already written about </span><a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2015/06/summer-hours-enjoy-your-summer-and-be.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">summer hours</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> -</span><a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2015/06/summer-hours-enjoy-your-summer-and-be.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- where I describe writing and doing research four hours a day during the summer, leaving the afternoons to spend time with my children. In addition, since I earned tenure, we have been taking four full weeks off during the summer, where I am not working at all. This year, we are traveling around Southeast Asia and I will not even have my laptop with me. As we are getting close to the age where the kids will go off to college, these summers together feel more important than ever.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strategy 5: Use public or shared resources to relieve some of the burden</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of main challenges with raising teens is feeling like a taxi driver – as public transportation is not always available to shuttle children around. I grew up in Washington, DC, and my father was a bus driver, so I was on the city bus to and from school and after-school activities starting at age 7. Alas, the small town we live in now does not have a great public transportation network like many cities do. So, we end up having to drive the kids around. But, we also work to minimize that. My youngest daughter has gymnastics three days a week but we rely on a car pool, and thus only have to drive her (and her two friends) across town once a week. Her school is also one mile away, so she can walk most days. The twins’ school is 1.5 miles away so they can walk sometimes too. But, what helps a lot with them is that they take advantage of in-school programming, which greatly limits the amount of chauffeuring we need to do. They have in-school afterschool tutors that help with homework and they are on the high school swim team, which means that they don’t need rides to practice.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some parents may feel compelled to help kids with homework, but I have found that doing so just brings added stress and tension into the household. Having the kids use the in-school tutors to help them with math problems that I don’t know how to do anyway is not only more effective – it also teaches them to be more independent and to seek out the help they need.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strategy 6: One-on-one time</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hanging out with all three of my girls can be tons of fun, and I love to watch them interact together. They can be quite a riot. However, it is important to also have some one-on-one time. This can vary from taking a short walk with one of my girls, to going to a coffee shop, to taking a day-trip together. A few weeks ago, my youngest daughter and I took the Amtrak to San Francisco and had a great time bonding, eating, and searching for the perfect souvenir.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strategy 7: Keep work trips as short as possible</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am the first to admit that my travel schedule is out of control. (I do have a plan in place to limit my travel, so hopefully this will get better soon.) In the meantime, I have figured out that I can do a lot to limit my work trips. I don’t always have to stay for the full duration of a conference like I used to. I don’t need to agree to spend three days on campus when one day will do. I can set limits around my availability so that I am home in time to see my family. In October, for example, I was invited to give a keynote in Guatemala. It was a great opportunity for me and an exciting challenge to deliver a keynote in Spanish. I took a close look at my calendar and figured out I could leave on Sunday, spend a full day at the conference on Monday, and be back by Tuesday evening. Thus, I agreed to the invitation on those conditions. And, I even enjoyed the short trip and got tons of work done on the plane! When I only had one or two trips a semester, I often extended them out a bit. But, now that I have several, I keep them as short as possible to get home and see my family.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What strategies do you use to balance work and life when you have teenagers at home? What challenges do you face? I look forward to learning from you in the comments.</span></div>
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Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-87178894733105178902017-04-01T17:12:00.000-07:002017-04-01T17:12:00.231-07:00Speaking as an Academic: What to expect when you are invited to share your work<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the joys of academic life is inviting speakers to campus and getting invited to other campuses to speak. You may be an academic who is constantly jet-setting from one campus to another or you may never have received an invitation to speak at another campus. Either way, you may have questions about what happens during these (non-interview-related) campus visits. You may also have questions about honoraria, as these vary widely. Some academics have speaker fees of thousands of dollars. Some have never received more than $500 as an honorarium. And others have given plenty of talks yet never been paid. (Based on a non-scientific Twitter</span><a href="https://twitter.com/tanyaboza/status/807282374295699456" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">poll</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I conducted, very few academics have ever been paid more than $2,000 as an honorarium, and many have never been compensated.)</span></div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tedxohiostateuniversity/33305762500/in/photolist-SK7JQu-TdTxF4-TgrmCG-FVUVPH-5Acu2J-7XqtJP-9UKVwH-9UNMth-9UNMJG-ieZk1S-SQKSio-R8ysH4-o5P7ZD-T3hmGv-QWGCNW-RdsNMp-S4YNQM-TnD6Kz-mEpw3B-mww6qc-dsZ2up-btKtcx-eRAvni-RtYJWQ-qU3XXo-hLzxo8-kGng5P-79MTRv-bpTmBA-RQwCBn-RnB2W1-SrcjwE-e3aPM4-RGzhNo-SBPZxC-qLYrKu-S3sD6J-RR2jgc-SK8kJY-C2oKTj-9UNMDS-5G5ZoV-7fsuDT-ieZHd6-7FbuUq-pjCaY-dvYfJ-9SVo1-ieZiN3-ieYQLB" title="TEDxOhioStateUniversity Speaker Dinner"><img alt="TEDxOhioStateUniversity Speaker Dinner" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3674/33305762500_cde0549aef.jpg" width="333" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have given over fifty invited talks (paid and unpaid) and invited just as many people to my own campuses. This semester alone, I have given ten public lectures (<a href="https://youtu.be/82TnCMafid4" target="_blank">like this one</a>). Based on this experience, I offer some basic guidelines regarding these visits. These guidelines are meant to be useful both to invitees and inviters.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speaker for a Seminar or Colloquium</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An invitation to share your work in a seminar or colloquium will look great on your CV If you are on the tenure-track or desire to be. External letters for tenure often will say something along the lines of: “She has been invited to give 11 talks at other campuses, an indication of her visibility and prestige in the field.” These invitations continue to be important for considerations for promotion to full professor. You also can give a presentation with the hope of generating feedback to help move your thinking forward. If you are presenting on published work, giving a talk is a great way to get the word out about your work and to continue the conversation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The audience for most of these talks are your peers – local graduate students and faculty members. Giving seminars and colloquia at other universities is a rewarding part of academia and many faculty members do not expect a generous honorarium for these sorts of seminars. If you are considering inviting a colleague to give a talk in a colloquium or seminar series, I suggest trying to find room in the budget for an honorarium because people often use these extra funds to pay for childcare and other non-reimbursable costs associated with their travel.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My understanding of general practice for these kinds of talks is that the honoraria for seminars or colloquia range from $0 to $500 yet that this varies by field. In some fields, honoraria are simply not the norm. In others, a small honorarium is expected.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although a $500 honorarium is much appreciated, if you are deciding whether or not to accept an invitation that comes with an honorarium of $500 or less, money should not be the primary motivating factor. It rarely is worth $500 to prepare a talk, get on a plane, spend a day on another campus, and get back home exhausted. Instead, these sorts of talks should bring other, non-monetary, benefits. There are plenty of reasons to give a presentation that have nothing to do with money.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For these kinds of visits, travel expenses are covered, speakers are usually expected to spend the day on campus, meet with colleagues, and deliver their talk.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Invited, Plenary, and Keynote Speakers for a Campus Conference</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When speakers are invited to participate in a conference on a college or university campus, the travel expenses are often (but not always) reimbursed. In some cases, speakers are given a small honorarium. The speakers are expected to participate in the full conference – sharing their work as well as listening to the work of others.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the conference is large enough to have breakout sessions, there may be plenary speakers. These speakers will speak on a panel together in a room with the entire conference audience. If there is room in the conference budget, plenary speakers are often given an honorarium.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many campus-based conferences will also include a keynote speaker who is well-known in the field. They will include this speaker on their program as part of the advertisement for the conference and the speaker will be expected to deliver a longer lecture – 45 to 60 minutes – to the entire conference audience.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keynote speakers often get an honorarium. The size of this honorarium will depend on the resources of the host, the connection of the host to the campus, and the prestige of the keynote speaker. The honorarium will usually be larger than that given to conference speakers or speakers for departmental colloquia. Honoraria for keynotes usually start at $1,000 and go up from there. Nevertheless, academics rarely accept these kinds of invitations just for the money. Instead, they do it for the opportunity to exchange ideas with people in their subfield and to add a prestigious line to their CV. However, if you are seeking out a speaker who receives multiple invitations a year, offering a larger honorarium may make them more likely to agree to keynote your event rather than another. (If you receive more invitations to speak than you can accept, the amount of the honoraria can often help you decide which ones to accept.)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The expectation is that the conference, plenary, and keynote speakers will be involved in all conference activities. People will be disappointed if the keynote speaker just drops in to give their lecture and leave. A good keynote or plenary speaker will give an engaging talk that relates closely to the conference theme and engage with other conference participants for the duration of the conference, including participating in any meals or receptions.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Public Lecture</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A public lecture is one where you are expected to speak for about an hour to a large audience, and then to take questions. There is a relatively small subset of academics who give these kinds of talks because they require a specific skill set. Delivering these talks requires the ability to deliver an engaging lecture that appeals to undergraduate students. If you are working on a timely topic, you are more likely to receive these sorts of invitations. Students are more likely to come out for a talk on extinction, climate change, human trafficking, or racial justice than on the nuances of Shakespeare or Beethoven.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unlike conferences or departmental seminars, the audience for these talks will include more than professors and graduate students. In many cases, undergraduate students will make up the majority of attendees. In other cases, community members will also come out to hear the talk. Thus, your work (and presentation style) must appeal to a broader audience.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a relationship between the honorarium and the expected size and nature of the audience. If you are asked to give a public lecture with an audience of over 100 people, including many undergraduate students, it is reasonable to expect an honorarium of $1000 or more. If you are giving a talk that will attract 500 audience members, in my view, the honorarium should reflect that.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Distinguished Lecture</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Distinguished Lecture is a bit different from a public lecture. A distinguished lecture often comes with a large honorarium and generally includes a day-long (or even a multi-day) visit including the lecture, meals with colleagues, class visits, Q&A sessions, and other opportunities to interact with colleagues. Distinguished lecturers tend to be prestigious and well-known academics. One example would be an annual prize given out by a university to a person who has made groundbreaking achievements in their field. Another example would be an annual named distinguished lecture. Basically, you must be prestigious and well-known to get these invitations. The audience will vary depending on the nature of the invitation, but you can generally expect a larger percentage of the audience to be faculty members for a distinguished lecture than for a public lecture.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contracted Speaker from an Agency</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contracted agency speakers are a whole different ballgame. This</span><a href="http://www.speakers.com/Speaker/Henry-Louis-Gates-speaker-biography" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">website</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, for example, says that fees for Professor Henry Louis Gates begin at $40,000, making Professor Marc Lamont Hill’s</span><a href="http://www.speakers.com/Speaker/Marc-Lamont-Hill-speaker-biography" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fees</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of $10,000 to $20,000 seem like a bargain. The reason these academics can charge this much is because their lecture will take place in one of the largest rooms on campus and the tickets are likely to sell out. These professors are widely known outside their discipline and even outside academia. Both Professor Gates and Professor Hill regularly appear on television and have broad name recognition. This enhances their ability to draw a large crowd, And, there is often a relationship between the size of the audience and the size of the honorarium.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contracted Workshop with an Individual or Organization</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition to public speakers, there are some academics and organizations who do workshops designed to attend to an institutional need. Here, the audience will be smaller, but the speakers serve as paid consultants and often charge substantial fees. A full-day</span><a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/72986838/Workshop%20Flyers/Certified%20Workshop%20Facilitators/Campus%20Workshops%20Flyer%202016.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">workshop</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by an speaker from the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity will cost $9,500. Other academics do workshops on</span><a href="http://www.effectivefaculty.org/about-2/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">teaching</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and</span><a href="http://www.wendybelcher.com/writing-advice/one-day-journal-article-writing-workshop/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">publishing</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that cost several thousand dollars. And organizations such as the </span><a href="http://www.theopedproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">OpEd project </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">contract with campuses to deliver workshops.</span></div>
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</b> <br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you can see, there is a lot of variation in the amount academics are compensated to speak at colleges and universities. This variation depends in large part on the prestige of the speaker, the nature of the invitation, the size of the audience, and whether you are dealing directly with a speaker or contracting through an agency.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To be sure, these musings are based on my personal experience, and thus may be biased towards the social sciences and the humanities and towards public universities where I have spent all of my academic career. I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments about types of campus visits and honoraria.</span></div>
<br />
N.B. A version of this post was published in the <i><a href="https://chroniclevitae.com/news/1678-speaking-as-an-academic" target="_blank">Chronicle of Higher Education.</a></i>Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-72690187841940658372016-12-10T09:22:00.001-08:002016-12-10T21:39:10.302-08:00A Year in the Life of a Tenured Professor: 2016 in reviewAcademics, like many people, often focus on what is right in front of us. However, much of our work takes years to complete. My <span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2gpnlMM">book</a></span> that came out last year, for example, began with a proposal I wrote in 2008! Insofar as many of us are perpetually behind and barely meeting deadlines, it can feel as though we are unproductive, even when we are getting things done.<br />
<br />
For these reasons, at the end of each calendar year, I like to reflect on what I have accomplished during the year. And, occasionally, I publish these reflections on this blog, as I did in <span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-time-for-pause-and-celebration-2012.html?showComment=1356422103691">2012</a></span>.<br />
<br />
In 2016, my biggest accomplishment for the year is an edited volume, which will come out from Oxford University Press next Fall. That project is unusual as most of the work was completed during the calendar year of 2016. Another thing I can say I did this year is I drafted three (similar) 5-page grant proposals to request seed funding for my new project on incarceration. I also drafted and got under review two co-authored articles and three book chapters. At least half of what I did this year, then, is still under review. On the other hand, I have several articles that came out this year that required little to no effort in 2016.<br />
<br />
This reality makes it difficult to get a handle on what I actually accomplished this calendar year. I thus find it useful to break down my accomplishments by category of effort expended in 2016. This spectrum ranges from projects I began in 2016 to articles that appeared in 2016 with no effort on my part at all.<br />
<br />
Here is a list of works I started in 2016 and their current stages.<br />
<br />
<b>Works I started and finished in 2016 (for the most part)</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Edited volume for OUP – in production.</li>
<li>Short article with C RnRed</li>
<li>Article w Z and B under review</li>
<li>Three small grants for mass incarceration project drafted and under review</li>
<li>Short article in Spanish written and <a href="http://www.revistatransas.com/2016/12/01/la-deportacion-masiva-y-el-capitalismo-global/" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">published</a></li>
<li>Book chapter on DR w YC written and accepted</li>
<li>Book chapter on racism and deportation drafted and submitted</li>
<li>OUP Race <b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2gpmvzH">textbook</a></span></b> second edition first complete round of revisions</li>
<li>7 online essays published</li>
</ol>
<br />
There are also two pieces that were accepted in 2016. These pieces involved significant revisions of works started in a previous year.<br />
<br />
<b>Works accepted in 2016 (that involved substantial revisions this year)</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>ERS article w Z accepted</li>
<li>Obama book chapter finished and accepted</li>
<li>Book chapter for my edited volume revised and accepted</li>
</ol>
<br />
Then, there are three articles I learned were accepted in 2016, but for which most (but not all) of the work was done in previous years.<br />
<br />
<b>Works accepted in 2016 (where most of the work was done in a prior year</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>2016. “Parallels Between Mass Incarceration and Mass Deportation: An Intersectional Analysis” Journal of World-Systems Research 22.2: 484-509 Download <span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jwsr/article/view/616/833">here</a></span>.</li>
<li>2016. “Feeling Like a Citizen, Living as a Denizen: Deportees’ Sense of Belonging” American Behavioral Scientist doi: 10.1177/0002764216664943 Download <a href="http://abs.sagepub.com/content/60/13/1575.full.pdf?ijkey=TIoul4kH1fA4Rz4&keytype=finite" style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">here</a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></li>
<li>2016. ““Negative Credentials,” “Foreign-Earned” Capital, and Call Centers: Guatemalan Deportees’ Precarious Reintegration” Citizenship Studies Download <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2786520" style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">here</a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
Additionally, there are pieces that required no effort in 2016, but that came out this past year. (I can't even remember when I wrote #4 - maybe three years ago?)<br />
<br />
<b>Works published in 2016 where all the work was done in prior years.</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>2016. “A Critical and Comprehensive Sociological Theory of Race and Racism” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 2: 2. Read online <a href="https://www.academia.edu/22618708/A_Critical_and_Comprehensive_Sociological_Theory_of_Race_and_Racism" style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">here</a></li>
<li>2016. “Racialized and Gendered Mass Deportation and the Crisis of Capitalism” Symposium on Race and Ethnicity in the Capitalist World-System Journal of World-Systems Research. Read online <span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jwsr/article/view/610">here</a></span></li>
<li>2016. “National Insecurities: The Apprehension of Criminal and Fugitive Aliens” The Immigrant Other: Lived Experiences in a Transnational World Edited by: Rich Furman, Greg Lamphear, and Douglas Epps. Columbia University Press.</li>
<li>2016. “Peru” The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism, First Edition. Edited by y John Stone, Rutledge M. Dennis, Polly S. Rizova, Anthony D. Smith, and Xiaoshuo Hou.</li>
<li>2016. Review of Beneath the Surface of White Supremacy: Denaturalizing U.S. Racisms Past and Present by Moon-Kie Jung in Political Science Quarterly.</li>
</ol>
<br />
Finally, there are several works that involved research, reading, and writing, yet are not publications.<br />
<br />
<b>Work that is not publications but involved research and writing</b><br />
<ol>
<li>9 interviews for new project completed</li>
<li>4 external P&T reviews</li>
<li>28 article, book, and grant reviews</li>
<li>2 grant panel reviews</li>
<li>Read and took notes on 12 books on mass incarceration</li>
<li>3 Get a Life, PhD campus workshops</li>
<li>1 keynote in Spanish</li>
<li>4 invited public lectures on Deported</li>
<li>4 conference presentations</li>
<li>18 letters of recommendations</li>
</ol>
<br />
2016 was a relatively light teaching year for me yet teaching relief was replaced with a heavy service burden as I launched our <span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2016/10/doing-service-work-on-purpose-as-full_21.html">Faculty Equity Advisor Program</a>.</span> I did not teach in the Spring of 2016 and I taught two classes in the Fall of 2016. Throughout the year, I maintained a writing schedule of one to two hours a day. I rarely wrote for less than one hour and hardly ever wrote for more than two, even when I wasn't teaching.<br />
<br />
I always marvel and how much you can accomplish when you focus for an hour or two each day on writing. After taking account of what I have done, I can say that 2016 was a success and I can take my well-deserved end of the year two-week vacation! See you in 2017!Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-85500709837660172542016-12-05T12:38:00.003-08:002016-12-05T12:38:44.426-08:00Seven Steps to your First Article Submission to an Academic JournalIf you are on the brink of submitting your first article to an academic journal, congratulations! This is an exciting step in your career. In this post, I will go through the steps of submitting your first article.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-EAtWNpq3-_c68n6ltq2aOsFPowN3Vh68w5z3Iwed9W0fHP2T-8a8n2gHucGxF37WI9wAe49lUpkxWRzBolRFWaXDnhWLM7LA4C1vljMAKgChp6VAFUuYQOXZO-6bioSPNR0Vn_z6Kk/s1600/CB_-VKiUgAAr15A+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<ol>
<li><b>Find a suitable journal.</b> This is the most important step and one you should seek advice on from knowledgeable experts. Ask at least one person who has read the latest version of your manuscript if the journal you have selected is appropriate. If you are still unsure, you can send a brief (two or three sentence) query letter to the journal editor to inquire about fit.</li>
<li><b>Follow the submission instructions</b>. Once you have selected your target journal, go to their webpage and look for instructions on how to submit. That page will have specific guidelines you must follow. These guidelines range from font to format to references to length. Follow all of the guidelines exactly. If the website has a document that says “Guidelines for authors,” read it.</li>
<li><b>Get your article in the best shape you can</b>. Review your article several times to make sure that there are no errors. Double check all in-text citations to make sure they are properly cited in the reference section. Make sure you have spelled all proper nouns (author and university names) properly. (Check out this post for a description of ‘<a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2014/05/how-to-publish-article-in-academic.html" target="_blank">rookie mistakes’</a> and how to avoid them.)</li>
<li><b>De-identify yourself in the manuscript.</b> Most journals prefer that if you cite yourself, you don’t name yourself. Instead, you will write (Author 2012) and omit that entry from the bibliography during the submission process.</li>
<li><b>Write a brief and courteous cover letter. </b>Your cover letter should be on letterhead. Address the Editor by name. (You can find their name on the website.) Provide the title of the article, the word count, and a brief statement of fit with the journal. Thank the Editor for their consideration.</li>
<li><b>Submit </b>your article to the journal and wait for a response.</li>
<li><b>Wait</b> some more. Journal review processes take time. You should be able to find out the norms in your discipline. In my discipline, after three months, it is acceptable to send a brief inquiry to the managing editor to inquire about the status of the manuscript. If you submit this inquiry, be polite.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-EAtWNpq3-_c68n6ltq2aOsFPowN3Vh68w5z3Iwed9W0fHP2T-8a8n2gHucGxF37WI9wAe49lUpkxWRzBolRFWaXDnhWLM7LA4C1vljMAKgChp6VAFUuYQOXZO-6bioSPNR0Vn_z6Kk/s1600/CB_-VKiUgAAr15A+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-EAtWNpq3-_c68n6ltq2aOsFPowN3Vh68w5z3Iwed9W0fHP2T-8a8n2gHucGxF37WI9wAe49lUpkxWRzBolRFWaXDnhWLM7LA4C1vljMAKgChp6VAFUuYQOXZO-6bioSPNR0Vn_z6Kk/s320/CB_-VKiUgAAr15A+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
When you finally receive a response, it will usually fall in one of four categories:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Accept</b>. A straightforward accept is highly unusual and even more so for an early-career scholar. But, it does happen sometimes.</li>
<li><b>Conditional accept</b>. Some journals will issue a conditional acceptance where they ask you to make specific revisions prior to publication. This is a very favorable outcome, although also fairly uncommon on a first submission. Once you make those revisions, the editor will review the manuscript in-house and publish the article if your revisions are satisfactory.</li>
<li><b>Revise and resubmi</b>t. This is a great outcome and has given you a real shot at publication. I have a detailed <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-respond-to-revise-and-resubmit.html" target="_blank">post</a> explaining how to respond to this kind of response. I suggest you check it out.</li>
<li><b>Reject</b>. Rejections, unfortunately, are very common in academia. So, hopefully, this won’t be your last rejection. The more rejections you get, the more you are submitting. There are two kinds of rejections – a desk reject and a rejection after review. If you get a desk reject, it is likely either because the article is not ready to be submitted or because you sent it to the wrong journal. The editor’s letter should indicate whether it is a question of quality or fit. A rejection after review takes longer, but often comes with helpful reviews. If you get one of these, I suggest following many of the steps that I suggest in the Revise and Resubmit <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-respond-to-revise-and-resubmit.html" target="_blank">post</a> before submitting to another journal.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Publishing is the main currency of academia. It is not easy, but it is the singular most important thing you can do, especially as an early career academic. So, don’t give up!Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-52893981963551477192016-11-19T08:20:00.000-08:002016-11-19T08:20:57.499-08:00Seven Strategies for Success On The Tenure-Track<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Securing a tenure-track position in this academic market is difficult. Of course, once you have such a position, the trials are not over, as you now have to work to achieve tenure. And the very thought of working towards tenure can be overwhelming. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sergiosf/15703489083/in/photolist-pVEucM-evUt7y-ffQhPM-8MYn7s-4HNL6L-8oeLk1-4LaGPL-yxpwv-dpLmvo-7DBfbH-4Laanf-oZFB45-pEnc3B-pFfZCE-pUkg51-pEvnDk-pWGiFe-pE4KcR-pJ6A1h-pErn14-pFd6QV-pWqAtP-pUnt9C-pUjCKN-pEveLs-pFgGFZ-pWfU1Z-pWeQt1-pWyhM7-pExW7a-p166ZW-pURP7C-oZDxVq-oZkAz9-pWQUFH-89M2xG-pEwJqs-oZZPdu-pXsTLk-pWDV82-pEuLZS-pYpd21-pWB4Fw-oZJBRv-p13Jkh-oZjysq-pWpaYi-pVuPTJ-pEsyW5-pEzHvs" title="Summit"><img src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7503/15703489083_0be44e991a_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="Summit"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">However, I encourage tenure-track faculty members not only to think about achieving tenure but to be strategic and focused to ensure you are on the right path. Even if tenure is a few years off, new tenure-track faculty can take a few important steps now (other than, of course, work on publishing their dissertations, improving their courses and developing new research projects). Here are a few examples.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">1. Check out the tenure documentation</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. What forms are you going to have to fill out when you go up for tenure? If possible, secure a copy of those forms so that you can see what information you will be asked to provide when you make your tenure case. Many colleges and universities have a mid-career or third-year review process, which is identical to the tenure review. That can help familiarize you with the process.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2. Develop an “aspirational tenure CV” for yourself.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> You should include in it all of the things you would like to have accomplished by the time you are up for tenure. If you are in the humanities, that probably will include a book and perhaps multiple articles. (If you are unclear about the expectations, this </span><a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-figure-out-publication.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">post</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> has some suggestions for how to figure those out.) Also include conference presentations, service obligations, teaching accolades, invited lectures and anything else that you think will help you make your case for tenure. This will help you to see the bigger picture more clearly. Once you have your aspirational CV, use it to develop your long-term </span><a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2011/08/five-steps-towards-creating-five-year.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">plan for tenure</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">3. Create a list of your external reviewers</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. One of the best pieces of advice that I received on the tenure-track was to make a list of 12 people in my field whom I admire, and then to make it a point to contact them while I was on the tenure-track. If you write this list in your first year, you only have to contact two people per year over the next six years. You can reach out in a variety of ways. You can invite them to have coffee at a conference. You can send them a recently-published article of yours that you think they might find interesting. You can send them feedback or questions about an article or book that they recently published. I recommend contacting them in a way that feels natural or comfortable to you and that engages with your shared research interests. Most universities expect that external reviewers will be at similar or more highly ranked institutions than your own, so keep that in mind when you formulate your list.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">4. Network to establish a national reputation</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. At many research universities, having a national reputation is a vital component of your tenure case. For that reason, it is important to make sure that other scholars are aware that you exist and know about your work. One example of a way to do this is to organize a panel at a national conference in your discipline. That will put you in touch with scholars in your field and increase your visibility. Another strategy is to invite prominent scholars to your campus. If your university has funds to do so, suggest people in your field to ask to deliver talks. (This also can permit you to check a name off your list from the previous suggestion.) In some universities, it is also expected that you will be invited to share your research at other campuses to demonstrate that you have a national reputation. Finally, a blog in your field publishes guest posts, try to publish your own on it. (In my field, </span><a href="https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/research-subject-groups/centre-criminology/centreborder-criminologies"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Border Criminologies</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> is an example of this kind of blog, and they accept guest posts.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">5. Figure out what kind of service you like</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. What is the right kind of service for you? Do you like serving on review panels? Do you like curriculum development? Do you like organizing seminars? Do you want to be on the athletics committee in the hopes of scoring free basketball tickets? Once you determine what kind of service you like, you may want to be proactive and search out those kinds of opportunities. That way, when other opportunities arise, you can say that you are already occupied with service tasks. It is, of course, crucial to know that you can say “no” to service requests, especially when your “no” is accompanied by a good explanation. When thinking about what kind of service opportunities you will seek out, be mindful of the expectations at your institution. Some institutions expect some form of departmental, university, community and national service. Other institutions are less concerned about national service yet have higher expectations for local service. Be clear about these expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">6. Teach effectively and efficiently</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Advice-Faculty-Members-Robert-Boice/dp/0205281591"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Robert Boice</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> found that successful new faculty members spend no more than two hours preparing for each hour of class. Seek out advice from more seasoned colleagues about how to be a more efficient grader and more effective teacher. Ask your colleagues how much time they spend preparing for class and grading papers to make sure that your efforts are near the norm in your department. (See this </span><a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-avoid-spending-all-of-your-time.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">blog post</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> for additional tips.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">7. Know your evaluation criteria and use them as a guide</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. Your university may have straightforward criteria. When I worked at the University of Kansas, the evaluation criteria were: 40 percent research, 40 percent teaching, and 20 percent service, and I tried to make sure to spend about that percentage of time every week in each of those areas. (I actually printed out a document that said I would spend 3.2 hours a day on research, 3.2 hours on teaching, and 1.6 hours on service and stuck it on my wall.) Your university may not have such clear criteria, but you should be able to estimate how much value is given to each area and make an attempt to align your work hours with those expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It can be overwhelming to be starting a new tenure-track position. But life on the tenure track does not have to be tortuous. Develop clear goals for yourself for tenure and work towards those a little bit every day. Six years is a long time to be stressed out and worried, so figure out ways that you can minimize that stress and worry. Do what you can to not only survive but also to thrive on the tenure track.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><b>Reposted from: <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2016/11/18/how-be-successful-tenure-track-essay" target="_blank">Inside Higher Ed</a></b></span></div><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073786111 1 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:11.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style>Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-78946605987385427762016-10-21T11:18:00.002-07:002016-10-21T11:19:39.151-07:00Doing Service Work on Purpose as a Full ProfessorEveryone says that when you are promoted to Full Professor, the service burden increases dramatically. Having been promoted a few months ago, I can say that my service burden increased dramatically <i>and</i> immediately. This is not surprising give the <a href="https://www.aaup.org/article/ivory-ceiling-service-work#.WApQxpMrK8o">research</a> that shows that women put in an average of five more hours of service than their male counterparts. I should say, however, that my service burden this year is almost entirely self-inflicted. To put it more politely, I have been proactive with regard to my service responsibilities this academic year.<br />
<br />
I have been proactive so that I can do the sort of service work that I find meaningful. For me, that means making the place I work more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. I work at the <a href="http://www.ucmerced.edu/">University of California, Merced</a>. We are relatively unusual for a <a href="http://www.ucmerced.edu/news/2016/campus-named-carnegie-list-research-universities">high-research-activity</a> university in that our student population is very <a href="http://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts" target="_blank">diverse</a>. This year, 76 percent of our incoming class are first generation college students and 55 percent are Chicano/Latino. Our next largest ethnic group is Asians, who constitute 18 percent of our incoming class. Given the demographics of our student body, faculty diversity is a priority for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GRrU_nULRzcy9Q9OH6nmgBODwW9Bc2oGSKhuause1TUiakxLqoSyhyTXPzNvshe5Jj3yySbXr495UveRTovCNq4win6gsVcNXcG5D8Auw6bY2tkb5cmp1cNhZrVc3L5-NSlA8oHHuOg/s1600/000.faculty.shoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GRrU_nULRzcy9Q9OH6nmgBODwW9Bc2oGSKhuause1TUiakxLqoSyhyTXPzNvshe5Jj3yySbXr495UveRTovCNq4win6gsVcNXcG5D8Auw6bY2tkb5cmp1cNhZrVc3L5-NSlA8oHHuOg/s320/000.faculty.shoot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Faculty at UC Merced</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Although student body is primarily Latino and Asian, our faculty members are primarily white. Half of all instructional faculty are white; 21 percent are Asian; 14 percent are Latino, 3 percent are black, and 2 percent are Native American. These numbers, notably, include all instructional faculty, many of whom are temporary. The faculty members are less diverse as we move up the prestige ladder. Whereas 44 percent of all instructional faculty are women, only 22 percent of full professors are women. Minorities constitute 43 percent of all tenure-track faculty, yet only 25 percent of full professors. Of 373 teaching faculty, in 2015, there were 4 African-American lecturers, 3 Assistant Professors, and 2 Associate Professors. We still have no African American Full Professors. In 2015, Latinos made up 12 percent of the Assistant Professors, 9 percent of the Associate Professors, and 9 percent of the Full Professors. (Looking at the data more closely, we also see that a large percentage of our Latino faculty were born and raised in South America and Spain.)<br />
<br />
In light of the disparities between our student body and our faculty, I decided to serve as the Inaugural Chair of the Diversity and Equity Committee of the Senate last year. Although diversity, equity, and inclusion are all important, we decided to focus most of our energies on faculty diversity for the moment, as our university plans to hire over one hundred faculty members over the next four years, as part of our <a href="http://www.ucmerced.edu/news/2016/uc-merced-kicks-historic-13-billion-expansion" target="_blank">$1.3 billion</a> expansion. I find all of this very exciting: the opportunity to really build something!<br />
<br />
The Diversity and Equity Committee looked into best practices for enhancing the diversity and equity of faculty, and we learned that other University of California campuses have begun using Faculty Equity Advisors. (One of the great things about creating a campus in the UC system as there are many great examples we can draw from so we never have to reinvent the wheel.) We thus spent the year developing a proposal to institute Faculty Equity Advisors on our campus. Our proposal was approved by the Divisional Council of the Faculty Senate, and the Provost agreed to provide the funds and institute the program this Fall. Yep, that’s right, less than a year from idea to implementation – one of the very satisfying things about working on a small and growing campus.<br />
<br />
This academic year, I agreed to serve as the Chair of the Diversity and Equity Committee again and also as one of the four campus Faculty Equity Advisors. We will be <a href="https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/apply" target="_blank">hiring</a> nearly fifty people this year, with many of those searches happening in cluster hires. We have cluster hires in <a href="https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/apply/JPF00383" target="_blank">Sustainability</a>, <a href="https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/apply/JPF00389" target="_blank">Inequality, Power and Social Justice</a>, <a href="https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/apply/JPF00392" target="_blank">Human Health Sciences</a>, and <a href="https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/apply/JPF00400" target="_blank">Adaptive and Functional Matter</a>. These 16 positions are open rank and in almost every discipline, so if you haven't applied: what are you waiting for?<br />
<br />
But, I digress. I was telling you about the Faculty Equity Advisor. As Faculty Equity Advisor, my role is to:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Meet with Unit Chair or Dean to discuss composition of Search Committee and explain the importance of a diverse Search Committee.</li>
<li>Meet with Search Committee Chair. Discuss Search Plan, advertisement, and active recruitment strategies. Ask Search Chair to work with Search Committee to develop diversity benchmarks for candidate pool.</li>
<li>Review and approve Search Plan.</li>
<li>Meet with Search Committee to discuss implicit bias, the development of evaluation criteria, and how to evaluate the Contribution to Diversity Statement.</li>
<li>Review applicant pool to ensure applicant pool approximates availability pool in terms of diversity.</li>
<li>Review and approves finalist list.</li>
<li>Provide guidance to Search Committee with regard to on-campus candidates. Ensure candidates are connected with any relevant affinity groups on campus.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
As you can see from the job description, being a Faculty Equity Advisor requires a lot of meetings. It also requires getting up to speed with the literature on best practices for faculty diversity. Luckily, there are tons of online resources. Even better, they tend to make similar recommendations.<br />
<br />
The reports on best practices tend to recommend talking about diversity and implicit bias with Search Committees, doing broad outreach for searches, developing clear evaluation criteria, and having diversity on Search Committees. We have tried to implement these practices and I look forward to letting you know at the end of the year what works and what does not.<br />
<br />
I also look forward to reading your feedback on our approach as well as ideas for strategies that have worked (or not) on your campus.<br />
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This is the first year of the Faculty Equity Advisor Program, and I am excited to see what the outcomes are with regard to the 50 hires we will complete this year. I will write a post and the end of the year to report on what we have learned with this effort.<br />
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And, in case you were wondering, I have still been getting my writing in, as that will always be my priority. With the increased service responsibilities and the concomitant need to be on campus more, I have been waking up at 5am every day, writing for at least one hour, going for a quick run, and then going to campus to take care of business.<br />
<div>
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<br />Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175875149329306963.post-77710476853081351012016-09-23T07:56:00.001-07:002016-09-23T09:48:31.109-07:00How to be a prolific academic writerI often hear academics worry they are not putting enough time into writing. But, how much is enough? For me, two hours of writing every weekday is more than enough time to be extremely productive.<br />
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For the past ten years, I have written for two hours a day, five days a week, and taken at least four weeks of vacation every year. With that schedule, I have written more than many scholars will write in their entire careers.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/42007902@N04/14334274185/in/photolist-kx4VP2-nTfB4S-nUorRP-nQEUjn-nfAed4-nbL9fC-jMfw2q-hsQr7r-fTaDqY" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Writers writing #ccretreat14"><img alt="Writers writing #ccretreat14" height="320" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3897/14334274185_c2d5b5a608_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writers writing for two hours a day at the Creative Connections Retreat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
I am telling you this not to brag, but to make the case that two hours of writing can be more than enough. Of course, this does not mean that I write for two hours and then sit around and eat cherries for the rest of the day. In contrast, I write for two hours, and then spend the remainder of the workday responding to the 50+ emails I get on a daily basis, attending meetings, reading, preparing class, teaching, and doing many of the other tasks required of academics. Each day, I carve at least two hours out of my day to write. (In case you are wondering what I mean by "write," here is a <a href="http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2012/01/ten-ways-to-write-every-day.html" target="_blank">list</a> of ten ways to write every day.)<br />
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These two hours a day have been more than enough for me. I began daily writing nearly ten years ago, in January of 2007. Ever since I began, I have endeavored to write for about two hours each day. I rarely write for less than one hour and almost never write for more than three hours, even during summer or when I am on research leave. With this consistency, I have written a lot over the past ten years.<br />
<br />
<b>What have I done in 10 years?<br />
</b><br />
<i>I have written, revised, and published 12 peer-reviewed journal articles.<br />
</i>I have four articles that were published between 2005 and 2008. I would not count those as part of this tally, as two of them were accepted prior to I began daily writing. The other two had been written, but required some revising. We can definitely count the other 12 articles I have published since 2009 as I began writing those from scratch after 2007.<br />
<br />
<i>I have written, revised, and published 15 book chapters and invited articles.<br />
</i>As for my book chapters, I will not count the four book chapters I published in 2008 or earlier, as those had already been at least partially drafted by the time I began daily writing. I have written and published 15 book chapters and invited articles since 2007.<br />
<br />
<i>I have written, revised, and published 4 books.<br />
</i>I have published five books. My first book, <i>Yo Soy Negro: Blackness in Peru</i>, is based on my dissertation, which I defended in 2005. I had already begun the revisions by 2007 but certainly spent a lot of time between 2007 and 2010 revising and re-revising it until I finally sent off the final version in February 2010. I wrote my other four books from scratch since 2007.<br />
<br />
<i>I have written and published lots and lots of blog posts and online essays.<br />
</i>I have also published 74 OpEds and online essays in addition to about 150 blog posts.<br />
<br />
So, what can you accomplish by writing for two hours a day, five days a week? In my case, it looks like in ten years, you can write four books, 15 book chapters and essays, and 12 articles. A normal tenure review is about half that time – five years. And, half of what I have accomplished in these past ten years would exceed the bar for tenure in most places. Finally, this is a conservative estimate as I am not counting the three articles and two book chapters I have under review nor the edited volume that is nearing completion.<br />
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A lot has happened in these ten years. I moved to Chicago for a one-year post-doctoral fellowship. I spent a year traveling to four countries to do research for my book, <i>Deported.</i> I moved to Merced to start a position at UC-Merced. Each of these moves derailed my writing patterns temporarily. But, the important thing is that I have always eventually been able to get back on track and find my writing mojo.<br />
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In sum, carving 30 minutes, an hour, or two hours out of your schedule every day for writing is a great way to achieve tremendous productivity. Instead of feeling as if you have to write all day every day, I encourage you to write a little bit every day and see what you can accomplish.Tanya Golash-Bozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299920277816825958noreply@blogger.com