Lets Teach!

The adage- ‘Those who can’t do teach’, no longer holds true.  Though teaching and teachers are prevalent at every stage of education, I am going to restrict this article to teaching in Colleges and Universities.

 With an ever increasing influx of students pursuing higher education, there is a constant demand among the top colleges and universities for lecturers and professors who can deliver quality. For people who wish to pursue an academic career, becoming a lecturer just might be the answer. The general perceptions that people have related to this job, some of them being that it is not a well paid and gratifying profession or that it is a profession with little scope for growth, are all wrong.  To capture, and more importantly motivate young minds requires you to constantly be abreast with the current happenings related to your field, which rules out the possibility of any complacency.  If you are lucky enough to be hired as a lecturer in a Government college, then the UGC scales make sure you lead a healthy lifestyle. An assistant professor can get a salary of 40000 to 70000 per month, depending on his/her seniority. Private institutions also make an equal effort to attract and keep the best faculty possible, so if you prove your worth, there is very little that could hinder your growth.

Also, what most of us are not aware of is that there are various stages that one has to cross from being a lecturer and becoming a professor and each stage is a level you get promoted to. For instance, if you were to apply for the post of an assistant Professor at a college, the minimum qualifications you would require are:

1. A post graduate degree with an aggregate of at least 55%( 50% for SC/ST)  both your years of masters.
2. To have cleared NET(National Eligibility Test), which consists of three papers. The 1^st paper is general and the same for all applicants and the other two papers are subject specific, based on your major during masters.

The next level for you would be that of an associate professor. For this you would require,

1. A good academic record with a  Ph.D in the relevant and concerned discipline.
2. A masters degree with at least  55% marks.
3. 8 years of experience as an assistant professor and evidence of published work a minimum of 5 publications as books.

PROFESSOR

1. An eminent scholar with Ph.D  and a minimum of 10 publications as books or research/ policy papers.
2. A minimum of 10 years of teaching experience including experience of guiding candidates for research at doctoral level.
3. Significant contribution to the field of education or an established reputation in the relevant field based on the accomplishments.

 It is a constant strife to achieve the next better level, and along the way the scope for improvement and growth is tremendous.

  It is also becoming a great option for people who have lived and experienced the corporate life and look for something different.  There are a large number of people in their late twenties, who consider lectureship as a serious career option after having battled it out in the corporate world for four to five years and what is better than to impart knowledge that you have gathered through your experiences in practical situations.

Amongst the emerging unconventional career options, that we have attributed to the changing perceptions of our society, conventional options like teaching do not immediately catch our eye, but isn’t teaching the very core of every other profession? Because, learning is the first step towards  achieving, and if you teach, you help people achieve.