A quite unflattering impersonation of Prof. McGonagall, but it got me toward the front of the line for the HP7 midnight book release!

There is something that I have wanted to do ever since I returned from China in the mid-90s … and no, I don’t mean sing karaoke or eat stir-fried scorpions. (I would be open to karaoke, but scorpions are a never-again, forever and ever, amen.)

What I’ve really wanted to do is teach a bona fide college class! I have tutored, taught a non-credit ESL (English as a Second Language) class and guest lectured, but it’s not the same as being the “teacher of record.” Besides, when I finish my doctorate, it will carry more weight if I also have teaching experience.

(Every time I hear the word “professor,” I think of Minerva McGonagall, one of my absolute favorite literary characters and a mother-figure heroine in the Harry Potter tales.)

I submitted my resume to the local community college after I finished my master’s degree in 2008, but I think the Lord had my back by not letting me get my foot in the door at that time. After all, my life went topsy-turvy in 2009 (the backstory is in the Grief category, if you are unfamiliar and care to peruse it), and then I got the hair-brained idea to start my doctorate in 2010.

After all this time, I decided to update my resume on file and basically reapply earlier this year. Lo & behold, they had an opening for an adjunct (part-time) Government instructor! One thing led to another, and I’ve known for a few weeks that I would be teaching in the spring, but I didn’t want to say anything until it was officially-official.

Instructor’s edition!

Well, today I picked up my faculty ID card, so I’ll say that’s official! 🙂 I’m going to be a real prof!

I will actually be teaching a dual-credit course in Texas Government at a local high school two early mornings a week. I am looking forward to it! It feels a bit like a pay-it-forward opportunity, since I began my college experience as a dual-credit Economics student the summer before my senior year. This will be a real college course; it just so happens to be on the high school campus, and the students will also get credit for h.s. Government. Win-win!