former professor etiquette advice

[abbyt]

I'm (hopefully, barring nothing tragic and unforeseen) graduating in May with an MA in Rhet/Comp, and have pretty much made up my mind that I'm taking a year off before applying for PhDs (basically, I'll be applying in Fall 2017 to start in Fall 2018). I want to do the PhD and I'm not really waffling about whether or not to do it, there's just a number of good reasons that would require me taking just one year off...so attending the PhD program isn't the issue.

My question is that I'll be moving back to near the city where I did my undergrad, due to my spouse's job situation. Logically, lecturing/adjuncting for that year off would be pretty ideal. At my undergrad, there was a professor who I took one class with, but my main connection is through the fact that he was my direct supervisor during the five semesters that I tutored in the undergrad writing center, he's written numerous recommendations for me (including for my MA program), and is the director of the FYC program at the college. Would it be wildly inappropriate to email and let him know that I'll be "back in town," essentially, and if he needed another lecturer I'd be available? It's not like I'm asking for something way above my pay grade since I've picked up a good amount of teaching experience in my MA program, plus he let me read the letter he wrote to my MA schools (after I'd applied) and he basically said "I'll hire her if I'm ever in the position to." He's somewhat of a snarky eccentric, and I feel like we had a good rapport (first-name basis, generally friendly), but I haven't really been in touch for the past year and a half since I graduated, so that's another thing I'm not sure of. I don't NEED this job, but I'd like to do it, and I don't even know if the program's in the position to take on another person.

Thoughts? Advice? Comments?

[TakeruK]

As long as you phrase it right, there's not much you can lose from asking, is there? Since it sounds like you and the prof already have a good professional relationship, the way I'd phrase it would be something like:

"I'm graduating this May and will be back in town for awhile. I want to apply for a PhD program in a year or so, and in the meantime, I'm searching for a [insert best way to describe what you're looking for]. Do you have any advice or do you know of any potential openings?"