wildviolet

Embarcadero--I would not put much stock in the results of this report for the reason that their primary source of data--written course syllabi--say nothing about what was actually taught or what students actually learned. First--look up articles on the different kinds of curriculum. Cuban (1999), for example, identifies at least five: recommended, official, taught, learned, and tested. The NCTQ study basically looked only at the official curriculum (course syllabi). The recommended curriculum is often different from the official curriculum, which is often different from what actually gets taught, which is often not what gets learned and, in the case of teaching, not what gets tested (i.e., actual classroom teaching performance). All of these types of curricula are difficult to measure, and they interact in idiosyncratic ways that are unpredictable. This is one of the reasons why we haven't solved our educational "problems" yet. Never mind the fact that 30 students in a classroom are going to see 30 different things in the same classroom, that we have teachers who come primarily from white, middle-class backgrounds teaching students who do not, and that schooling is forced upon children who would rather be doing anything else than sitting in a desk all day listening to adults tell them what to do and how they should do it. As far as I know, researchers have developed tools that are able to identify the top and bottom 10% of teachers. That means 80% of teachers are somewhere in the middle--which means that it was difficult to distinguish those teachers with a reasonable degree of reliability. Similarly, trying to "grade" teacher prep programs is a difficult task--most will be in the middle, few will be at the top, and few will be at the bottom. All of this is not to say that university-based teacher preparation programs have no problems or that we don't have some bad teachers out there. Ultimately, I think it comes down to fit--certain people do better in certain programs because their interests/abilities/learning styles match the interests/expectations/teaching styles of the program. These rankings have no bearing on what you will get out of your program--that is ultimately up to you. Having said that, however, there are good and bad programs out there, but this report will not give you an accurate picture of them. Sorry I cannot offer much advice, but I also do not feel comfortable giving advice because how well your program prepares you to teach is so contextual. The desired result--effective classroom teaching performance--is a combination of many factors.

Didn't read the article, but I'd say it really depends... and, like much else in life, there are pros and cons. Personally, I'm enjoying grad school for many reasons. But, I also don't like particular aspects, like superficial over-achievers as colleagues. So, on the one hand, we need to bitch about grad school to let out stress and commiserate. On the other hand, my first year of grad school has probably been one of the best years of my life period.

My statement did not come from the report. It came from a direction question from me to her--and that was her response.

Exactly.

It's generating controversy because Americans love to bash public education. Their methodology is seriously flawed. They examined primarily documents--how about actually observing instruction? How about the value and quality of field experiences? No informed educational scholar would take this report seriously. This report was designed to create controversy and fuel the downfall of public education in this country. Who wins? Just follow the money... public tax dollars for private companies. I met Kate Walsh when she came and spoke to us--although she acknowledges that Teach for America teachers do no better or worse than teachers trained by university programs, she secretly supports TFA and is part of the educational "reformers" that don't really understand schooling and have only their interests (however bizarre they may be) in mind. She thinks that only the top students should become teachers. Really? What incentives are you going to provide to attract top students to teaching? There's a reason teachers need summer vacation--to recharge and get mentally and emotionally ready for the next school year. I taught for 10 years in public schools. I didn't leave because I didn't enjoy teaching students. I left because being a public school teacher was no longer worth it for me and because I wanted to pursue research to better understand why my students weren't learning what I wanted them to learn. Trying to blame schools of education (or university-based teacher preparation programs) for conditions that are out of our control is ignorant and wrong. Kate Walsh and all the other pseudo-educators out there need to stop playing the blame game.

You have to define what you mean by "best." Do you mean the U.S. News and World Report rankings? Do you mean respected by academics in the field? Do you mean best for job prospects? So many factors go into admissions decisions, and at this level, numbers like GPA and GRE scores may be good for fellowships or scholarships but not for assessing whether you'd complete a PhD successfully. Five years (or more) for a PhD program means that perseverance counts more than intelligence (measured any which way you can think of). My question to you would be... what is most important to you? What will you need from your advisor, your program, and your community in order to be a happy and healthy grad student? I figured out all those things before I started looking at programs. For me, it was important to have a good mentor and be in a well-respected program. I have certain hobbies that suffered a bit by moving to my new community, but it wasn't anything that was going to keep me from staying sane. It was also important for me to be well-funded and have opportunities to do both research and teaching (you should really look into this because some institutions aren't able to offer you both). Off the top of my head, I believe USC has a C&I program focused almost exclusively on Urban Ed. Ultimately, you won't know unless you apply. But, given that PhD apps take time and money, I'd limit myself to the ones that truly fit my needs. If possible, I would also highly recommend contacting current grad students or recent grads of the program to get their take on the program--you can usually find students' email addresses on the department's webpage. I haven't had any problems with students not wanting to talk to me, and they provided me with invaluable information that helped me make my decision. Good luck!

I'd call and check with the secretaries... most of the time they know what's going on... who's in and who's not. Although nowadays it seems like people at least set up automatic replies like "I'm on vacation, and I'll be back on this date." I've been told at my institution that the faculty are officially not working from May 15 to August 15. But... some professors, like mine, work through the summer and answer emails on weekends and at night. But, some choose to set strict hours or days for answering email.

Hi Soul--I agree with everything that you said, especially about "leveling" with colleagues. So, all your comments have been fermenting in my head, and I've come to realize a few things: 1. I had a gut/emotional reaction to the situation, and I'm glad that people here chimed in with their thoughts, especially if it was to say, "I don't see anything wrong with your friend's behavior." A reality check is always good. 2. I don't want to get into a spiraling escalation of competition... like, "well, she did this much, so now I have to do more to show that I'm just as good or even better." Maybe it's about working smarter and not harder. Hard work by itself doesn't always get rewarded. Maybe I should start thinking more like a PI and less like a grad student. 3. I'm not against hard work. But, I think there's a fine line between working hard and doing your best and stepping on the toes of others, especially in grad school when we're all trying to figure out our "academic niche."

Having just finished my first year of doctoral study, I agree with a previous poster who stated that the first year is basically a crash course in getting you adjusted to grad school. Last summer, knowing that I would be changing my life in a big way, I spent time doing what I loved and often not much at all. I swear there were days when I was like, "it's already bedtime? What the heck did I do all day?" Having a bit of downtime, whatever that means for you, is perfectly fine before starting grad school.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I don't think she's an introvert--she's just very private, which is fine. I stopped asking her stuff (like her age, she won't share how old she is to anyone) a long time ago. From my perspective, why hide your age unless you're ashamed of it? I just don't understand (so I gave up trying to understand her). As for dress... I just want her to feel better about herself. It's fine if you wear what's comfortable for you, and you accept your body the way it is. I'm probably just projecting my own experience of wearing only jeans and t-shirts during my sophomore year in college because I was feeling bad about myself. Once I bucked up, however, I began taking care of myself again by wearing clothes that fit (rather than hide) my body and doing my makeup and hair. She's not as feminine as I am, which is fine. However, she seems to comment a lot on how dressed down she is and how dressed up and nice I always look (even to my advisor and other people, which sometimes feels weird to me)--over time, those comments have made me think that she's not proud of the way she looks. I think she might say she is, but her comments suggest otherwise. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, maybe a compliment is just a compliment. But, my feeling, developed over time, is that there's something more going on with physical dress and looks and confidence. Maybe the academic achievements are, in part, a way to compensate for lack of confidence in other areas. The thing is that she seeks out my company, too, and I think she would consider what we have a friendship. So, I hate that I feel this way.

I thought I would be able to do both, but maybe not. Your points are well taken. The more I think about it, the more it seems that it's my own insecurities popping up... and my gut reaction is to distance myself from her because I've never been able to be friends with people I also directly compete with.

Hey zapster! Yes, I think you're right that she probably views me as less academically assertive because I don't *show off* to everyone. It's my way, just as it might be her way to always say *something* to show others that she's actively engaged. For example, I don't feel the need to prove myself in class via participation or whatever unless I feel like I have something substantial to contribute. Sometimes it's almost like she participates to participate or to be noticed. I also think you're right to say that it would be different were she not in my field or working with me on a research project run by my advisor. I'm sure I would have an easier time accepting her the way she is if she were not in my field. I'm fairly sure that she's not consciously trying to one-up me. She always intends to "do her best," which means over-achieve. And, no, I don't expect her to curb her ambitions to make me look better. I think I look good enough on my own. So I guess... I might be reading too much into it. But, I am bothered because I don't want to feel resentment towards her, yet I do. WTF? I'm all for collaboration, especially when people bring different strengths and perspectives to a project. But I can't deny that we will most likely be in competition for similar positions. Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts on collaboration vs. competitiveness!

I had an awful feeling the other day... So I didn't come into grad school thinking I'd become best buddies with everyone. After one year with my cohort, I'm on friendly terms with most everyone, I'm comfortable talking about more personal or controversial stuff with some, and I'm fairly close to one or two. Now, the awful feeling came when I began feeling resentment toward someone that I considered a close friend (as in I'd invite her over for dinner, or we'd go out together) and research group colleague. I'm beginning to feel like the relationship is one-sided... I tell her almost everything--personal, professional, whatever--and she tells me almost nothing. Her philosophy is, "ask." Well, how am I supposed to know to ask if she doesn't willingly tell me herself? Anyway, wouldn't it be annoying for someone to continually ask you what's up? For example, the other day I asked her if she'd like to go out for lunch, and she says "no, I have a paper due." Ummm... in the middle of summer when we aren't taking any courses? And, when I do ask her about stuff, she says her life is boring, and she doesn't share anything! (Well, that's not true, she eventually opened up... but just a crack.) And then I feel as if she's trying to one-up me with our research project and my advisor by going way above and beyond the call of duty. Let me clarify--she's not the official RA. I am. She is already independently funded, so she just works on our project "for fun" (i.e., research experience without getting paid). However, during our last data collection period, she did double the number of interviews I did (but only because she doesn't have any kids, and I had kids to pick up from school and attend end-of-the-year events with). Also, we went to a dissertation defense. Of course, she asked a question. I knew she would--because she's that type of go-getter (so this is so ironic given that we've talked about not liking go-getters in our cohort). Okay, we're all over-achievers, otherwise we wouldn't be in grad school. Of course we have to "aim high" and set high expectations for ourselves. But there's got to be a limit, right? Do you really have to be on every single freakin' committee and go to every seminar and ask a question of every speaker? Or is the boundary between collaboration and competition finer than I thought? So now I feel like backing off from the friendship, which makes me feel awful because I do like her... mostly. Something else that has come up is that she's super self-conscious about the way she looks, even though she seems so confident in other ways. And that bothers me because I accept and like the way I look--even though I could probably lose 20 pounds. I've come to accept that this is the weight my body likes to be. I'm perfectly healthy, and I dress to show off my curves, not hide them under t-shirts and jeans like she does (which by the way does absolutely nothing for her figure, and she's bustier than I am.) She doesn't wear makeup, and while I don't judge those who don't, I think if you are self-conscious about the way you look you should try to make yourself look better to feel more confident, and natural-looking makeup definitely does it for me. So... the other possibility is that this friendship is revealing my own insecurities. Of course, I want my advisor to like me and think well of my work--which he does. But maybe I'm jealous (although that's not quite the right word, I think) that he might like other people, too? IDK. This is all messed up because I thought I had made at least one very good friend in grad school, and now I'm questioning my ability to judge other people's characters and actions.

Good for you, nehs! You never know until you try it. I thought I would love teaching (because I loved school as a student). Well... a decade later, and I discovered that I don't love teaching as much as research. Actually a balance would be nice, but I couldn't do much research as a K-12 classroom teacher. I think being in academia will allow me to do research on something that I'm passionate about (education, schooling, teaching, learning) and still engage in teaching but to a lesser degree. I've just recently decided that I do want to aim for R1 institutions, not because of academic prestige, but because I just love research. Some of my colleagues know for sure that they enjoy teaching more than research, so they are aiming for small liberal arts colleges. Personally, students scare me--I was an okay teacher, but I could never have become a great teacher. But the only way that I found that out was to try it!

OK, so I use "thanks" 90% of the time. Is that weird if I'm actually not thanking someone? I mean, it could mean lots of things... like when I'm requesting something... I'll end with "thanks" as in "thank you for attending to my request." If I send out a memo to the research group, I'll say "thanks" as in "thanks for reading this message." "Sincerely" seems too formal for emails to people in our research group or to my colleagues (unless it's official department business to all the grad students). But, none of the others feels right to me, either. Hmmm...

LOL, oh goodness no! It works for some names, but with our two last names... it would just be a super strange mess. I've seen lots of married female professors use both last names without hyphens--I think that's a great idea if the two names are somewhat compatible. But, ours are both ethnic last names (one Asian, one Hispanic) and they just would not sound right together... Thanks, though!

No worries--divorcing that a**hole was the best thing I ever did! Our divorce is taking much longer to finalize than it should have, though, so now that it's almost done... I am wondering what to do about the last name. The weird thing about my situation is that I don't necessarily associate the last name with just him. My kids have his last name. I'm on good terms with his parents (better than he is, in fact). The last time I used my maiden was in college. We married one year after I graduated from college, and I have spent my whole adult life with him. When I look at my maiden name--it just doesn't feel like me. But maybe it will if I keep using it...

I was at a beach once, and I overheard some teachers on vacation talking about how they were divorced but had kept their married names because it was just too much trouble to change it back. I totally understand your viewpoint. I have been "Mrs. D" ever since I started working, so the name has been with me for a long time. I've been experimenting with writing my current name and my maiden name to see which one felt better... the jury is still out on that one.

Hi all--My MS thesis isn't published in journal form yet, but it is listed in ProQuest under my married name because my university was very strict about using legal names on theses and diplomas (in contrast, my undergrad institution allowed you to add nicknames, middle names, whatever). Now that I will soon be divorced, I'm wondering... Would you change your name back to your maiden name? I've finished one year of graduate school under my married name. I'm not so well known that changing my last name would cause any problems (i.e., people not being able to find me). However, it will be hell for a bit to change all the necessary legal documents back to my maiden name. So I guess my other question is: Can your publication name (academic persona) be different than your legal name? I know there have been other threads about last names, and I know ultimately it is a personal decision, but seeing as how I'm conflicted about whether to change back or not, I'm wondering if you all have any opinions/thoughts on this. If I can publish under any name, then the legal thing won't be such a big deal and could be dealt with later. I'm wondering because we will be submitting conference proposals soon, and I'd like to know whether to submit it under my current legal name or my future academic persona. Thanks!

I don't love "best," but it doesn't offend me, either. I admit it sounds weird to my ears. I use "thanks" a lot. When an email exchange starts to get long, I start using just my name, then just the first letter of my name. When I'm writing to someone I don't know personally or in more formal situations, I use "sincerely." "Warm regards" or "Cheers!" don't seem to fit my personality. My advisor just signs off with his name, even though his signature/contact info also appears below.

Yes, but... we are constantly seeking validation from others in academia. First, as graduate students we seek/need validation from our advisors, other faculty, and colleagues. Then, we seek approval from our dissertation, job search, and tenure committees. If we teach and we actually care about the quality of our teaching, then we seek approval (or at least neutrality) from our students. The whole peer review process is infused with the need to validate and be validated. Quality control, research integrity, whatever you want to call it, is endemic to the academic enterprise (and probably the human condition). So I guess the question for me is whose approval do I seek? Right now, I'm definitely concerned with what my advisor thinks of me and my work. While I am sure that he can separate the personal from the professional, I know that it helps my case tremendously if he actually likes me and thinks I'm funny and considerate as well as competent and thoughtful. A care a little less about the approval of my colleagues. At the same time, I will encounter my colleagues (and those in the cohorts ahead of mine) at some time in the future (academia is a very very small world), so it doesn't make sense to burn any bridges. Generally, even if I dislike/disagree with someone, I know that being successful in academia is a combination of who you know and the quality of your work. Academics actually enjoy disagreeing with each other--it's the fuel that feeds intellectual imagination. I care a little about approval from the undergraduates I teach. As a teacher, I know that I won't be able to reach all students. Some is good enough for me. There will always be some students who think you didn't grade fairly or that they didn't learn what they wanted to learn (rather than what you thought they were supposed to learn), etc. So, I think it's impossible to escape the need to seek validation from others in academia (and perhaps in life as well). You can say, "screw it, I'm going to do whatever I want to do." But, that doesn't quite fly (for most people) in a world in which your colleagues are constantly evaluating the way you dress, the way you talk, and the way you work with others. At this point, I'm not in a position to be the gatekeeper of my own dreams. It's no wonder then, that academics tend to be certain types of people--and that they let in/approve of people who are quite similar to themselves. Thus, the (academic) world is produced and reproduced in the structures that we put in place (i.e., GRE scores, admissions, preliminary and comprehensive exams, written dissertations) and the practices we engage in (i.e., peer review, conferences, grant writing, job talks). To push the boundaries of what is acceptable/not acceptable and to change the structures and practices to promote diversity and multiculturalism (if you value those things), is indeed a difficult task.

Hi nehs, Just wanted to let you know that I had a similar experience with my MS thesis advisor (although it was not as extreme as yours). Sometimes I felt like she forgot what she had read or was perhaps thinking about another thesis she was advising. During my thesis "defense," the other two readers questioned some parts of the thesis, at which point my advisor jumped in to defend/clarify that section. I made some minor revisions based on their comments, but it was not a big deal. The lesson I learned was that ultimately I am responsible for my thesis/dissertation. After completing my first year in a doctoral program, I can say that the role of the advisor/committee is to help you produce the best work that you can. My advisor has chaired many dissertations over the years, and some are better than others (the most recent one won a very prestigious award in my field). My conclusion, then, is that the quality of the dissertation is greatly influenced by the dissertation writer and, to a lesser extent, the chair and committee. Also, at least in my field, very few papers get by peer review without at least minor revision.

Hello imonedaful! We also have 9-month assistantships (for which we work 20 hours per week). Over the summer, I'm working for hourly pay, up to a maximum of 40 hours per week. That's not hard to do with three research projects. Besides working on research, I plan on reading for pleasure and reading to prepare for next year. I'm also hoping to grow some vegetables and herbs in my first community garden and will indulge in my hobby/passion--salsa dancing! So, I don't feel like I'm doing less work, but I'm doing different types of work. Without the pressure of reading/writing/thinking for course deadlines, summer is turning out to be very nice!

Sorry I'm kinda late to this discussion (end of semester papers and craziness is finally over)! I'm in a doctoral program at an R1. I have a Master's degree with thesis from a local state university. My opinion is very biased, but I personally think doing the Master's program (with thesis) was beneficial for the following reasons: 1. My undergrad degree was in science, so I never had any education courses. The courses in my Master's program helped me understand the landscape of my field (science education) and got me reading academic journal articles and books. 2. I sent my thesis as my writing sample for my PhD applications (thus demonstrating some competence in research and writing skills). 3. I got great letters of recommendation (I assume) from three faculty (two in science education and one in elementary/bilingual education) who could attest to my research potential. 4. I got a Departmental Grad Student Honors Award (which I totally did not know about until the hooding ceremony) that I could put on my CV. 5. I got a conference poster presentation on my CV (second tier, but still it was peer-reviewed). 6. I got advice from faculty about doctoral programs and pursuing a career in academia. 7. All of these things helped make me a strong candidate when I applied to PhD programs--I was accepted to 3 of the 4 schools I applied to (all top, R1 schools in education). The only school I wasn't accepted to was Stanford, which was because they accept you to work with a particular faculty member, not to the program in general. So, I interviewed with the faculty member I wanted to work with and was wait-listed (I guess his first choice accepted). I wasn't entirely crushed as I'm quite happy where I am now (my advisor is top notch, down-to-earth, and a perfect fit for my personality and professional interests). Of course, good GRE scores help, too. I really studied for the first round of the revised GRE, and was in top 10% for verbal and top 20% for quantitative. Oh yes, and one more benefit is that, because of all this, I received two scholarships from my current institution--one that provides extra funds for all five years, and one that paid for my RA/TA stipend in my first year (which doesn't necessarily help me, but only 2% of all graduate students receive this award, and it helps the professors I work for since they don't have to use their grant monies). Anyway, good luck! P.S. Some of my colleagues do not have Master's degrees, but most do. Our age range is something like 24 (taught for two years, no Master's degree I think) all the way to 40+.