Teaching

Some perspective: For those of you who are applying to faculty positions at R1 institutions, you should expect one question about teaching during your first round of interviews (at the long-list stage). As many successful candidates have confirmed to me (at least those in the natural sciences), however, they never got any question about teaching during the on-campus interview. Think of it this way: If you were a candidate in your department/unit, could you imagine one of the faculty members asking you anything about teaching, and this, despite the fact that at Harvard teaching ability is taken very seriously and matters? For R1 institutions, the focus is research.

In contrast, if you're applying to more teaching intensive institutions, notably top Liberal Arts Colleges, teaching experience and ability will definitely be important.

teaching

If you’re scheduled to serve as a Teaching Assistant, take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Bok Center for Teaching & Learning. In particular, sign up for the Fall Teaching Conference & Winter Teaching Week. The Bok Center also offers online resources, covering a wide range of topics, including Designing your Course, Grading, and Equity & Inclusivity. 

Ultimately, teaching experience is not critical to securing a faculty position at a R1 institution. That said, it does not hurt, especially if you did not have the opportunity to teach during your Ph.D., and may also give you additional material to include into your Teaching Statement. But if you already have teaching experience, getting more experience might be at the expense of your research productivity, which is far more important.