Free Sample
The Complete Guide to Becoming An Anthropology and Archeology Teacher, Postsecondary
What it really takes to teach anthropology and archeology at the college level: the actual day-to-day work, the real pay, the honest path in, and how to know if you should do it
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: What Does a Anthropology and Archeology Teacher, Postsecondary Actually Do?
If you are reading this, you are probably picturing yourself in front of a college classroom, sharing your fascination with ancient civilizations or human cultural diversity. That is a real part of this job. But it is not the whole job, and if you go in with only that picture, you will be unprepared for what actually fills your week. Let me show you what an anthropology and archeology teacher at a postsecondary institution really does, hour by hour, week by week, for years at a time.
The Teaching Load: More Than Standing at a Podium
First, get the classroom picture right. A postsecondary anthropology teacher does not just teach a class; they build it. Each course you teach involves designing a syllabus from scratch or significantly revising an existing one, creating or updating lecture slides for every meeting, writing discussion prompts, preparing handouts, creating assignments, and constructing and grading exams. For every hour you spend in front of a classroom, you will typically spend two to three hours preparing and grading. If you teach a standard load of four courses per semester, that puts you at roughly 12 classroom hours and another 25 to 35 hours of prep and grading work per week. That is the core load before you add anything else.
Lectures at a typical public university meet two to three times per week for 50 to 75 minutes each. A full-time load of four