Postsecondary teachersPostsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and vocational subjects beyond the high school level that may lead to a degree or simply to improvement in one�s knowledge or skills. These teachers include college and university faculty, postsecondary career and technical education teachers, and graduate teaching assistants. College and university faculty make up the majority of postsecondary teachers. They teach and advise more than 15 million full- and part-time college students and perform a significant part of our Nation�s research. Faculty also keep up with new developments in their field and may consult with government, business, nonprofit, and community organizations. Faculty usually are organized into departments or divisions, based on academic subject or field. They usually teach several different related courses in their subject—algebra, calculus, and statistics, for example. They may instruct undergraduate or graduate students, or both. College and university faculty may give lectures to several hundred students in large halls, lead small seminars, or supervise students in laboratories. They prepare lectures, exercises, and laboratory experiments; grade exams and papers; and advise and work with students individually. In universities, they also supervise graduate students� teaching and research. College faculty work with an increasingly varied student population made up of growing shares of part-time, older, and culturally and racially diverse students. Faculty keep abreast of developments in their field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. They may also do their own research to expand knowledge in their field. They may perform experiments; collect and analyze data; and examine original documents, literature, and other source material. From this process, they arrive at conclusions, and publish their findings in scholarly journals, books, and electronic media. Most college and university faculty extensively use computer technology, including the Internet; electronic mail; software programs, such as statistical packages; and CD-ROMs. They may use computers in the classroom as teaching aids and may post course content, class notes, class schedules, and other information on the Internet. Some faculty are increasingly using sophisticated telecommunications and videoconferencing equipment and the Internet to teach courses to students at remote sites. The use of e-mail, chat rooms, and other techniques has greatly improved communications between students and teachers and among students. Most faculty members serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with the policies of their institution, departmental matters, academic issues, curricula, budgets, equipment purchases, and hiring. Some work with student and community organizations. Department chairpersons are faculty members who usually teach some courses but have heavier administrative responsibilities. The proportion of time spent on research, teaching, administrative, and other duties varies by individual circumstance and type of institution. Faculty members at universities normally spend a significant part of their time doing research; those in 4-year colleges, somewhat less; and those in 2-year colleges, relatively little. The teaching load, however, often is heavier in 2-year colleges and somewhat lighter at 4-year institutions. Full professors at all types of institutions usually spend a larger portion of their time conducting research than do assistant professors, instructors, and lecturers. Postsecondary vocational education teachers, also known as postsecondary career and technical education teachers, provide instruction for occupations that require specialized training, but may not require a 4-year degree, such as welder, dental hygienist, x-ray technician, auto mechanic, and cosmetologist. Classes often are taught in an industrial or laboratory setting where students are provided hands-on experience. For example, welding instructors show students various welding techniques and essential safety practices, watch them use tools and equipment, and have them repeat procedures until they meet the specific standards required by the trade. Increasingly, career and technical education teachers are integrating academic and vocational curriculums so that students obtain a variety of skills that can be applied to the �real world.� Career and technical education teachers have many of the same responsibilities that other college and university faculty have. They must prepare lessons, grade papers, attend faculty meetings, and keep abreast of developments in their field. Career and technical education teachers at community colleges and career and technical schools also often play a key role in students� transition from school to work by helping to establish internship programs for students and by providing information about prospective employers. Graduate teaching assistants, often referred to as graduate TAs, assist faculty, department chairs, or other professional staff at colleges and universities by performing teaching or teaching-related duties. In addition to their work responsibilities, assistants have their own school commitments, as they are also students who are working towards earning a graduate degree, such as a Ph.D. Some teaching assistants have full responsibility for teaching a course—usually one that is introductory in nature—which can include preparation of lectures and exams, and assigning final grades to students. Others provide assistance to faculty members, which may consist of a variety of tasks such as grading papers, monitoring exams, holding office hours or help-sessions for students, conducting laboratory sessions, or administering quizzes to the class. Teaching assistants generally meet initially with the faculty member whom they are going to assist in order to determine exactly what is expected of them, as each faculty member may have his or her own needs. For example, some faculty members prefer assistants to sit in on classes, while others assign them other tasks to do during class time. Graduate teaching assistants may work one-on-one with a faculty member or, for large classes, they may be one of several assistants. Related news articles Secrets of UK's best young teacher - 16 Oct 2006 Scotsman,Phil Beadle was named secondary school teacher of the year, an award which saw him signed up by Channel 4 to front The Unteachables, a reality show for which ... Math teacher cries police brutality - Oct 15, 2006 Trinidad News,A SECONDARY school teacher is claiming police brutality after he was reportedly beaten and humiliated by a plainclothes police officer following an accident ... Wake Forest presents Schoonmaker, Reinhardt and Waddill awards ... - Oct 12, 2006 WFU News Service,...differences. The Waddill Award is given annually to one elementary school and one secondary school teacher who are Wake Forest alumni. ... Londoners feted on World Teachers' Day - Oct 5, 2006 London Free Press,..."He was a man of integrity who demanded excellence and you wanted to give it," said Ste. Marie, a Laurier secondary school teacher. "He was a true mentor.". ... MRS MOLLY CUMMING DIES AGED 101 - Oct 13, 2006 Fife Today,University. After graduating, she went on to become a secondary school teacher at both Lawside Academy and Harris Academy in Dundee. ... Teacher of the Year - Oct 5, 2006 Fairfax Connection,After being a parent of seven, Hayfield Secondary School teacher Nancy Dolan wanted to share her insider's knowledge of children with the community. ... I wanted nothing less, says Deepal - Oct 3, 2006 Fiji Times,Mr Singh was a primary and secondary school teacher before becoming an accountant. "We keep pushing our son and set the challenging tasks for him to perform. ... Somalia's Islamists vow holy war on Ethiopia - Oct 10, 2006 Christian Science Monitor,But while he was secretly planning, Mr Ahmed, a Sudanese-trained former secondary school teacher, was slowly carving a niche for himself in the international ... Director gets fired up over new music centre - Oct 5, 2006 Royston Mercury,...as chairman of the trustees of the National Teaching Awards after Hockerill's director of languages Mike Ullmann received the secondary school Teacher of the ... AGSSTA accuses govt of neglect, to intensify stir - Sep 25, 2006 Herald Publications,MARGAO, SEPT 25 — The All Goa Secondary School Teacher’s Association (AGSSTA) has charged the government for taking the teachers for a ride by paying only ... Busan film festival gets underway - Oct 11, 2006 Hindu,Kim wowed audiences with his debut ``Bungee Jumping of Their Own,'' a touching and innovative story about a secondary school teacher's relationship with his ... Doubts on Muslim integration rise in Europe - Oct 11, 2006 International Herald Tribune,In France last month, a secondary school teacher went into hiding after receiving death threats for writing an article calling the Prophet Muhammad "a ... Anger drives new S.Korean film inspired by collapse of department ... - Oct 12, 2006 International Herald Tribune,His debut film "Bungee Jumping of Their Own" is about a secondary school teacher who suffers emotional upheaval after he realizes one of his students is a ... REPRIEVE FOR DOG WHICH BIT PAPERBOY - Oct 3, 2006 Eastbourne Herald,In addition to being a councillor she has been a primary school governor, a youth club leader and by profession has been a secondary school teacher and a ... Teacher, brother 'plotted to kill dad' - Sep 25, 2006 Advertiser Adelaide,A MELBOURNE secondary school teacher and her brother plotted to murder their father for his money, a court has been told. Maria ... More information on Postsecondary teachers from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Postsecondary teachers occupation Number of Postsecondary teachers in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Postsecondary teachers Working conditions for Postsecondary teachers Significant points for Postsecondary teachers Training requirements for Postsecondary teachers Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |