TYCA-MW  Chair Reflections

Hello, TYCA Midwest! It is a pleasure to write to you in anticipation of our fall conference to share a few things that may inspire you to come to ND, to login and join us online, or just to get more engaged with our organization. 

I’ve been working in two-year colleges for about 20 years now, and for my first couple years as an instructor, I felt incredibly alone. I had major imposter syndrome, felt suddenly disconnected from my colleagues from my master’s program who were continuing in the direction of in-depth literary studies, and I was struggling to adjust to the complicated work of juggling well over 100 writing students spread across 3 different schools in three different cities. The previous year I was writing theories of the female gaze in Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, and now I was writing “thesis?” and “comma splice” on papers for basic writers. I felt academically adrift and unsure who I was as a scholar. 

The work we do as community college instructors, while deeply intellectual, is learned on the job, rarely taught. The needs of our students are often different than those at traditional 4-year colleges, even if the skills we are teaching are the same. I regret that I wasn’t connected to TYCA earlier, but I managed to stumble through those first few years as a freeway flyer on my own. Once I received a full-time job, a colleague introduced me to TYCA Midwest, and I became connected and involved right away. I learned through my attendance and service to TYCA that I was right where I needed to be, that the work I was doing was indeed academic work…and there was theory and research that was directly connected to my interests and concerns.

Reflecting on that experience today reminds me that TYCA has a huge opportunity to serve as a mentoring organization, one that shepherds new faculty in English into the work of teaching writing and meeting the demands of two-year college instruction. 

TYCA Midwest has long celebrated our adjuncts and younger faculty through discounted conference fees, through the adjunct proposal award and the new faculty award, and by offering grad students an opportunity to share their research in conference presentations and learn from seasoned instructors at our conferences. We have also, over the years,  become a great resource for connecting people to full-time job opportunities and helping prepare those new to the field to excel in their careers. The wealth of scholarship amongst two-year college faculty these days shows the value of professional organizations…and TYCA Midwest is here to connect all of you who are doing this great work with one another.

The best thing about the fall TYCA conference for me has always been meeting and chatting with people from other states who had encouragement and experience to share with me that gave me fresh eyes and new insight to help me think about my own students and school in a different way. Taking a weekend to recharge and refresh during one of the busiest times of the year has become a sort of renegade practice that helps invigorate and inspire me. No fall semester feels complete without it. 

Aside from the professional learning, just the sense that I’m not alone in the work I’m doing is priceless. If you wonder whether what you do matters…if you wonder whether your school colleagues have some secret recipe for success that they’re not sharing, or whether there is a better way to manage your workload, grade students, address the diverse learning styles and abilities of two year college students, or increase equity in your classes, consider this: TYCA Midwest has provided a place for faculty like you to consider these issues and collaborate with each other for more than 55 years. This has resulted in a community of scholars with experience, information, and resources that are designed just for you, the two-year college English teacher.  Learning that as a new instructor was the biggest “aha moment” in my early career.  What a relief! And after attending my first conference, I was even further reassured that the work we are doing is important and that I could get better at it! It has been an incredibly rewarding career so far, and TYCA is a huge part of that sentiment.  

Our fall conference is a great opportunity to take some time for you, to get new ideas for your classroom and practice, and to connect with other people who “get it” and know the importance of what you do every day. This year, you can join us online or in-person, and we will be thrilled to have you with us. Here’s to another great conference! Wahpeton…here we come!