During my move across half the country and then my first few days here in TempCollege Village, I've had the following conversation no less than fifty times (and yes, I fully acknowledge that I'm prone to exaggeration, but that is an underestimation, promise):
Random person: So are you here for school?
Me: Um, no. I moved here for work. A job at TempCollege.
Random person: Oh yeah? What are you doing?
Me: Teaching. I'm a one-year faculty hire.
Random person: But-- but you're too young to teach!
A few comments about the above broken record.
First, I'm extremely uncomfortable with identifying my overeducation to nonacademics. I'm the product of an academic family from a very academic town, so I was brought up surrounded by white collar types. So I'm very hesitant to outright tell people I am faculty (and therefore Dr. Unreaction). If I would just tell them from the start, maybe I could nip such conversation in the bud?
Second, I've recently been actively TRYING to dress older (I haven't worn one t-shirt outside of my house, promise!) yet even today I was given the student tour of the gym facilities (including a semi-sketchy run-through of some underground tunnels for 20 minutes until I finally interrupted the poor kid and said "yeah, I think you should show me the location of the faculty locker room instead since that's what I'll be using." ...yes, I don't know why there are separate student/faculty locker rooms either, but I like it!)
Yes, I realize that my youthful appearance will serve me well in 20 years or so, but for now, I'm just ready for some 18 year olds to get back on campus so I can at least (by comparison) appear older!
8 comments:
Students and faculty and showers just don't mix. Even just as a TA I've had students get all weird when they see me in the gym. I'd hate their reaction in the shower room!
Hope the commetns stop soon but good luck with the explanaitions!
I get the age comments too! Comes with the territory of being young =).
dancingfish: ewwwwww....I was too weirded out by the blushing students to ask about the shower situation.
david: I guess it is one of the perks!
Watch out for kids bursting into dance routines and singing Hot For Teacher.
I have similar problems with being thought to be "too young to be faculty." Annoying, but you'll get used to it. :)
Ew, omegix!
Silk stocking, I suppose if they aren't noticing my premature gray hairs, then I should just roll with it. :)
yes, when ever someone tells me I look younger than I am I ask, "did you not notice all my grey hair!"
I wonder when it will happen, when we will wish people thought we were younger.
Trust me, you will wish people thought you were younger eventually. It's like the whole getting carded for alcohol thing. When I first came to my small college, I got asked to vote in student elections. Fifteen years later, not so much.
I do know the effort with dressing appropriately. When I started, I only had two modes of dressing:
lab or wedding. Neither of which was really what I was looking for in class. Barely affordable shopping ensued prior to class.
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