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[quote=Anonymous]In short, most of the time I enjoy teaching my students.

I'm being purposely vague because this makes me very identifiable. I have a PhD. I went to a top school (MIT). The field I'm in is one where I didn't "fail" into teaching - it's something like computer science so I could have easily gotten a job - I loved teaching and it was what I wanted to do. I don't love my research, but I enjoy doing a little of it.

I work at a public university that is not an R1 because I chose to. I wouldn't call it bottom tier, but it's not a competitive school. A substantial number of students who come to this school have to take a remedial type math or English class. However, I like it.  I get to teach and I get to do the little bit of research I want to. I also have plenty to learn in my field, and my colleagues know things I don't, so interacting with them and working with them is great.

Sometimes I'm frustrated because I expect my students to know more than they do. Mostly, I really enjoy my students. They are interesting, likeable people - Today, I talked to one who is studying to be a midwife and another who is interested in chemistry grad school. Sometimes, I get frustrated saying the same things over and over, but then I can always request different classes to teach or flip a lesson or something.

I'm also sometimes frustrated because there aren't other academics who are in my area of my field at my school or any of the MANY nearby universities. It can be a bit lonely in that sense and I just don't have anyone to bounce ideas off of or to chat with about even the most basic of parts of it. But this is not the student's fault! In fact, a selected few of them know more than my colleagues do about my particular area.

I will say that  the-COVID- online-thing nearly killed me! It was all the drudgery part of the job without any of the fun parts. I hated teaching online. I would have gladly switched to a full research job during the pandemic! [/quote]

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