Who is an Assistant Professor
An Assistant Professor is an educator who teaches in the colleges at the position just below the associate professors. They are also known as beginning-level professors at colleges and universities. They are appointed as a holder of responsibility in the colleges and are responsible for the growth & development of the students. From on-time syllabus completion to ensuring students' overall growth, their job role is vast.
Perks of Becoming an Assistant Professor
1- Interacting with new minds- The beauty of the teaching profession can never be underestimated. Every year, teachers teach hundreds of students, and the journey goes on. Interacting with hundreds of people with gazillion points of view, ideas, and mindset is extremely exciting. It's like reading the same book with different characters and different stories over and over again. The world has now started recognizing the teaching profession as the teaching-learning profession. Teachers, as well as students, get to learn a lot from each other while exchanging knowledge and ideas. This is one of the major perks of being an Assistant Professor.
2- Flexible profession- Teaching is considered as one of the most respectable professions. Along with being respectable, it is also a very flexible profession. Since the assistant professors do not have to invest in rigorous hours of teaching, they can easily maintain a work-life balance. With online learning coming into practice, the whole process becomes much more convenient for the professors. For instance- if the professors need to be somewhere else at the time of their online class, they can simply share the pre-recorded lecture with their students. This way, they can maintain a balance between their personal & professional life without leaving their students' learning to loss.
3- Freedom of choosing own teaching style- Since the assistant professors take up the responsibility of teaching the senior candidates, they are independent to choose the teaching methods or styles. For instance, if an English assistant professor wishes to teach Mahabharata in a unique way, they are free to do so. Teachers can show movie clips to the students, or take them to relatable places like Hastinapur or Kurukshetra to give the students a practical view. The freedom that comes with the profession is exemplary.
Eligibility Criteria of Becoming an Assistant Professor
Being an Assistant Professor is a task of huge responsibility. Therefore, the recruiting boards ensure that all the candidates are highly qualified and eligible for the job. Here is the list of the eligibility criteria that the candidates need to fulfill in order to become an assistant professor-
1- The candidates must hold a bachelor's degree with the minimum passing marks from a well-recognized university.
2- Candidates must hold a master's degree with a minimum of 55% marks from a renowned university.
3- Qualifying exams like JRF or equivalent like SET/SLET or NET is also compulsory if the candidates wish to become an assistant professor across India.
4- Qualifying for the NET exam is compulsory for the candidates even if they hold a Ph.D.
5- The candidates with prior teaching experience may have an edge over the other candidates appearing for the same post.
Qualities of a Good Assistant Professor
In a class of sixty students, only a few get to be the topper of the class. Similarly, there are only a few teachers or professors who get registered as good professors for their students. Here are a few qualities that can help the professionals to become a good Assistant Professor for their students-
1- Patient with the students- Teachers should always be patient while teaching their students. Since everyone has a different pace of learning, it is important that the teachers match up to everyone's pace.
2- Good Listener- There may be days when the students might want to share things with their teachers. It is important that the teachers keep themselves flexible and act as good listeners. It is the first step towards building a good student-teacher relationship.
3- Appreciating in nature- Teachers should always appreciate the students for each little achievement. Sometimes a little pat on the back can act magically. It is important the teachers act as the cheerleaders for their students when required.
“A great professor considers his student's success as a reflection of his own. He will not remain indifferent in the case of continuous poor exam results but will do as much as possible to overcome such a situation.”― Eraldo Banovac
Thank you and Happy Teaching!
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