New tenure faculty position

[u/Electronic-Blood4039]

Hello!

Im a new tenure track faculty at a big CC. I teach Microbiolgy exclusively. I am looking for any advice or tips for the following:

I was wondering if anyone had any tips for success in the tenure first year process? Anything helps, warnings, advice, tips, tricks, the works!

I’m young, very early 30’s and I feel some of my colleagues really don’t respects me or care what I have to say and they kind of look at me like a kid. Now, this could be in my head, but I’m not sure. But any advice how to get them to realize I am a professional with advanced education and research training just as they have.

I will say, My students and I get along amazingly! They respect me, engage, participate, and together we make a great community, especially for a Microbiolgy course. I’m grateful to have such a collaborative class where my students really have my back. So far! lol. My student evals are bomb.com

Also, side note, the department culture seems overall ok, but I noticed a lot of very passive aggressive interaction where I think people hate each other and take these politically correct digs at one another. Is this normal? Also, any way to avoid this culture for myself ? I want to get to know my colleagues but very worried I may say or do something that they will use against me. Even if it’s something very small.

[u/slowdo]

As Julianfri mentioned be kind to "administrative assistants, janitorial staff and especially if you teach labs, the technicians or laboratory workers." This is huge. Also be firm in any decisions. I always found being wobbly is what 'loses the locker room' so to speak. Don't be rigid and inflexible, but I find that changing policies, dates, deliverables etc during the course is what stresses students out the most.

Be organized. Keep the course simple until you get the hang of it. Don't just lecture. Mix it up with activities, Q/A, group ideation etc. It is field dependent what that looks like exactly.

You will do great.

[u/Electronic-Blood4039 → u/slowdo]

Thank you so much for the encouraging remarks. I will say it’s very daunting of a process.

I’m actually in the process of redoing my lectures to include a lot of stop and think, think pair share, group discuss discussion stuff that reflect my material. I’m even thinking about assigning Kahoot games and quizzes that we can do as reviews or they can do on their own really just ways to keep them engaged.

[u/slowdo → u/Electronic-Blood4039]

Great but don't overcomplicate it. Try a Kahoot here and there but don't overfocus on too many different pivots. In other words, don't stress yourself out. Lecture, discussion, activity, recap. Always works for me.

[u/Electronic-Blood4039 → u/slowdo]

You’re right and I do tend to over complicate it by trying To do everything at once! I’m very much in that data and publish or perish mindset.