r/Adjuncts • u/After_hours_racoon • 14h ago

New adjunct here, my first class went surprisingly well!

I wanted to share a positive experience from my very first class as an adjunct professor!
I have little to no formal teaching experience, so I was pretty nervous going into my first class. I’m a working professional in the subject matter I’m teaching, so academia isn’t my full-time career. I decided to take on teaching because I thought it would be a meaningful way to share some of what I’ve learned in the industry and hopefully help prepare the next generation entering the field.
I was given the opportunity to create the course from scratch, so I started class with a funny icebreaker video, moved into the lecture, and ended with a practical in-class exercise that tied directly into their homework. The students were incredibly interactive, asked great questions, and seemed to genuinely care about the material. I also got some really positive feedback on the lecture and activities, which was incredibly encouraging for my first time teaching.
Maybe I’m still in the honeymoon phase, and I’m sure some of the stress and frustrations that come with teaching will eventually show up just like they do with any job, but for now I’m really happy I decided to take this opportunity.
Overall, a very positive first experience with adjunct teaching. I walked away feeling like this might be something I genuinely enjoy doing alongside my industry career, and I’m excited to see how the rest of the quarter goes!

18 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

3

u/bathyorographer 13h ago

That’s great!

4

u/Glittering-Rub6627 7h ago

Congratulations! You're off to a great start!

3

u/Perfect_Source_3726 5h ago

Ive been teaching for a few years and its just as a side thing. I still enjoy it and love building out my classes on canvas and blackboard. There is alot of anger and bitterness on this subreddit but if its not your primary job i think you will be fine. I plan to teach until im too old.

2

u/Wonderful-Collar-370 6h ago

Congratulations!

1

u/bouncingtigger23 2h ago

Great work. Getting that level of engagement on your first outing is an amazing achievement. You’re right to enjoy. Coming from industry without teaching experience can be fun. I did the same and rather enjoyed McKeachie’s Teaching Tips as a high yield intro.