The view at my new desk.
It’s official: I’m on the English Department faculty at Gallaudet University. My official title is Lecturer II. After a few years of a full-time but temporary position, teaching is officially part of my life.
I’ve been quiet about this change here on the website, but it’s been a major presence since March. That’s when I learned of the English Department posting, summoned the courage to ask writers and editors I respect to write recommendations, updated my CV, and then sent off my application. In April, I received an invitation to interview. By early May, I had learned that an interview for a faculty position means meeting with the search committee, the department chair, and the dean, mingling with students and would-be colleagues at a reception, and giving a teaching demonstration to a classroom full of faculty members and upperclassmen–all within a few hours.
Before too long, the dean offered me the job.
I started teaching in my new capacity with the fall semester, which just closed out its fourth week.
This is both a change from and a continuation of what I did for three years as a temporary instructor. I’m grateful for this new phase, and look forward to sharing my experiences and insights here.
Rhea Kennedy Morgenstern, writer 