By the way, I posted this because if approach this topic through the "professional" topics link, it indicates that the site was intended for children as well as older "kids" but then it says just "children" when you read the info at the top... which I hadn't prior to posting.

Sor-ry!

Hi Brad
It is perfectly logical that you posted here - In the 'Professional Topics' portion of these forums, 'Gardening & Education' is listed as an "exchange of teaching ideas - whether to young children or at the university" and. . . 'Gardening & Education' took you here - to gardening with kids!!
I have ony been in the garden web forums for a few months, but apparantly this particular site has shrunken to an occasional parent or teacher of children posting. (And not too often - people tend to get too busy with kids to post on a regular basis). That is my focus - parents and kids gardening together - but I do not teach at a university.
I have noticed some retired & current professors in some of the other forums - botany and butterfly. You might even check with the administrator of the forums and find out if there is a way to search the web pages we have here - certainly some have it listed in their info.
I wish you much success in your search of a collegue.

Durtykneez (love the name, by the way!),

Well, since, like you said, hardly anyone comes this way, I thought I'd just respond to you here instead of emailing you.

I have been in and out of these forums for years and have also noticed that this one doesn't get much participation. Still, I thought I'd throw the bait out there are see if I got any bites. Thanks for your reply, by the way!

The botany area sounds like a good one to try. I'll check it out.

So, how do like Texas so far? You are right about it being a challenge to "garden" here, at least it has always seemed that way to me, too. When I open one of those nationally distributed gardening magazines and then look around here, they are certainly seeing something different than what I see! That has, thankfully, seemed to change slowly over the years but I remember when you rarely found gardening books written by someone outside of the NE.

Good luck with your new challenges... see you on the forums!

Brad

Hi Brad...I teach continuing ed courses. I taught a Hofstra this past spring.

Al-right! Now we got a thread!

So, Trudi, what course(s) did you teach?

Brad

Spring and Summer Sowing....it included instructions for creating mini-greenhouses out of recyclables, how to sow seeds, watering needs, bed preparation and fertilzation, and seed saving and seed trading. I will be teaching Winter Sowing this winter to several age groups at a community center on the south shore. I've also travelled to DC and VA to teach at USO centers. I am on the BOD of my county's continuing/community ed association. We host a series of seminars each year at NYiT, I have fascillitated at that event.

Hello,

I recently graduated with a BS in biology, and I have been considering going to graduate school to study horticulture and teach at the university level. But the one thing I worry about is the job market and whether I would be able to find a job as a horticulture professor.

If you don't mind me asking...

What subject do you teach? And what have been your experiences with the job market and with teaching at a university?

I'm an adjunct and I just teach one course a semester although I rotate between Woody Ornamentals, Herbaceous Perennials and Turfgrass Management. I'm on staff at the university where I work and it's a nice addition to that role to be able to work directly with the students... and I do it mostly because of that since the pay is pretty minimal.

I haven't had to look for a tenure track position so I can't really answer that. I work at a fairly large State university but the departmental budget is shrinking so that's probably why they like keeping me around (although I think I do pretty good job based on my student evaluations). Based on that, I know there won't be any jobs coming open at our school but I don't think that's necesssarily indicative of other universities, especially the bigger Ag schools.

My next door neighbor is a paleo-botonist who has also taught horticulture at another university but is having a really hard time finding a position of any kind now (probably age discrimination).

Don't know how much help that is but I'd be happy to share anything more with you that I can.

This forum used to be the 'Garden Education' forum, but it was very inactive. Then it was renamed 'Gardening with Kids'. Many of the old 'Garden Education' posts are still on the back pages.