Communication

I'm being reminded of how much of life depends on communication.  Specifically, a lot of life depends on written communication.  Applying for a job requires a written resume and (in many cases) a cover letter.  Getting a grant requires a written proposal.  (Hmm, I should come up with more examples; writing looks better with more than two examples.)

Last spring, I got a teaching award, which makes me eligible to be nominated for a bigger teaching award this spring.  (This bigger teaching award includes a plaque!  And $500.)  But first, I have to write something.  I have to persuade an unseen committee that I merit this Excellence in Teaching award.

You know, one reason I never ran for student council was because I didn't want to have to give a speech saying "I would be a great student body president because . . ."  But that doesn't stop me from having to give that kind of speech.  I've done it in college applications, scholarship applications, grad school applications, fellowship applications, and I'll have to do it when I leave the cocoon of academia and get a real job.  But right now, I have to do it for an award application.  I get to discuss my excellence in teaching, my excellence in student and colleague mentoring, my accomplishments in discovery and engagement, and my awards and honors.  In three pages.

So, I've been pulling up my past applications.  And you know, as much as I dread writing these kinds of things, I'm actually quite pleased with the final product on those old applications.  The process is painful, though.  Maybe that's why I don't have a dissertation written yet.