From Research to Teaching – A Guide to Beginning Your Classroom Career

It's a long way from the research carrel to the classroom. No matter your personality, your prior experience, or the specifics of your situation, the transition from graduate studies to teaching involves a set of challenges for which no one is ever fully prepared. In this practical guide Michael Kibbe, author of From Topic to Thesis, provides a helpful companion for the journey. With plenty of personal examples and tested advice, Kibbe covers preparation for teaching, best practices in the classroom, self-evaluation, and the discovery of your mission and method. He also reflects on the spiritual lives of professors, including social media practices, Sabbath, and relationships. From Research to Teaching is the concise, accessible resource every new and aspiring professor needs.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Gary M. Burge Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: What Teachers Must Do 1. Before the Classroom: Preparation 2. In the Classroom: Execution 3. After the Classroom: Reflection Part 2: What Teachers Must Know 4. Mission and Method 5. Community 6. Limitations 7. Power Conclusion Appendix A: Using Your Dissertation in the Classroom Appendix B: A Plea to Graduate Schools Appendix C: Great Teaching Resources

About the Author :
Michael Kibbe (PhD, Wheaton College) is associate professor of biblical studies and dean of communication and theology at Great Northern University in Spokane, Washington. He is the author of Godly Fear or Ungodly Failure? Hebrews 12 and the Sinai Theophanies and has written for journals such as Biblica, Theology Today, and the Journal of Theological Studies.

Review :
"Warmly relatable and incredibly practical, Kibbe's small guide achieves great things, or, better said, makes it possible for readers to achieve great things. He presents more than anyone could ever accomplish before tenure (or maybe in a lifetime of teaching), but that means this will be a volume educators will want to keep readily accessible. I know this will benefit my students who are training for the academy because it has already been a tangible benefit to me." "Mike Kibbe has a rare gift for being able to pass along not just the content of his expertise but the process that got him there. He shares his hard-earned wisdom for teaching well without losing your soul in the process. The result is a lively and engaging tutorial in the art of becoming a world-class professor. I couldn't put it down. Grab a copy for every recent PhD you know in Bible, theology, or related disciplines. They'll thank you!" "Mike Kibbe is now a young professor with sufficient time under his belt that he knows what it means to have three preps in a semester. He knows the pitfalls of too much preparation and not enough. He knows something about faculty life and faculty despair. And he has weathered these many storms successfully. Mike's simple outline tells you all you need to know before you step into your first class at a college, university, or seminary. First, what do teachers do? What is required as we (a) prepare for class, (b) teach a class, and (c) reflect on the experience afterward? Here is an avalanche of wisdom that is written in a fun, provocative, challenging way that will guide you through the forest and out the other side. Don't be deceived by his writing style: Mike is writing as if he were with you at Starbucks and telling you secrets. These are the sorts of secrets you'd find yourself writing down. On almost every page you'll say, 'Ah! That's me!' because his truths are that universal." "The outline set forth in Kibbe's book facilitates a paradigm shift for graduate students, is career-altering for professors, and is valuable for administrators who desire to partner with impactful educators. This is a master guide from a skilled and experienced practitioner who is deeply concerned about his students' educational experience as well as contributing to the academic community. What an invaluable read for all who are interested in experiencing the redoubled advantages of advanced study within the learning environment—from those ambitious scholars who want to teach well, to passionate teachers who wish to incorporate advanced scholarship into their instruction!" "If only I could go back in time and give this book to my former self! To be honest, though, Michael Kibbe's From Research to Teaching still taught the current me plenty. It not only gave this midcareer scholar some really handy teaching ideas, but more importantly, the Lord used it to renew my passion for the classroom, my commitment to excellence in every course, and my overall joy in doing what I do. As in life so also in print, Kibbe is brilliant, honest, humble, and fun, making this book extraordinarily insightful and thoroughly entertaining."