Preparing to be a Professor

I started my PhD to become a professor and teach nonprofit management. So, I'm trying to get as much teaching experience as possible. The funny thing is the majority of PhD programs out there don't teach students how to teach--they teach them how to do research. Then when students graduate, they get into professor positions and teach without having any formal training. We need to change this system!

I'm thankful that I'm able to do research for the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research, however I really want to learn how to be a great teacher and professor too. And, there aren't any Nonprofit Teaching Assistantships at my school. So, I'm forging my own way.

I established a relationship with John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, CA's Continuing Education department and I already started teaching 1 day seminars for nonprofit managers. (The majority of these seminars are happening in spring '08, and some will be online courses--I'll post more information about these seminars when it becomes available.)

They are:

1. Jumpstart Your Passion: How to Successfully Start and Run Your Own Nonprofit Organization.
2. How to Improve Your Nonprofit Operations in Less Than Two Months.
3. Advanced Topics in Fundraising: Annual Campaigns, Planned Giving, Event Planning, Cause Related Marketing, and Grant Writing Strategies.
4. Succession Planning in Your Nonprofit: Preparing for the Next Generation of Leaders.

Next, I'll be approaching all the nonprofit professors at my school and ask them if I can either be a teaching assistant or co-teach a with them.