I am an adjunct professor who teaches 1 college class at 3 separate schools (2 CUNY schools, 1 SUNY school). Every semester, I count on this money to help support my family. I just gave birth in late May (planned so I wouldn’t miss my work or payments in the spring), and I wasn’t able to teach this summer because of my child.
We took a huge financial hit and had many past-due bills (something I never had before), with me not knowing if I would be able to contribute financially to our family again. It is really hard to work 3 separate teaching jobs with a 4-and-a-half month old, going for my doctorate degree, but I have no choice.
I have no idea if I will have the ability to work again next semester. I rely on being asked because the full-time professors always take the classes adjuncts like me could teach, for no reason. I am always nervous every week, hoping that there won’t be a student complaint (normally very common, of course) or a faculty member won’t criticize how I am teaching or testing my students. I need this job to sustain my family… all 3 of them [teaching jobs]. And I have no idea if I will be able to keep them from semester to semester. It is a horrible way to live. It makes me feel so scared taking care of a child to live like that.”
