Day in the life
A Day in the Life of an English Professor
What english professors actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for an english professor?
Teach first-year composition. From there, the day usually includes teach composition and literature, give feedback on student writing, and research and publish. Teaching, grading and research with flexible hours.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for an english professor working full time.
- Teach first-year composition.
- Hold writing conferences.
- Read for a book project.
- Teach a Shakespeare seminar.
- Meet the literary magazine staff.
- Comment on essay drafts.
- Write.
Where english professors work
Faculty work in classrooms, offices and libraries.
Hours and schedule
Teaching, grading and research with flexible hours.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Teach composition and literature
- Give feedback on student writing
- Research and publish
- Mentor students
- Advise literary magazines
- Develop courses
- Serve on committees
Tools you’ll use every day
- Learning management systems
- Library databases
- Writing feedback tools
- Plagiarism checkers
- Word processors
- Citation managers
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Teach what you love
- Writing and reading as work
- Flexible schedule
- Help students find their voice
What’s hard
- Very competitive job market
- Heavy grading
- Many adjunct roles
- Slow publishing
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love books
- I love writing
- I give careful feedback
- I like discussion
- I can grade a lot of essays
- I’m willing to compete for jobs
Not sure? Take the free English Professor fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Protect student privacy
- Handle sensitive writing with care
- Follow academic integrity policy
- Follow campus safety