Remember as you read this: all of my stories are mixed in terms of place and time, and my characters are distorted composites created as types; you do not know for sure how many universities I work for or have worked for, or from whose traits my composite characters have been built; I am a sculpted skull on a stela at Copán.
…it’s the abusive atmosphere. If you do not teach the language classes, then you do not have to interface with the instructors who are engaged in all the intrigue and backbiting they are, or with the resentful language requirement students who are intent upon shouting everyone else down. If you do teach them, then you must interact within this atmosphere for a certain, and sometimes even a large part of every day.
And as I keep saying, it is really painful for an assistant professor to realize that they are being judged for tenure primarily by people who have a fly by night M.A. from long ago and are involved with (a) the upper administrators and (b) the incoming majors, products of the local Christian school, whom these instructors coach on how to write critical evaluations that will land.
It is painful because it means they must teach their classes in such a way as to satisfy, primarily, not the expectations research faculty have been trained to have but those of this type of instructor and this type of student. It was painful for me to go through this. It is costly defending others from it. In the years in which we do not have enough favors to call in to defend them it is painful to watch this happen to the next assistant professor, and painful to bid farewell to another good hire after seeing them put through this wringer.
All of this is, in addition to it simply not being a priority for me any more than becoming a banker or a biologist would be – but all of this cruelty is the reason I would prefer not to be involved in the teaching of foreign languages. And I am from Comparative Literature, and for freshman courses English composition is what feels closest to field for me.
Then there are my own interests, about which I feel terribly guilty but which are there. My secret, the secret I am ashamed of but which is with me every day, is that I am just a lot more interested in the courses on literature, culture, and theory. I can and do teach these in several languages. I feel guilty about having the preferences and priorities I do, and I feel more guilty about holding the opinion that these preference and priorities are in fact enough. I know my attitude is considered “elitist” … sinful … unpatriotic …, but my opinion is that it is not an actual sin but only a question of preferences.
Being interested in literary theory, not second language acquisition; liking poetry, not narrative; being research oriented; not liking gossip – these are my alleged flaws but I do not believe they are flaws, only characteristics, so I am arrogant.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
The composite system you describe is, indeed, very misguided, At my department, the TT and T people supervise and review the instructors but it never happens the other way around.
As for the charge of elitism, I have been on the receiving end of it so many times that I lost count. I honestly don’t understand why enjoying my work is any more elitist than not enjoying it. I’ve recently had somebody tell me completely in earnest, “Well, have you thought of all those people who don’t have the luxury of enjoying what they do and who have to work in horrible conditions just to survive?”
I do think of those people. And I also have a suspicion that I’ve done more political activism to benefit them than the person who gave me this speech. However, I fail to see how moaning and whining about my fake misery will help such folks. Complaining, whining and pretending to be miserable does not translate into an act of solidarity to me.
It certainly doesn’t!!!