Red Eye Crew: Felicia King

Felicia King
Certified Academic Advisor
NVC Career and Transfer Services

Felicia has been inducted into the “Red Eye Crew” this semester by the one and only Gary Bowling. He leads a small group of caffeinated-charged instructors who teach at 6:30 am. To read about this energetic bunch that we affectionately call the “Red Eye Crew,” go here.

1. How long have you been teaching at 6:30 am? This is my first semester (Fall 16) teaching at 6:30 am
2. What do you like the most about teaching at this time? I like being one of the first people students encounter and set a positive tone for the day. Also, teaching EDUC 1300/SDEV 0270 allows me to engage with students when they are new to the campus. I am able to become a resource for students as well as a guide throughout their academic career. I enjoy being productive before noon, teaching at 6:30 am allows me to transfer that over to students as well.
3. What are some of the challenges? At times, students are tired at 6:30 am on a Monday, so I have to find creative ways to get them to engage. It also creates a reason to encourage students to manage their time and ensure they get enough rest to be able to be active and successful in class. Another challenge is ensuring that I have the materials for class. I have to plan ahead of time. If there are technical issues, I have to be creative in keeping the class going. Flexibility is very important when teaching at 6:30 am.
4. How early do you have to get up to be ready to teach? Luckily, I live really close. So I get up around 5 am to 5:15 am to ensure I can grab some coffee or breakfast and get to campus at 6 am. I like to get to campus early in case a student needs to speak before class since I cannot stay after class.In order to ensure that I am here early every Monday and Wednesday, I set multiple alarms. This is very important with staying on time especially since it is still dark when I am getting ready. Teaching this early in the morning is not for everyone, but I really like it.  It is also a way to ensure that I have a great parking space.
5. How long have you been at NVC? I started at NVC June 2015 as an advisor and started teaching with Student Development October 2015.