Psychology Instructor Responsibilities

If you are an individual who is interested in studying and researching on psychology and at the same time would love to teach and share this knowledge with students interested in psychology, then you can definitely take up the career of a psychology instructor. To be able to carry out the psychology instructor responsibilities effectively and efficiently, an individual should be backed with a proper educational background, skills, and experience in a similar profile. If you are interested in knowing more details, you can have a look at the following points mentioned below, which will help you in providing a more clear picture.

Key Responsibilities of a Psychology Instructor

A psychology instructor studies various topics related to the practice and theory of psychology and its related branches. He/she is responsible for imparting this knowledge to his/her students and assists them in understanding the subject of psychology and its basic concepts in a better way. He/she presents the complexities involved in the subject in a simple concise way that can be easily understood by students with varying skill levels. He/she assists them in solving their issues and shaping up their careers. He/she motivates them to keep abreast with the latest developments happening in the field of psychology. To get a better idea, mentioned below are a few points that will describe the role and the characteristic responsibilities that need to be carried out by a psychology instructor:

1. To provide overall guidance and instruction to the psychology students and assist them in achieving academic excellence
2. To ensure that the knowledge imparted is of high quality standards and integrity and that it is in conformance with the given academic program
3. To make sure that all the relevant course material, activities, assignments, and assessments are carried out with the mission of accomplishing the course objectives using the standard course guidelines
4. To ensure that the students are appropriately graded depending on their performance in various assignments and assessing their performance in the examination
5. To respond promptly and proactively to any academic issues faced by the students and to resolve their problems in a timely manner
6. To participate in various developmental activities and to remain updated with the current technical and professional knowledge and share this knowledge through various meetings, presentations, conferences, etc.

The psychology instructor thus demonstrates the knowledge he/she has acquired through various classes and organizes the teaching and training sessions in such a way, so as to facilitate maximum learning for the psychology students. He/she implements various learning and teaching strategies to meet the diverse requirements of the students. He/she ensures that the students adhere by the rules and regulations of the educational organization and that they follow discipline and demonstrate good values and ethics. He/she develops instructional plans that align with the course competencies and help in achieving the learning objectives. He/she maintains an environment that fosters growth and development of the students and motivates them to be updated on the current trends. Apart from this, he/she is engaged in maintaining accurate records of the students' attendance, their performance, their progress, etc. Thus, he/she makes every effort to engage the students and to ensure that their levels of interest for the subject of psychology increases and that they are keen to keep on learning it.

Essential Skills

The psychology instructor should have exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to build and develop successful relationship with students as well as professional relationship with the subordinate members. He/she should have outstanding conflict resolution skills with excellent time management and organization skills. He/she should pay attention to details and should have the ability to build a rapport with the students. He/she should be able to demonstrate fair and consistent behavior in any matter and deal sensitive issues with compassion. He/she should be able to supervise and lead the class independently. He/she should have the ability to explain complex matters in a simple way and demonstrate good teaching skills.

Educational Background

The most preferred educational qualification to be eligible to qualify for the post of an psychology instructor is a masters or a doctoral degree in psychology. Any other relevant certification or license would prove to be an advantage. Previous teaching experience in psychology would definitely be an edge while applying for that particular job.

Work Schedule

The psychology instructor may work full time or part time. He/she works in normal office conditions and has a five day week with duty hours lasting up to forty hours. He/she may need to extend his/her work beyond the business hours in case he/she needs to participate in some conference, training, or attend any other related meeting.

Salary Details

The minimum average annual salary earned by a psychology instructor is $30,000 to $35,000. Depending on the location, size, and type of the college, school or the educational organization, the salary package will vary. The maximum salary that can be offered for an experienced and skilled individual with relevant work experience can go up to $72,000.

Career Prospects

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are many career opportunities for the psychology instructors and they definitely look promising. The individuals who have performed their duties with utmost commitment have better scope for promotion to higher positions.

Thus, if you are able to handle the instructor psychology responsibilities, you can be assured of not only a rewarding career ahead, but also a satisfying one.