I have over ten years' experience of teaching and training in an HE setting, and on thinking about it during that time I've come across a wide range of people and situations I wouldn't necessarily have expected. There was the time a student challenged me in front of the whole class for marking his homework wrong when it very clearly was wrong. And the time I had to email a student who had recently lost her father to explain the approach the Department was taking to her missed coursework. And the time I marked 200 French exam scripts in a day and a half. And the time I lectured sitting on a desk in my wellies with heavy snow outside and a severe chest infection.
I could go on, but the point of recalling these stories is that it's only on reflection that I appreciate the broad range of skills and attributes I've developed, not to mention the diverse range of people I've had the privilege of working with, through university teaching. I've learned to stay calm under pressure, communicate to diverse audiences, manage people and much more. To help YOU reflect on and recognise the skills you've developed, or could develop, through teaching as a postgraduate, and to market these skills effectively both inside and outside of academia, the Doctoral College have asked me to design and deliver a new skills session on Articulating the Value of your Teaching Experience. This session is happening on 14th February (easy to remember!) 10.15-12.05, and you can book a place through the Doctoral Skills web pages. Come along and learn from the experiences of other postgraduates who teach, learn how to market your skills from teaching wherever you want to go next in your career, and find out more about the current HE landscape in the UK. Also do check out the Doctoral College's new guide on getting started with teaching as a postgraduate.
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