Teaching and Demonstration

As a postgraduate researcher, you work at the cutting edge of your field. You live, breathe and care passionately about your subject. We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities available to teach and share some of your expertise with other students. Each department has a designated Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) co-ordinator who organises the teaching opportunities and provides support.

The Philosophy department appoints GTAs primarily to teach first year modules, although occasionally students, especially those approaching the final stages of their PhD, may be invited to assist in teaching, or to lead, more advanced undergraduate modules.

Why teach? It can:

• improve your confidence;

• enhance your ability to explain and engage people with your research;

• allow you to reflect on the impact of your research and why it is important;

• develop skills of creativity and innovation in you and your students;

• increase your resilience and resourcefulness;

• assimilate you into the faculty as a recognised expert in your field.

There are a range of opportunities available within the University to support your professional development teaching and supporting student learning. As a starting point, all those who wish to teach must complete one of the ”Introduction to Teaching and Learning” workshops. This training is designed to support you develop the skills and confidence you need to support your students. Four thematic versions of the workshop are available that are tailored to support specific GTA roles across the disciplines. All PGRs will be enrolled on a GTA Community site on the VLE, which outlines additional development and training opportunities for GTAs.

Some teaching opportunities for GTAs are advertised centrally on behalf of academic and support departments (e.g. academic skills tutors). Current vacancies are advertised on the YGRS teaching opportunities page.

The Philosophy department recruits GTAs in two ways:

• As vacancies arise, we advertise Graduate Teaching Scholarships (GTS), which typically offer remission of fees and/or a bursary in return for a certain amount of undergraduate teaching. If you are interested in becoming a GTA, we encourage you to apply for one of these scholarships. (NB: You do not have to hold a GTS in order to be considered for the GTA role; see next bullet point.) If you have funding for your studies already (for example from the AHRC or the Leverhulme Foundation), you are unlikely to be eligible for a GTS.

• Alternatively, you can apply to the GTA casual teaching register specifically. Applications can be made at any time, but we won't interview for admission to the register until we know we have teaching needs. (Such interviews are likely to coincide with our GTS interviews.) If you are interested, please contact the GTA Co-ordinator, David Worsley (see below), who collects expressions of interest throughout the year.

Teaching is allocated transparently and fairly on the basis of the following considerations: (1) prior teaching performance, (2) mastery of subject area, (3) module convenor input, and (4) prior opportunities for teaching experience. The most important factor in deciding teaching allocations is the experience for our undergraduates. The final allocation decision for all first-year teaching is made by the Director of the First Year Programme.

While we don’t currently offer distance learning teaching opportunities, if you are able to relocate to York for at least a full term (and commit to completing all prerequisite training) we would be happy to discuss possible opportunities with you.

The Department's GTA Co-ordinator is David Worsley (email david.worsley@york.ac.uk). Copies of our department’s Guidance Notes for Graduate Teaching Assistants are available on the department's website.