I was promised some teaching this year (I'm in my second year now) but nothing has materialized. Has this happened to anyone else? I often feel like my supervisors make grand promises to me to placate me, but then forget about the things they promise me. The thing is, these things give me motivation but when they don't materialize I feel demoralized. I've been desperate to do some teaching, not just for the money (although that would be much needed at the moment) but for the experience because I want to become a lecturer after this research is finished (touch wood).

Why do supervisors do this!?

Don't get despondent yet, Argh! I got teaching on a second year undergrad programme as soon as it was mentioned by my supervisor, but it took me over a year to start doing final year undergrad dissertation supervision, mainly as there are less staff doing it so less opportunity for new lecturers to start. For the latter, I ended up expressing my interest in doing the teaching to the relevant staff who ran that dept and were responsible for employing lecturers, then I just waited until other staff left, making new teaching slots available. That wasn't anything to do with my supervisor, as my research topic was known to other staff by then and it seemed a good idea to speak directly to those whose students I would actually be teaching. Depends on the set up in your uni, I guess. Is there a lot of competition for teaching work in your place?

Why don't you mention it again to your supervisor to see what's going on? There might be other things out of his/her control, or other people involved that has made it slip from his mind or take longer to actually make the teaching happen. You'll never know unless you ask. Save your demoralisation until you know more!

Yep, mention it again. The course might have changed, another lecturer might have decided to do it instead, or there might not be enough in the teaching budget...

Like many things in life, if you don't ask you don't get. Speak to the powers that be (your sup, the module coordinator of the module you were supposed to teach on) and let them know how keen and how important teaching is for you.

I'm worried about not getting teaching either! When I started my supervisors said I would get teaching but I've watched the number of modules available for me to teach reduce. There are now not that many and all the full-time lecturers have the modules, leaving none for me. It is very demoralising. I hope you get it sorted out. Good Luck.

This happened to me! I was given the internal application form to state what I'd teach etc. The teaching never materialised. I was even more annoyed to find that someone with a very poor gasp of the english language did get a teaching spot.

I am a full time lecturer and I know that teaching budgets in my department are usually very tight. I asked for help with marking this year but none materialised because my head of department couldn't afford to pay anyone. Have you considered volunteering to help with tutorials? I realise that you absolutely should be paid for your work but if they can't pay you right now, it would at least give you some experience. Plus, if you get to know the teaching staff, they will be far more likely to put your name forward for any jobs that do come up. I'd be thrilled if someone offered to help me and I would certainly do my upmost to get them paid teaching.

In my department the certain PhDs are funded by the uni and they have to do so many hours teaching to justify that funding. Therefore the other PhDs - those who are research council or self funded don't have any opportunities. Could this be the case in you department? I know some supervisors don't really know what goes on in terms of the teaching side of thing, so maybe he saw others teaching and thought you could to??

This may sound a bit weird, but I truly think you can consider yourself lucky. I've been buried under 14 hours of teaching in my first and second year and hardly ever had time for my PhD.

I understand you are concerned about the lack of experience with regard to lecturer positions in the future but I don't think that will be a problem as the PhD is still considered the "license to teach" and other factors such as publications may have more weight in the job application process.

In the short term the PhD should have priority, so at least you have enough time to focus on that and to get rid of it through completion. Teaching eats up a lot of time, is not always relevant for the PhD and doesn't always facilitate journal publications...