Hello

Having a minor stress, aside from getting my proposal in for Monday in draft form...I have been asked whether I was to teach 60 foundation year students for 2 hours a week, delivering my tutors lecture slides etc. So not too much preparation...but the I am a bit overwhealmed about teaching, since I thought initial teaching might just be the odd seminar.

Has anyone any experience of teaching, is it enjoyable? Will I pee my pants? Are foundation students kind? Is this a mad idea?

Ellie

Teaching is great fun. I am currently doing 5 hours a week. As already mentioned it looks excellent on your CV. It does take a significant amount of prep time on average i do at least an hour for every hour i teach and more quite often. But its one of those things if it gets to much and starts to interfre with you PhD then quit teaching; your supervisor will understand im sure. Thats what i intend to do if it all becomes to much.

depends. i taught first, second, third years and some masters exchanges students in my first year. the teaching itself is fulfilling if you're well prepared. if it is closely related to your research or a basic module in your subject area, then it only takes about 3 to 6 hours to prepare - in my case. if it is a totally new area - it could take 3 days coz you have to learn the stuff from scratch and know it well enought to teach it to someone. maximum i have done is 4 hours a week, since i began. the down side for me has been my age. freshers often think that am also coming to the seminar and the students who look older than me try to bully me. some of the mature students feel offended by the fact that am teaching them. all i can say is go gal, you can do it! aim to survive - not to perfectly teach. at least that works for me, and helps me get my priorities right.

Well thank you for the replies! They have echoed the sentiments of my husband and mother who is an ex teacher. I have to say though, I am nervous, to others I appear quite confident but away in Portugal this year I crumbled doing a presentation in portuguese. I don't know, I want to do it, it is my subject area albeit at a basic level so I know it. I guess I wouldn't consider it unless my tutor has said he's give me his slides to do and I can change them and add things in.

I am mostly nervous about 60 foundation students. I'm 26 but small and look a little younger and it would be a BIG lecture hall, and err, just me, for two hours. I'm guessing the best thing would be to deliver slides inbetween games, are there resources for such things? It would be an hour lecture and hour seminar but too many students for that...