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Learning how to be an effective teacher is an important part of a PhD student's training. The Department and the College take this very seriously, and there are a number of training programmes available for students, some compulsory and some elective.
Teaching in the Department
The Department aims to offer all PhD students the opportunity to teach. This will not usually happen until the student is in the second year of the PhD programme. PhD students work with a member of staff as a Post-Graduate Teaching Assistant (PGTA): typically this involves dividing the teaching on a large course. All classes with a PGTA will have a complete week-by-week teaching schedule on the Moodle page to make teaching preparation more convenient for the PGTA(s).PGTAs should meet regularly with the course tutor to discuss progress.
Training programmes and events
All postgraduate students are welcome to take training courses in Moodle and other electronic resources.
- The UCL Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT) offers a dedicated training programme for postgraduate teachers in the humanities. This is now known as Arena One and all new PGTAs need to attend this.
- The optional Teaching Associate Programme (TAP) provides further development and a pathway to Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and UCL Arena Associate Fellowship (AFHEA).
- The Skills Development programme at the UCL Doctoral School offers a number of sessions on specific aspects of teaching: see their schedule of offerings.
- Every September the Institute of Classical Studies offers a full-day workshop on teaching ancient languages. All new PGTAs must attend this: details are posted annually.
- The Department runs a short workshop in Induction Week in September for new and continuing PGTAs. In addition, all postgraduate teachers meet the Head of Department during the year to discuss teaching and review feedback.
