Every year the Department employs a number of its second year and continuing MPhil/PhD students to undertake undergraduate class teaching. We offer class teaching on the basis that it is a training opportunity for research students and helps with their career progression. We aim, therefore, to share out class teaching amongst as many students as possible. The demand for teaching experience usually exceeds the number of posts available and for this reason we have to give priority to our own students when making job offers.

Eligibility

We can only offer teaching to students who register in full for the academic session in which they are to teach. This means that students must be registered by the end of September. Any student who has applied to teach but has failed to register by this time will not be eligible to take classes. Please note, for students undergoing a first-year review, a teaching contract is conditional upon a positive upgrade to PhD level in their review in June. If students fail to receive an upgrade they will not be eligible to teach in the following year.

All fee debts for the preceding session must be settled in full by the 31st July of the year in which they are incurred.

Application process

Government Department students are invited to apply on an annual basis, in February. Details are circulated by email to all currently registered PhD students. Students are required to submit a c.v., an application form and at least 1 academic reference. Applicants are assessed by an interview panel and may be required to attend more than one interview depending on the courses they have applied to teach. Application enquiries should be directed to the Research Programmes Administrator, Madeleine Bothe, in the first instance.

Recruitment for the 2011/12 Academic session

Documentation will be emailed to research students here towards the end of January 2011.

Teaching studentship award

For full details of departmental funding for class teachers refer to the Funding Your Studies| page.

Graduate Teaching Assistant (Qualitative) – Salary Band 5

Roles at this level will normally be for those LSE students who have made progress towards completing their PhD. Graduate Teaching Assistants will teach as members of a teaching team, in a developing capacity, within an established programme of study. They will be expected to have sufficient breadth and depth of specialist knowledge in the discipline to work within established teaching programmes.

NB Contractually, the job title "Graduate Teaching Assistant" shall be reserved for LSE-registered students; however on occasion departments may wish to employ "Guest Teachers" or "Emeritus Teachers" to undertake duties with this role profiles.

Range of Academic Activities and Responsibilities

Teaching

Contributing to the scholarship and intellectual life of the School by conducting teaching which will enhance the School's high reputation as a research-led teaching institution

Supervising, teaching and examining undergraduate level students through classes, seminars, course work or tutorials

Under the direction of the Course Convenor and following the course syllabus, preparing appropriate teaching materials, for example discussion questions, presentation topics, written summaries to consolidate the learning from lecturers.

With reference to the course outline and reading list, identifying appropriate further readings, case studies and other tools to facilitate learning.

Holding regular office hours
Reporting any academic problems students may have to Course Convenor
Marking practice and assessed essays throughout the academic year.
Participating in regular teaching meetings, with academics and administrators involved in the course
Identifying learning needs of students and defining appropriate learning objectives.

Research

Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge and experience in own subject area to enhance the overall teaching quality provision.
Likely to be in the second or subsequent years of registration as a MPhil/PhD student or planning/in the early stages of post-doctoral research.
Using research examples to facilitate learning.

Administration

Keeping up-to-date records of student attendance and marks in the agreed format on LSE for You.
Managing academic administration arising from teaching responsibilities – e.g. classroom preparation, with guidance as required.

Teaching and Learning Support

The School's Teaching and Learning centre offers a number of essential training courses for class teachers, including an Induction Programme| and a Teacher Accreditation Programme|. The Teaching Accreditation Programme is entirely voluntary, but PhD students and teachers on short term contracts have already seen the benefits of enrolling. The programme involves participants in teaching, teaching observation, review of their experience, reading, and focused projects. For further details refer to the Teaching and Learning website.|