Training in Teaching

To have had some teaching experience is likely to benefit your career, especially if you intend to continue in academia, where academic jobs increasingly expect some teaching experience, but also more generally as it should help you to develop your communication skills.  

All research students are asked to undertake teaching within the department.This will usually take the form of acting as a Teaching Assistant for a particular undergraduate course, and may later be fulfilled by acting as Class Tutor once adequate training and experience as TA has been acquired.

Training Scheme

The Mathematical Institute has developed a programme to provide graduate students who teach with induction, opportunities for mentored teaching, support, and further training sessions. The training scheme has been set up to introduce graduates, irrespective of their teaching background, to the format of teaching Maths at Oxford. 

At the start of Michaelmas Term, the department runs a compulsory, initial training session in class teaching.  It then provides opportunities for graduates to act as teaching assistants (TAs) for the third and fourth year undergraduate classes at the Mathematical Institute (teaching at colleges is not valid for TA  purposes).. As a TA you will be working as a sort of apprentice to the class tutor, who will mentor you and report briefly at the end of the term on your progress.  Reports are reviewed by the Associate Head of Department (Education)(Prof. Jan Kristensen).

Attendance at the initial training session together with two satisfactory reports on class teaching from two separate tutors leads to a pass at Stage 1 of the department's training scheme. Those who pass Stage 1 will be considered as fully trained TAs; eligible to act as class tutors in the intercollegiate class scheme (subject to demand, as priority is given to departmental members with teaching contracts). Stage 1 constitutes Preparation for Learning and Teaching (PLTO) in the University's terminology. 

Further optional training is offered in the form of a workshop on tutorial teaching. This is recommended to those who have successfully completed the first stage of training and are interested in acting as a tutor in a college.  Students who have completed Stage 1 and wish to act as a class tutor for the intercollegiate class scheme will need to attend an Induction Session for New Class Tutors.  There is a session at the start of both Michaelmas and Hilary terms. 

You can continue to develop your teaching further by taking part in a university programme, leading to an accredited qualification. A DPhil student who has completed Stage 1 (PLTO), or an early career researcher involved in teaching intercollegiate classes, would be well placed to apply for the Advancing Teaching and Learning programme. This will give you opportunities to reflect on your teaching practice and to develop it further, and successful completion leads to a qualification that is widely recognised. If you have more teaching experience, then you could consider the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, which again leads to an accredited qualification. If you would like to discuss any of these possibilities, you can contact the Centre for Teaching and Learning directly.

Graduates and early career researchers who wish to teach in undergraduate classes should contact @email. Further information can be found on the Class Scheme webpage. 

Training Sessions 2023-2024

Information about future training sessions (usually at the start of terms) will be circulated via email and in the department bulletin.

Please contact @email with any queries about these sessions.

Teaching

Many important skills can be developed through teaching, and each DPhil student is ex­pected to participate in the Training in Teaching Programme to support students in de­veloping these skills. You will be introduced to this programme at your induction ses­sion. 

All research students are asked to undertake teaching within the department. This will usually take the form of acting as Teaching Assistant for a particular undergraduate course at the Mathematical Institute (teaching at colleges is not valid for TA  purposes). You should make sure you have your supervisor’s permission in advance. MMSc classes also count towards Transfer and Confirmation of Status.

• Students who started before October 2020 are required to teach:

           At least one set of classes before transfer of status and one further set of classes before confirmation of status.

• Students who started from October 2020 are required to teach:

          At least one set of classes before transfer of status and two further sets of classes before confirmation of status.

Over the summer vacation all research students will be asked to complete a TA registration form, which will give you the opportunity to list which courses you would prefer to teach. Students will be assigned TA positions based on their preference as far as possible, but due to demand it is not always be possible to assign all students a TA position. If you have not been assigned as a TA and it is necessary that you teach in order to meet the teaching requirement then please do notify the Graduate Studies Administrator.

Many of you will have no previous teaching experience, but to give you some insight into what teaching at Oxford involves a half-day training session on teaching methods is held at the beginning of each academic year. It is expected that all new DPhil students will attend this course. DPhil students are not allowed to help with class teaching and marking unless they have attended the seminar on class teaching.