Where did you go and what did you do?
I went to York St John university to assist in teaching the undergraduate Biomedical Sciences course.
I was mainly involved in teaching/assessment of the first year Cell Biology Module and second year Molecular Biology module but also got involved with teaching maths workshops, a cancer biology lab and marking first year Anatomy and Physiology lab reports. My responsibilities included preparing and delivering lecture material, running/demonstrating experiments within teaching labs and assessing/providing feedback to students.
What made you want to do that particular placement?
I wanted to use my PIPs as an opportunity to expand skills separate from my lab based skills. I particularly wanted to improve my scientific communication skills. I had helped in teaching GCSE/A-level sciences as part of a technician role I held prior to my PhD and wanted to expand these skills into a higher education setting, passing on my enthusiasm for science.
How did you go about finding and planning your PIPS?
The opportunity to teach at YSJ was emailed around by the DTP and it fit well with what I was looking for. I therefore sent my CV and a cover letter to the staff organising the placement and soon got a Teams call organised with them. On Teams we discussed my PhD and the undergraduate Biomedical Sciences course they offer, seeing what modules I may be able to help teach. Following this I had a visit to the YSJ campus to further confirm what I would be teaching, tour the department and get an idea for what the timetable would be like. We also discussed me putting together a portfolio to use my teaching to apply for AFHEA at the end of my placement.
What have you gained from doing your PIPS?
My PIPs experience has vastly increased my confidence. I was extremely nervous about how I would do at the beginning but over the 3 months I saw a growth in my skills. I gained new skills in teaching, including the preparation of new lecture content and marking/providing feedback to students. My communication skills have improved, I have become a better leader and I have gained contacts which may help in future networking. I am also able to use my teaching experience to apply for Associate Fellowship of the HEA (AFHEA) which could help me in my future career prospects.
How would you sum up your PIPS experience?
My PIPS was a steep learning curve, which was difficult at first but really helped in my confidence. I had a lot of fun and learnt a lot from the team at YSJ.
What advice would you give to other PGRs about PIPS?
My advice would be to branch out and try something new.