I've been offered the chance to do some units in teaching (gives you Master's credit) i.e trains you to lecture

Is anyone else doing anything like this and is it really necessary to get academic job? Just wondered if it would be worth doing?

The nearest I've had to that is being sent on University teaching/tutoring/demonstrating courses before we were allowed to demonstrate or tutor, which they claim will help if anyone wants to teach but it's not a formal course

They have a research training program at sheffield and some of the modules are to do with teaching. You can also do some kind of teaching qualification too.

I would consider it as I love teaching but I wont be staying on as an academic.

Bearing in mind some of the poor quality lecturing I have experienced it can only be a good thing. Maybe academics don't like doing it, but that’s not really the point.

I'm guessing that if your university is running these kind of courses then they would look on such experience favourably if you were to apply for an academic post, however I doubt they would dismiss your application if you didn't do it.

I guess it depends on you and the alternatives you have, if you've already decided you would like to be a lecturer and you aren't missing out anything that would be important to your research it would probably be worth doing

DanB yeah tell me about it, they made it compulsary for all PhD students to do it if they wanted to teach, 2 whole afternoon sessions to tell us nothing we didn't know already!

I'm still bitter about it

I've been to two sessions (which you have to complete before your can teach) - the other units are formally assessed credit-bearing units

I want to lecture so I can see how it would improve my CV, but then other lecturers tell me institutions really want to see publications and will train you themsleves if they hire you

Just don't know if it would be worth the time

Yes I do take the point. The thing is I have experienced so many 'wing and a prayer' lectures that anything in this direction is a good step. Anyway, as suggested I would think such courses [or even formal teaching qualifications] are going to be de rigour in most universities in the near future.

I think jobwise they would probably prefer to see actual teaching experience rather than that you've done a course in how to teach (though that is just my opinion). If you're juggling time I'd opt for actually doing as much teaching as you can - that will be where you will really learn and what will prove you can do it to future employers. And as others have said, there is usually the masters course available to you when you have got your first academic job if you want to do a formal qualification. Though i have to admit my experience of these training things is that they are rubbish, all reflexive learning and dont actually teach you anything.

SixKitten I think most lecturers are appointed mainly on their research abilities, so paper publications etc are probably the most important. (As I found that the people that were bad lecturers were really good researchers)

I'm not sure if I'm understanding you right or not, If you weren't to do this course would you have to do something else instead? If it's entirely optional how much time would it take up in classes and assessed work etc?

Hey Laney - I had to to do two afternoon sessions as well

The course is not compulsory (only the first two sessions were) - this is 'extra' teacher training, supposedly to improve your skills and help you get a job

I guess if you want to be a lecturer then it's probably worth it as long as you don't let it completely take over

SixKitten

If you have the opportunity to get some formal teaching in higher ed tution (and you have aspirations to become a lecturer) then you should definitely go for it. These courses will probably allow you to become an associate member of the Higher Education Academy and will put you in good stead for future teaching posts. Competition for lecturing posts is very tough and they will be looking for evidence of teaching competency in addition to research output.

LOL - DanB that's just what I was thinking

If Ann says it it must be true!

Aw, love you all too!

I have a bit of experience of this as I'm currently doing a teaching course (having got absolutely nowhere with a lecturer job app! ;o). If you can get some teaching courses done as a student rather than putting it off until post-doc time, it can only be a good thing (with the proviso that your research doesn't suffer).