Posts tagged course tutor
Workshop Milestone
Feb 20th
In this post: thoughts and pictures from last week’s First Year Skills Workshop
As I sat down to write something made me go back and check my notes from the last few years of work. My suspicions were confirmed: last week I did my 25th First Year Skills Workshop at the University of Liverpool! Where did the time go?
Effective Researcher for Research Staff
Jan 12th
In this post: some details of the Effective Researcher for Research Staff course that I co-facilitated before Christmas.
In November 2009 I was fortunate enough to be asked to facilitate on Vitae’s Effective Researcher for PGRs course; this was held at the University of Salford and was my first time taking the lead on a course like it, where the emphasis for the session leader really is on facilitation, getting people to do things, think about things, and reflect on them. I had a great time working on that course, and so I was really looking forward to working on Effective Researcher again. When the opportunity came up to facilitate again on Research Staff course at Liverpool John Moores University I jumped at the chance.
Mealworm Cookies
Nov 3rd
I’ve been away from the site and the blog for a while because I’ve been busy getting married and going on honeymoon! Last week was really hectic after nearly a month off.
Monday was all about preparation. It needed to be, because I was going to be out of the office for the rest of the week delivering. On Tuesday morning I was in Manchester delivering another Viva Survivor course (which reminds me that I need to write something about these courses – I’ve delivered six of them now in the space of just over three months, and am booked for more in the New Year), and in the afternoon I raced back to Liverpool to prepare for my debut as a Guest Director on the University of Liverpool’s First Year Skills Workshop programme.
I’ve been involved with the FYSWs since 2008 as a frequent guest tutor; I love turning up for work when I’m on an FYSW. The participants are first year PGRs from different disciplines and backgrounds, and the point of the course is to offer an opportunity to work on a group project (typically putting together a research proposal), and reflect on the experience.
Last week my group were arguing that research should be directed towards mass farming of insects as a rich source of protein and nutrition. Their case was quite compelling, especially an efficiency argument about the ratio of grain to protein between cows and caterpillars…
…and to show that they really believed in their case they had an ace up their collective sleeve. The night before the presentation one of them sourced a recipe and ingredients to make mealworm cookies, which they offered up to the audience. As their group tutor I felt it was important to support them, and so ate one, taking a big bite before my brain had chance to back out.
It wasn’t bad actually, not really any different from a half-decent soft cookie, and didn’t look any different. Having just googled “mealworm” I’m quickly trying to suppress all memories… No, I’m joking. The great thing about FYSWs is the explosion and exposure to new ideas and different ways of thinking. It’s not just the participants who feel it: every time we tutors come away with a new view on the world.
…and possibly a new recipe to try out…
I’ll write more about Directing on the First Year Skills Workshops in the coming weeks: I’m booked in to run two more in November!