Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Stressed Sophs
My enthusiasm for teaching was a bit premature as I found out last week that unlike postgraduate students, I don't get paid any extra for demonstrating in labs. This whole getting post docs to demonstrate/teach in the department has kicked off big style. I had a long chat with the secretary who dished out all the teaching amongst the postgrads and post docs and she was explaining how the allocation system had totally gone wrong and everything was a last minute nightmare. I pointed out that it's totally inappropriate for a post doc to be taking time out of research to babysit undergraduates in their practical classes, especially as neither I nor my boss get reimbursed for my time. So either I spend less time in the lab = less results = less papers = less proposals and new funding = bad news! or I do the research with the demonstrating and marking on top and take time out of my other interests, relaxation and family time which is rubbish as well.
The head of research for the school is out on the rampage about this as it all seems to have been approved without his knowledge and his research group has suffered the most and has the postdocs with the most intensive demonstrating loads. I finally decided that it was out of order how much extra work I have been asked to do, especially compared to the other students and post docs and got a bit of a rude response off the secretary. Basically as I was stupid enough to volunteer for teaching in the department I stuck with it for the rest of the year unless I can find other people in the department stupid enough to take some of it off me which will take ages and as I do very little work in my actual department it's not even like I can call in any favours so I am more than likely stuck with it.
I am so totally annoyed at the way this whole thing has been (dis)organised. There was no consultation or anything with the post docs. As far as I can tell basically the research councils have decided post docs should get more teaching experience (kind of understandable) but the department have taken this as just shove them in anywhere in a lab and do the same sort of thing as the post grads but without gettting paid! Gah, this department really drives me up the wall at times.
The head of research for the school is out on the rampage about this as it all seems to have been approved without his knowledge and his research group has suffered the most and has the postdocs with the most intensive demonstrating loads. I finally decided that it was out of order how much extra work I have been asked to do, especially compared to the other students and post docs and got a bit of a rude response off the secretary. Basically as I was stupid enough to volunteer for teaching in the department I stuck with it for the rest of the year unless I can find other people in the department stupid enough to take some of it off me which will take ages and as I do very little work in my actual department it's not even like I can call in any favours so I am more than likely stuck with it.
I am so totally annoyed at the way this whole thing has been (dis)organised. There was no consultation or anything with the post docs. As far as I can tell basically the research councils have decided post docs should get more teaching experience (kind of understandable) but the department have taken this as just shove them in anywhere in a lab and do the same sort of thing as the post grads but without gettting paid! Gah, this department really drives me up the wall at times.
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Hello Sophs, nice to see you're still blogging. shame they're working you so hard but I hope it will pay dividends in the end.
love
from the former sparkly, yumyum
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love
from the former sparkly, yumyum
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