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Support Classes Information

IMPORTANT for 2021/22 Supervisions: the University are trying to encourage as much face to face teaching as possible, Supervisions and Tutorials are one way we have to achieve this.

There are 12 areas designated as available for supervisions, may of the usual supervisions areas are not available due to spacing restrictions. Note that these require booking. This will be via sign-up sheets placed in the available supervision areas themselves. Due to the limited number of spaces and the large number of groups, please keep the same schedule each week. Make sure to arrive on time, keep your distance from any previous group, and finish on schedule to allow the next group access.

At the start of term supervisors will be provided with a teaching pack. This will include a face shield, wipes and your own set of chalk.

University advice is that you and your students are strongly encouraged to wear face shields and face masks during supervisions. The only time that anyone present at a supervision may not wear a mask/shield is when you and ALL of your supervisees are in agreement that this is acceptable.

You are encouraged to use the blackboards, and to invite students to do so too. However, you should make sure to keep your distance from them and avoid using the same equipment.

For 2021/22 first year maths students will only be receiving two supervisions a week and first year non-maths students will receive one supervision per week.

Graduate and MMath Students form an essential and respected part of the undergraduate teaching force at Warwick. Our students are of the highest calibre: most have 3 or 4 A’s at A-level and STEP. They expect and deserve good teaching. They also need the support and encouragement of people who vividly remember how challenging undergraduate mathematics can be.

What do supervisors do?

Supervisors meet groups of 5 students once a week to answer questions, discuss assignment problems, and stimulate participation and debate. You will typically be asked to mark three assignments per student per week. This must be done responsibly and promptly, as in most subjects assessed work is worth 15% of the final mark. At the end of each term you will be expected to complete a student report form on each of your students.

Whom will I teach?

MMath students are only given first year students to supervise, although this includes joint degree students from stats, physics and computer science. For all students this year due to Covid changes, they will be in groups of 5 and you will meet them, either online or face to face, once a week. If you have maths students, and we go ahead with term 3 supervisions (to be decided) you will be given the option not to supervise in the third term at a later date.

What will I teach?

Supervisors teach first year students who take courses in Foundations, Analysis, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Geometry and Motion. Some revision supervisions, or supervisions for students who need extra help, may be arranged at the discretion of the Supervisions Coordinator (currently the Director of Undergraduate Studies). You may be asked to help with Probability A and B by your supervisees, but you would be under no obligation to do so and should concentrate on the core maths modules first.

How much will I teach?

For supervisions there is a menu on the form for you to specify your preferred number of (contact) hours a week, you should remember that there is marking on top of this. As a rough guide for the one contact hour of supervisions you are essentially paid for 2.5 hours work (preparation, contact, marking). If given a support class you are most likely to have one support class a week or fortnight but you should factor in preparation time, and time for marking if there is any (you get paid extra if there is marking).

How do I know how to teach?

There is a compulsory training session for new supervisors during their first week of term to go through the basics (both the logistics of giving supervisions and guidance on teaching), and there will also be an online course specifically for TAs to learn how they should be running support classes, this session is compulsory for postgrads who are new to teaching for the department in order to be placed on a GTA contract (it also looks good on your CV!).

What’s in it for me?

• The supervision rate for 2020/21 is approximately £14 per hour, where typically for one contact hour you'll be paid an additional 2 hours marking and prep.

• Support Class rates depend on class size and marking. The basic rate when there is no marking works out at a little over £30 per contact hour (one contact hour, one prep hour). Marking rate then depends on the number of students registered on the module when registrations close at the end of the third week, with an increasing scale in blocks of 15 students.

• You gain teaching experience and some valuable lines on your CV.

• You have the satisfaction of helping others learn a subject you love.

• You learn while you teach – not just about teaching, but about mathematics too.

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