Are you interested in going into teaching, working with young people, or just having a placement opportunity without taking a year out to do it? Then Human and Social Sciences in the Classroom might be the ideal module for you.
This module is a one-term, credit-bearing placement opportunity that is an opportunity for you to teach aspects of your degree subject on a work-type placement in a local school supported by a teacher. It is open to both 2nd and 3rd year students from across HSS and beyond.
During the placement you will spend at least six sessions in a local secondary school (we work with schools in Canterbury, Maidstone, Dover, Ashford among other places, and we will cover travel expenses if you travel outside of Canterbury). You will begin by observing lessons taught by your mentoring teacher. Later you will act somewhat in the role of a teaching assistant by working with individual pupils or with a small group. Finally, you will progress to the role of “teacher” and will be expected to lead an entire lesson. You will be required to keep a log of your activities while on placement.
Taking this module will gain you work experience and develop your CV, and also will help to highlight your subject and university-style teaching to A-level and GCSE pupils across Kent. Many of the students taking this module have gone on to become teachers, youth workers, or ESL teachers in Japan and Korea. For example, the Head of Sociology at Norton Knatchbull Grammar School in Ashford is one of our former students, and please see this recent blog by Peter Saunders, an anthropologist who took this module and is in the middle of his teacher training: Life After Kent: Anthropology in the Classroom.
Launched to coincide with Kent’s 50th anniversary, this module highlights the longstanding excellence of social science research and teaching at the University, and is part of the institution’s civic mission to reach out, contribute to, and develop contacts with, the local community. Although it is listed as an ANTH module (as is run by SAC), ANTHB5560 is a “Wild Module” for ALL undergraduate programmes that broadly relate to the Social Sciences, and you do not need to have any anthropology background to sign up. If you are interested you should select this module as a Spring term option during OMR, but being able to continue with the module is based on a number of requirements:
The first requirement is having an aggregate 2:1 (60 or above), either from the first year (for those students who wish to take ANTB5560 in their 2nd year), or the first and second year combined (for students wanting to take ANTB5560 in their final year). Students must also have a record of good attendance.
We attempt to place all of you who have an aggregate 2:1 and good attendance, but this does depend on the availability of school placements across the various academic subjects. Interviews may be conducted to decide between candidates. Students will find out about final decisions and any other screening criteria in the Autumn term before the module formally starts in Week 25. Selected student will also be required to attend a non-credit bearing training session in the Autumn term, and DBS checks will also be carried out during this time.
Module Content and Assessment
Assessment is by 100% coursework. This includes a teaching quality appraisal, a portfolio and essay, and submission of all teaching materials.
Student Support
Throughout the module you will be given guidance and support by a local convenor in your own academic School.
If you would like further information on ANTHB5560, please contact (Module convenor) Dr Sarah Johns