Interview P01 (pseudonym) | SYNTHETIC | Topic: PhD researchers who teach
Participant: PhD student, sociology, third year | INT = interviewer

INT: Thanks for joining. What teaching do you do at the moment?
P01: I run two seminar groups on a first-year sociology module, and I
     do some of the marking.
INT: What do you get out of it?
P01: I love the moment when a quiet student finally joins in. It's
     made me feel like a proper academic, not just a student.
INT: How does teaching fit with your own research?
P01: It eats into the week more than I expected. Seminar prep takes a
     whole day, so really I've got four days for the thesis, and in
     marking season it's more like two.
INT: How were you prepared for teaching?
P01: There was a half-day session in induction week, mostly about the
     rules. Nobody showed us how to actually run a discussion. I
     learned by watching the others.
INT: How do you feel about the pay and the hours?
P01: Honestly, I worry about money all the time. My rent went up again
     in September, and the teaching money is what pays my rent. If the
     hours were cut I'd be in real trouble.
INT: What support do you get from the module leader?
P01: My module leader is good. We get a short briefing every week, and
     she tells us what the students struggled with last year.
INT: Would you teach again next year?
P01: Yes, because I need the income. But I'd ask for one group, not
     two.
INT: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
P01: Just that it should be counted properly. It's real work, not a
     favour.
INT: Thank you, that's really helpful.
