A teaching fellow is a graduate student who teaches undergraduate classes at a college or university. Many of the same responsibilities as a regular professor apply to this educational role, including course preparation, lecturing, and grading. The goal is to prepare aspiring professors for the challenges that come with teaching. This position has far more responsibilities than a teaching assistant, and it often includes supervision sessions with a senior professor. It also has a unique compensation structure. In the United Kingdom, the role of a teaching fellow is structured differently than in other countries.
Many educational institutions refer to teaching fellows as graduate student instructors (GSIs). This responsibility is assumed a graduate student pursuing a Master’s or Doctorate degree and teaching undergraduate classes in a specialized field of study, regardless of title. GSIs are expected to be experts in the subject matter they are teaching and to be able to adequately prepare students for their chosen field of study. A teaching fellow is responsible for creating course materials, delivering lectures, and grading.
The goal of a teaching fellow program at a university is to prepare the instructor for a career in academia. Fellows gain experience leading a class and learning how to best present information and work with undergraduate students. Many Master’s and Doctorate programs require candidates to teach a certain number of classes each year. On the other hand, some programs make teaching a voluntary activity.
A teaching assistant is frequently confused with a teaching fellow. Many fellows start out as teaching assistants, assisting professors with grading papers, answering student questions, and leading discussion groups, but they are not in charge of any individual class. Although a fellow is responsible for his or her own teaching, he or she is frequently supervised a full-time professor who gives feedback on the fellow’s performance. In most cases, a fellow is hired on a semester-by-semester basis and is paid a stipend for his or her efforts.
A teaching fellow is a full-time member of an academic staff in the United Kingdom. This individual is usually a newcomer to the team with limited experience. This position serves as a stepping stone toward becoming a professor or lecturer. In other academic contexts, referring to a professor as a teaching fellow is simply a new title or honor bestowed on them.