The University attaches great importance to personal development and to all staff equipping themselves with key skills, not only to undertake their University responsibilities effectively but also as a personal benefit in relation to their longer-term careers.

To support you, as a teaching fellow at Imperial, your contract includes 10 days of development per year.

Achieve your goals via personal and professional development

  • Evidence is key when demonstrating your skills and experience in going for promotions
  • Investing in your own development will allow you to build your skills and evidence for your career development

Further Information

Your 10 Days
  • 10 days are in your contract
  • Understand what you can use these days for – they can normally be used for anything that would be developmental for you, and is beyond what would be expected as part of your usual role and responsibilities
  • Plan and discuss with your Line Manager, mentor, colleagues, EDU, CHERS how to use these days
  • It’s important to remember to use them. Do not waste or fail to use your days, as they cannot be carried over to the next year.
  • Keep a record of your development – what have you done, what did you learn? Can you implement and develop your learning?
  • Be proactive in your development – identify what you need and research a solution
  • All Talent and Culture, EDIC and EDU (including PG Cert, PG Dip, MEd) courses are free for Imperial teaching fellows.
  • Reflecting on the activities you did and how you will use your 10 development days should be a part of your annual review conversation (ARC). This gives you an opportunity to discuss with your line manager any further developmental strategy.
Highly skilled individuals

You are all highly skilled individuals.

Personal and professional development will enable you to enhance and develop your current skills. What skills do you need to succeed in your career? Common skills required to advance as a Teaching Fellow include:

  • Independence
  • Networking skills
  • Pedagogic research and evaluation skills
  • Awareness of technological innovations in teaching and learning
  • Awareness of appropriate pedagogic theory and evidence
  • Good communication
  • Teamwork
  • Awareness of the importance of Equality & Diversity
  • Monitoring, reviewing and reflection
  • Leadership and Management skills
How to achieve these skills?

The list of options is endless. Remember that some of these will be dependent on your department and/or role, or on your route for promotion (practitioner vs research):

  • Workshops/courses/programmes and other training (internal - Talent and Culture, EDIC and EDU - or external)
  • Develop and deliver – Outreach and Engagement Activities
  • Developing leadership skills
  • Take part in a committee to broaden your profile beyond teaching, e.g. Athena SWAN, Sustainability, EDI
  • Applying for grants/bursaries to support conference attendance or teaching innovation projects
  • Plan/organise or attend an event
  • Setting up/running a Special Interest Group
  • Setting up/running Student Shapers project, etc.
  • Engage with governmental and/or professional bodies with regard to teaching
  • Working towards a professional body recognition, e.g. FHEA or FAoME
  • Active community participation, e.g. teaching fellow network, talking teaching, CHERSNet
  • Contribution to Imperial's Festival of Learning and teaching or similar external events and conferences
  • Mentoring more junior colleagues or participating in reverse mentoring
  • Acting as a reviewer for Imperial's STAR Framework or EERP process
  • Developing educational experience in roles such as module lead, personal tutor, project supervisor, etc
  • Reviewing for an educational journal
  • Being an external examiner
  • Publishing education practice or research in a report, blog, paper, or textbook