Ideally I would want to stay where I am, but with the situation as it is right now I am starting to shop around. I would like to stay in a teaching-only position, but the nature of academia at the moment is that the number of non-research academic positions available are somewhere between zero and none. Why this is the case is a rant for another occasion.
Now, I'm pretty freaking proud of this application. I think its style is pretty well spot on- a nice mix of relaxed and formal- and my points well made, but for whatever reason it didn't even get me shortlisted for an interview. Nevertheless, I'm still posting it here because I stand by it as a solid piece of writing and a damn fine application letter. I've redacted anything that may breach confidentiality, but the message should still be there.
Anyway, without further ado, here it is.
Hello XXXXXXXXXXX, I am putting this forward as my official application for the position of Lecturer at XXXXXXXX University that you are currently advertising (Position Number XXXXXXX). Below you will find my itemised response to the Key Selection Criteria. PhD degree in a Biomedical Science discipline, relevant to allied health educationI completed and obtained my PhD in Anatomy and Human Biology at the University of Western Australia in 2009 before moving to Melbourne to pursue a career in biomedical research. My PhD investigated the genetic and proteomic basis governing the formation of the maternal-fetal barrier in utero. After an 8-month stint as a postdoctoral research officer at the Burwood campus of Deakin University examining the genes responsible for controlling muscle wasting, I commenced a 12-month postdoc at the Baker International Diabetes Institute. This position involved developing and troubleshooting a technique of in vitro culture of intact mouse muscle fibres, and their treatment with viral vectors for delivery of gene therapies. Demonstrated strong record of teaching experience in a tertiary environmentIn January 2012 I took up a 12-month contract with the XXXXXX XXXX to teach all Gross Anatomy courses. This involves helping 2nd and 3rd year Science and Biomedical science students, and 1st year postgraduate Medical and Physiotherapy students in a workshop styled setting, and demonstrating and supervising the dissection of human cadaveric material to 3rd year Science/Biomed students. Semester 1 primarily involved appendicular anatomy, while semester 2 is more focused on the thorax, abdomen, pelvis, pharynx and larynx, with smatterings of neuroanatomy. However my role is not limited to just during semester. Throughout the year I have been creating a pool of multiple choice questions for use in future examinations, marking mid- and end-of-semester exam papers, prosecting anatomical specimens for use in laboratory classes, and been in charge of the logistics of the dissection classes.
My first exposure to tertiary teaching was at the University of Western Australia during my Honours year in 2004. During this year and the 4 subsequent years of my PhD candidature I taught gross anatomy, embryology, histology, cell biology and molecular biology techniques to second and third year science students using cadaveric material, laboratory equipment, models, diagrams and good old fashioned markers on a whiteboard. Additional to this I also delivered tutorials to Medicine and Physiology students.
In between completing my PhD, waiting for it to be assessed, and starting my first postdoctoral position I gained some extra teaching experience in the University of Melbourne Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology (as it was then known) supervising tutorial sessions for second year cell and molecular biology students. After the end of my second postdoctoral position I returned and taught this material again in Semester 1 2011, before picking up some extra casual teaching in the same department, this time returning to material similar to that which I taught during my postgraduate days in Perth.I strongly believe that a conversational style of teaching is best suited to a laboratory setting, and have come to the opinion that this style of teaching provides the students with a better understanding of the core concepts involved in the material than a purely didactic tutorial style of teaching. I have developed my own style of conversational teaching- asking questions in answer to questions to stimulate the student’s own critical and logical thinking rather than relying on rote memorization of course material. I do of course realise that not all students respond to this style of teaching, and so am able to alter my style into a more didactic fashion so that they too can maximise their learning experience. And for this reason I prefer to teach in groups no larger than 12, moving fluidly from small group to small group to facilitate every student’s learning while at the same time encouraging them to become self-directed and in control of their own education.So to summarise, I have extensive experience teaching in the tertiary education sector. This has predominantly been to multidisciplinary undergraduate students, but of late this has expanded to include postdoctoral students in Medicine, and more relevantly to the advertised position- Physiotherapy. I am committed not only to delivering the material the student’s have to learn for their examinations, but also encouraging and moulding them to think for themselves in a critical and logical manner. Proven ability, commitment and passion for engaging in research activities and scholarship, particularly in educationMy ability, passion and commitment to research can be seen through my experiences as a postdoctoral researcher at both Deakin University and Baker IDI, and throughout my PhD candidature (see CV for more details). In each position I was responsible for the day-to-day running of my projects and had significant influence over the directions that projects took. For me there was nothing quite like discovering something new for the first time, brainstorming the possible repercussions, and planning and executing the next series of experiments. The thrill of discovery was something that kept me coming back for more.But to be perfectly honest, while the pursuit of the new held me in thrall, I have come to realise that tertiary education is my true passion. I love interacting with the students and the feeling of satisfaction that I get at being able to not only strengthen their understanding of the workings of the human body but to also strengthen their abilities to think critically to answer their own questions. I believe that this constant critical thinking should be a central tenet of a tertiary education- to prepare graduates to face and solve the problems that will confront them in their lives to come.
Tertiary education is something that I have become particularly passionate about, and I take on any opportunity to improve my own teaching ability, whether it is feedback directly from students, or through the confidential quantitative student evaluations that occur regularly during and at the end of semester. I am not afraid to tackle my own shortcomings, and realise that the act of teaching is not about me, but about the students to whom I am teaching. Possess a high level of interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a teamI am a highly organised self-starter and perfectly content to work independently of others, however the provision of a great educational environment depends on a whole team of educators. Indeed in my current position there are anywhere between 6 and 15 people teaching each laboratory class at any one time, and the make up of these teaching teams constantly changes according to the course, the demands of the material and the availability of suitable demonstrators. As such I have adapted to working with a continually varying team, and feel that I am a welcoming and supportive presence for all of my peers.
I am also content to drive my own work independently of others, and at times even prefer to hunker down away from any distractions and simply get things done. I possess a rare ability to completely cut out anything that is happening around me and focus entirely at what I am doing. My wife still finds it unbelievably peculiar that I can be working away at something while she talks about me with her friends, and I do not hear what is being said because I am simply too engrossed in what I am doing.As a part of the core group of demonstrators I have naturally taken on a more senior role in the larger team and am developing my own leadership skills through overall running and supervision of select classes. Furthermore I am also in charge of setting up the material for anatomical workshops, preparing the cadaveric material for dissection classes and making sure that classes run smoothly and without complications for either staff or students.Outside of the teaching context I understand the importance of teamwork through my role as part of a Sunday-league soccer team (Centre Back for Old Hill Wanderers AFC). Indeed we managed to win the league title and gain promotion to the above league in only our second year of existence. We did this through effective communication and everybody fulfilling their specified role within the team, each cog playing its part in a larger machine. Demonstrated ability to stimulate, actively engage and educate a given audienceWhen teaching, I take it upon myself to engage each student and make sure they are getting the most out of the material provided. If I feel that any student is holding back and not actively engaging with the material then I make sure to make eye contact and explain the material again in a slightly different way in an attempt to help the student understand. I tend to take it as a slight on my teaching abilities if a student has trouble with a concept, or is too shy or embarrassed to ask for additional help. I always try to be approachable and unintimidatory, and encourage students to ask questions. In short I like to create an open, collaborative learning environment. I think it is vital that every student has the opportunity to listen to, look at, touch and question the material, and I make sure that resources designed for each of these styles are made available to students in every class I teach.Most of my teaching experience has been at the small group level. However I have presented information and my own research to scientists on both the national and international stage. On a lighter note I have public speaking experience through my role as master of ceremonies at all three of my soccer team’s end-of-season awards nights. Capacity to work positively and cooperatively with students, internal and external teams and agenciesBy my very nature I am non-confrontational and always try to interact with people in a positive manner and as equals. I find that this helps people to approach situations honestly and without feeling the need to establish a hierarchical system of power, thereby helping to avoid any situation where the emphasis of power is shifted from the collaboration to the individual, and thus conflict. Invariably results are maximised when everybody works together cooperatively, and I strive for this always to be the case, whether it be teaching through a technique of constant questioning, working as part of an educational team, or dealing with commercial scientific companies. However if any friction does develop, the student’s education will always be my priority. Current experience with Bioscience education to students in Allied Health coursesMy experience in teaching to Allied Health students comes mainly in the form of Physiotherapy students at the University of Melbourne. I can attest that they are always looking for the practical applications of their course material, and their singular focus has helped me to always consider the practical applications of what I teach as I find that this is often an underutilised source of material in ‘traditional’ tertiary education. It provides an additional aspect from which to view the material, which can help students to think about how the material applies in a practical setting outside of the classroom, or to their own lives.
Experience with multi-campus delivery of educational programsI understand that this position calls for work to be performed across multiple campuses, and am prepared to do so as required. I hope to be given the opportunity to figure out the unique challenges this presents some time in the future. Alas, I have no experience with criteria 9 and 10. If it makes any difference I undertook 2 years worth of sports science units (biomechanics and exercise physiology) as an undergrad back at the University of Western Australia… Anyway, thank you for taking the time to consider me for the Lectureship at Monash. I believe that I am the best fit for the position not only because of my considerable experience in teaching bioscience and bioscience-related university students the wonders of the human body, but also because of my constant reflexivity in always questioning whether my actions and style is providing the students with their best possible learning experience. I am committed to providing the best possible education objectives and outcomes for the next generation of health care professionals.
Thanks again, Dr Lloyd White
