If you were a student, the words "rector", "dean", "professor", "associate professor" are guaranteed to cause you nostalgia and awe. And explaining these terms to a "non-student" is very difficult. However, many people forget about another position that is in every university - a senior teacher. Understanding its functions is not easy. What is the difference between a senior teacher and a teacher? And how is he associated with an assistant professor? Let's try to answer all these questions.
Who are we taking?
The position of senior teacher can be taken by a person with a higher professional education and experience of scientific and pedagogical work of 3 years or more. If the applicant already has a Ph.D. degree, the length of service may be less than 1 year.
Any senior university teacher is attached to a particular department, depending on their specialization. Accordingly, all his activities are related to her work.
Theoretical knowledge and training of the senior teacher
- Like any state worker, the teacher should be guided in the Constitution of his country, the basic laws and regulations related to education and upbringing.
- Know the theory and practical methods of managing education systems (as a potential dean or even rector); state standards of secondary vocational and higher education.
- The teacher must have knowledge of the planning and maintenance of training documentation, organization of methodological and scientific work.
- Each educator should be aware of the current state of the scientific branch of his department, to study innovations and relevant theories.
- Knowledge and practical application of methods of pedagogy, psychology and communication culture is mandatory for a senior teacher.
- The possession of basic information on physiology, first aid and hygiene is necessary for everyone who communicates with a large number of people in the process. The senior lecturer is one such position.
- The fundamentals of administrative law, fire safety and labor protection rules are an integral part of what any conscientious employee should never forget, including an employee of a university.
Thus, in his professional activities, the university’s senior teacher is guided by the legislation of his country, the law on education, educational standards and curricula in the subject. The university charter and collective agreement directly affect its job responsibilities. Any provisions on the faculty and the department, as well as the orders of the rector and vice-rectors, also determine the activities of the senior teacher.
Service hierarchy
The senior teacher of the department in his position is between the teacher and associate professor. His responsibilities also come from here - coordination of the work of teachers, their consultation on educational and scientific issues, distribution of small duties and assignments. At the same time, he is the closest assistant to the head of the department, takes on the solution of organizational issues, scientific work and the organization of student practice. What the assistant professor offers, the senior teacher is authorized to develop and deepen.
Principal duties
They are determined by the job descriptions of the senior teacher in each particular university. However, there are general requirements for all specialists, regardless of their place of work.
- The senior teacher is obliged to organize and conduct educational and methodical work in accordance with the individual plan.
- Actively participate in the scientific research work of his department.
- Compose and develop curricula and programs for the department.
- To ensure the formation of all the necessary competencies of students, ensuring their high level as specialists.
- Teach the material at the proper level and control the quality of classes conducted by the teachers of the department.
- Solve issues with student internships.
- To control the quality of methodological support at the department, to develop their own manuals.
- To conduct active research work, to oversee students writing term papers and dissertations on the basis of the department.
- Take part in vocational guidance for applicants.
- To advise and provide methodological assistance to young teachers of the department.
- To ensure the work of the scientific and methodological commission for a particular specialization.
- Improve and update the material and technical base of the department.
- Advocate comprehensive training, the acquisition of scientific, technical, social, humanitarian, economic and legal knowledge.
- Monitor students' homework, laboratory and practical work.
- Monitor students' compliance with the rules of conduct and fire safety.
- Conduct educational activities among students.
- To take an active part in the preparation of training, teaching aids, work programs.
If the senior teacher, in the framework of the performance of official duties, created an object of intellectual property (textbook, monograph), the university has the full right to use it. The fruits of mental labor are always appreciated.
What is a senior teacher entitled to?
Experience and a sufficient amount of scientific and pedagogical work allow the teacher to run for the Academic Council of a university or a separate faculty.
He can also propose to the head of the department amendments to the department’s work plan, change of educational documentation and manuals.
Improving all types of work of the department (from academic to research) is also among the rights of this specialist.
In the event of a conflict, the senior teacher, like any employee, can request from managers or other authorities documents that regulate his rights and obligations. Protecting your ideas and interests is an integral feature of work in any university.
The senior teacher is free to choose the best teaching methods, teaching aids and materials, methods for assessing knowledge. However, all this must be approved by the dean's office and the university administration.
Of course, the use of all library funds serving the university departments is also the right of any teacher.
With good reasons and the ability to support your point of view with facts, the senior teacher can challenge the order or the order of the head of the department, dean or rector of the university.
Load of responsibility
The variety of responsibilities entails great responsibility on the head teacher for several points:
- The insufficient level of organization and implementation of educational and educational work at the department.
- Less training than planning.
- Insufficiently high requirements for the preparation of students when they perform control, term papers and theses.
- Inconsistency of training sessions with the schedule approved by the administration.
- Administrative and criminal offenses within the limits of the current legislation.
- Causing material damage to both the department and students.
- Failure to fulfill the obligations prescribed in the Charter of the university, existing legal acts and the job description of the teacher.
Development prospects
With active work and a serious attitude to his difficult business, the senior teacher may well count on the position of assistant professor. To take it, the employee must have the necessary qualifications, confirmed by scientific publications, experience of scientific and pedagogical work in high school, recommendations of the department staff. The question of such an appointment is decided by the head of the department - he recommends a candidate to the Academic Council and the administration. The meeting of the Academic Council of the university decides whether it is worth promoting a senior teacher up the difficult career ladder.
Senior trainer
A difficult and multifaceted position in different institutions has its own specifics. In institutions of education, physical education and sports, the main activity of the senior teacher is combined with his coaching responsibilities. The organization of the educational process is inextricably linked with the organization of fruitful training. For a senior trainer, a teacher must have a professional education and at least two years of experience. The list of requirements also includes legal capacity, lack of criminal record and health problems.
The senior trainer and teacher must know the methodology of the presentation of the material, as well as the features of the physical development of different age groups of students. He should also be aware of the latest methods of sports training, diagnosis of conflict situations. Justification of their position and work with parents of students is an important skill of a successful trainer-teacher.
Key responsibilities include:
- Selection of the most promising pupils.
- Their further sports improvement.
- Educational and educational work.
- Conducting theoretical classes.
- Analysis of the achievements of each pupil.
- Ensuring an increase in the level of general physical, theoretical, moral, strong-willed and technical training of pupils.
- Preventive work against doping.
- Ensuring the protection of life and health during the educational process.
- The overall coordination of the work of trainers, consultations and methodological assistance.
The rights of the head trainer-teacher coincide with those noted earlier.
And how are they?
In Western Europe, the senior lecturer is a senior lecturer. In the United States, this post is called Associate Professor. In general, the rights and obligations of the senior lecturer are the same as described previously. Many Western universities emphasize the creative nature of the work of a senior teacher, his active service to society as a whole.
Briefly about the main thing
Mentor, educator, curator, supervisor - the senior teacher really should be a jack of all trades. The talent for teaching should be combined in such a person with great enthusiasm and efficiency. The senior teacher is bad, who does not have in his dreams the item “to become an assistant professor”, and then “to become a professor”.