Teaching at DSD
Teaching at the JSCSC has certain unique features, for example, across all courses, we teach alongside a military ‘Directing Staff’ (DS) who is responsible for key elements of student assessment of all non-academic (non-MA related) work. The military DS is (in most cases) a British military officer. Teaching alongside a military DS is a particularly unique feature of the College and comes with a number of challenges and opportunities.
It is imperative to establish a solid professional working relationship with them in order to set the tone for the students. Part of this includes establishing clear boundaries of your respective roles in the classroom. In such, DSD staff are in the ‘lead’ for the academic components of the class whilst the military DS (as well as the students) provide an excellent source of experience in which to ground some of the discussions.
Courses and timetable
GTAs teach on our junior air force courses which comprise three different short courses. IOD1, IOD2 and IOD3 are short courses (between one and two weeks) designed to equip RAF officers with the knowledge necessary to allow them to understand the key elements of air power, its utility as a lever of power, and its effectiveness across the levels of conflict. The academic component also enables RAF officers to understand air power in a broad political and military context and equips them to be effective advocates of air power in a joint environment. It consists of lectures and syndicate room activities, including discussions of international security, air power effects, ethical challenges, leadership and future strategic challenges. We will provide you with further information on these courses during the induction.
Key points: (a) These do not run simultaneously; (b) There are no assessments for these courses.
We will work with you to identify an appropriate teaching workload and timetable for you. That might mean more teaching in one term or spreading your teaching lightly across three terms. This is something we will talk through with you. You should note, though, that our timetable is not flexible given the nature of our contract with the military. This has some important implications that you should be aware of before you sign your contract:
- You cannot amend the time/day of your teaching at DSD. If you are assigned to a course you will need to ensure that you are available to teach ALL of the timetabled classes.
- We do not ordinarily provide cover for the classes – except in exceptional circumstances (compassionate or health grounds, for example).
- Teaching at both DWS and DSD in any one term can be challenging. If you do decide to teach in both departments it is up to you to de-conflict your timetable and ensure that you are able to teach ALL of the timetabled classes. You should ensure that this is the case before you sign your contract with DSD.