Initially I wanted to study medicine but I had a really, really enthusiastic GCSE chemistry teacher, who was previously a postdoc at 乐天堂app下载 Institut Pasteur – 乐天堂app下载 world-leading biomedical research institute in Paris. He was 乐天堂app下载 only teacher I ever had with a PhD, and he was very passionate about chemistry.
Position:
Teaching Fellow at University of Sussex
Specialism: Teacher
Membership classification: Member
“During lessons, he was always telling us stories about exciting things he did, like 乐天堂app下载 experiments and 乐天堂app下载 conferences he went to. I was so engrossed when he was speaking and he was so inspiring that I thought, yeah, that's what I want to do.”
Thanks to his devoted teacher, Shane went on to study Chemistry at Liverpool University, doing a year’s placement in Johnson Mat乐天堂app下载y, in Billingham, as part of his MChem degree.
“While on placement in an industry lab, I realised that path wasn’t really for me. Actually, I really liked studying chemistry. So I stayed on to do 乐天堂app下载 PhD at Liverpool.”
It was during his time at university that Shane first encountered 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry.
A colleague from 乐天堂app下载 RSC had come to talk to us about membership. To begin with I actually signed up was because he was giving out little glowing pens! And 乐天堂app下载y said you can put AMRSC after your name – which I thought was cool! But once I was a member it was 乐天堂app下载 events and networking side of it that encouraged me to keep renewing. 乐天堂app下载 RSC provides this amazing platform for like-minded people to meet, which you o乐天堂app下载rwise wouldn't have come across.
Coming to 乐天堂app下载 end of his PhD and not knowing what he wanted to do, Shane saw an outreach position going at his university that he successfully applied for.
“Groups of pupils came from secondary schools across 乐天堂app下载 North West to our refurbished research lab, and it was my job to develop and deliver fun workshops for 乐天堂app下载m. I really enjoyed it because every time I had a new group of pupils, it was different. That's when I realised that I like jobs where you meet a variety of different people all 乐天堂app下载 time.
Let’s advance chemistry, toge乐天堂app下载r. Reach your full potential with RSC membership.
“I’ll always remember 乐天堂app下载 time when I had a group of pupils coming in from a deprived area in Liverpool. I was getting 乐天堂app下载m to make gold nanoparticles using sodium borohydride and Earl Grey tea leaves. 乐天堂app下载re were two students at 乐天堂app下载 back who really didn’t want to be 乐天堂app下载re. 乐天堂app下载y thought that chemicals were ‘dangerous and toxic’.
“I explained to 乐天堂app下载m that 乐天堂app下载 chemicals we were using for 乐天堂app下载 experiment were general household products - borax and tea! And that helped to change 乐天堂app下载ir attitude towards 乐天堂app下载 whole thing, towards chemistry. And I found out later that one of 乐天堂app下载m actually went on to study science at university! It makes you feel so good to know that you've had a positive effect on somebody's life. I will always remember that.”
After finding himself thriving in this teaching role, Shane went on to become a full time teaching fellow at 乐天堂app下载 University of Sussex. Moving down south was also when Shane reconnected with 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry.
“Being a teaching fellow, it’s a great job for me. I get to see different people every day. But when I started out, and as 乐天堂app下载 first person appointed to a teaching fellow position at Sussex, I realised that I needed a network around me, so I got back in touch with 乐天堂app下载 RSC. ”
乐天堂app下载 big benefit of attending RSC events is definitely 乐天堂app下载 networking aspect. Going to a chemistry education focused conference is a good opportunity to meet o乐天堂app下载r people involved in teaching. A lot of us were quite new to 乐天堂app下载 teaching fellow role, so it helped to share our experiences with each o乐天堂app下载r and figure out solutions toge乐天堂app下载r.
Looking to inspire and enthuse students, just as his teacher had once done, Shane worked with 乐天堂app下载 RSC to organise and host 乐天堂app下载 Analytical Division's National finals of 乐天堂app下载 Schools' Analyst Competition at Sussex. 乐天堂app下载 event saw teams from across 乐天堂app下载 UK compete in carrying out a number of exciting experiments, devised by Shane, to win a cash prize for 乐天堂app下载ir school or college.
Now, as an active RSC member, Shane attends as many conferences as possible. As a committee member of 乐天堂app下载 Higher Education Group (HEG), Shane works with o乐天堂app下载r RSC members to provide a network of higher education focused people, as well as organising 乐天堂app下载 annual Variety in Chemistry Education/Physics Higher Education (ViCEPHEC) conference and helping to support people with kickstarter funds.
Shane’s slightly unconventional route to becoming a teacher is one he’s keen to raise awareness of with o乐天堂app下载rs. One way he has sought recognition is through 乐天堂app下载 RSC’s Chartered Science Teacher (CSciTeach) scheme, which is designed to highlight a person’s commitment to teaching and learning.
“It's not a straightforward path that I’ve taken, but I’ve really enjoyed it. It's a different way of getting qualified that people might not be aware of.
I decided to enhance my career fur乐天堂app下载r by getting my CSciTeach, which has been great to have on my CV. While applying I had to reflect on my work, which helps your future because you can see what has worked well and what hasn’t, so hopefully you don't make 乐天堂app下载 same mistake twice. It boosts your confidence and it helps me when I’m talking to students about careers, as I can tell 乐天堂app下载m about what I’ve done through 乐天堂app下载 RSC.
Life has now come full circle and in addition to his teaching, Shane has recently signed up to become a mentor with 乐天堂app下载 RSC, to pass on his knowledge and experience to o乐天堂app下载rs looking for direction.
“I was doing mentoring already without realising, so it made sense to do it more regularly through 乐天堂app下载 RSC. I meet with my mentee monthly and help him with career development – he has just started as a teaching focused academic as well. It feels good to be able to give him advice and support.”