FAQs for Applicants

Key Acronyms

TW - Teaching Within SoN - Shades of Noir PgCert - Post Graduate Certification How long is the Teaching Within programme?

The programme starts in September 2021 and finishes in December 2022. After the selection process is completed the successful candidates will be given compulsory dates which take place during this period. The PgCert aspect of the programme will run from Jan - Dec 2022.

If I do not like my course, can I change?

At TW we have selected your chosen courses intentionally. We make choices based on a variety of factors. Having gone through the process we are proud to say that the programme is now in its fourth year. It is our philosophy and observation that at SoN, some of the best working relationships involve academics being challenged beyond their own specialism.

How do I get paid for my allocated teaching hours?

You are paid via Shades of Noir TW team. You do not have to go to your chosen course and ask them to submit contracts. The budget is provided by Shades of Noir for TW. You will be paid for 36 hours for the programme.

What process do I take to log my completed allocated teaching hours?

Firstly you will log your completed hours on the timesheet which is provided by the TW team once they are completed. The TW team will provide you with a cut off date for each month where you are able to submit and if this is processed before the cut off the date you will be paid the following month. If not you will be paid the following month after the deadline. We cannot guarantee payment if you submit after the cut off date.

What if I want to continue my teaching once I have finished my allocated TW hours?

Anything beyond your allocated 36 hours will not be paid by Shades of Noir. This is something which will have to be organised by the course you have been placed on and if they are interested in working with you will have to employ you using their allocated budgets and process of contracts. Who do I contact if I am having any difficulties?

Your line manager for the programme is Montana (Montana@shadesofnoir.org.uk) who is the lead of TW. It is best you go through her and she will then refer you to the relevant parties if needed.

What happens if there is unprofessional conduct on my course?

If there is any breach of any kind Montana should be notified as soon as possible and a meeting or phone call will be organised. Depending on the circumstances, the necessary steps will be taken. We have a strict protocol and we do not tolerate any unprofessional practices, this is applicable to all academics and course teams involved in the programme.

What happens if I am unable to attend a compulsory teaching day I have organised with my allocated course?

As part of this prospectus, we have provided the key dates and if you secure a place on the programme you will be informed via the relevant platforms of any more important dates. If for any reason you are unable to attend do let us know at the earliest convenience by contacting Montana (Montana@ shadesofnoir.org.uk). We take into consideration that some circumstances are beyond anyone’s control and because of this we make an exception in those cases. A maximum of two occasions of being unable to attend can be used after this it may lead to termination of your place on the programme.

What is meant by shadowing?

This is the process which we advise each of the academics to engage in at the early stages of the programme. This is an excellent opportunity to go in and observe your course leader and other academics whilst they teach in a variety of ways this could include the process of assessment and feedback, one to one teaching, team teaching or seminar teaching. We really encourage all TW academics to complete up to 4 hours maximum as this process is not included in the 36 paid teaching hours.

We do not advise any TW academic to engage in more than the advised hours if you do so be aware that this may cause conflict when it is time to engage in the paid 36 hours.

What if I want you to defer at any stage of joining the programme?

This is not possible, this is a one-time opportunity and the funding offered by Shades of Noir cannot be carried over to the following year. So we advise you to really consider your commitment for the year ahead before applying.

Who do I contact about anything to do with my teaching and learning unit?

We advise you again to contact Montana before proceeding to contact the teaching and learning unit. You are managed under the Teaching Within programme, therefore, all queries, concerns and questions should first go through our protocol and then if necessary be referred on.

What sorts of subjects or areas have the previous Teaching Within community covered in their Self Initiated Projects?

The previous years have covered a variety of topics, but what we must highlight is that the PgCert is an accredited teaching qualification and therefore the project you decide to research should be tailored to a teaching environment. This is a teaching qualification and you are supported throughout so you shouldn’t worry.

What if I think that I am neuro-diverse, what steps do I take to have the screening?

Once the academics are selected they are advised to contact student services here and organise to have the relevant tests. This cannot be done before you have been formally offered a space on the programme. It can only be carried out once you are confirmed on the HPL system as a staff/student member. We advise you to commence this process in January as usually there is a real demand for this test and you can wait some time

What roles do Montana and Angie do for TW?

Montana is the lead of the TW programme and deals with organising connections between the programme leaders, course leaders and TW academics as well as any pastoral responsibility questions and concerns. Angie deals with the logistical aspects of the programme which include payments and contracts. Please also appreciate that Montana and Angie also manage other projects beyond TW, as part of their roles at Shades of Noir. We will do our best to facilitate and get back to you as soon as we can please bare with us.

We advise that all the academics get the opportunity to engage in some form of assessment and feedback as well one to one tutorials, team teaching or seminar teaching.

How do I teach a course I have no expertise or experience in?

We work with the approach that each academic comes with their own expertise within their chosen fields and therefore they have transferable skills which will add value and can be adapted to various subjects. We have also over the last four cohorts found that the best working relationship has been shaped through this approach with nearly 60% of the TW academics securing jobs beyond the programme in areas that were not their chosen expertise. As part of the programme, the TW team have designed workshops which will also provide the relevant information and extensive training needed to do well in the teaching environment.

How can I prepare myself at this stage to get used to the process of teaching styles?

We appreciate the idea may be daunting and something which you may feel worried or anxious about however through the programme you will engage in a variety of workshops, tutorials and interactions which are designed by the TW team to provide the scaffolding needed to make sure you succeed and become confident and competent academics. More useful resources can be found on the Shades Website (shadesofnoir.org.uk) which can help you to consider your teaching methods.

What is the Non-Disclosure Agreement?

A non-disclosure agreement is a document also known as a confidentiality agreement, confidential disclosure agreement, this is an agreement which is used to protect the property of the company. All successful applicants will be obliged to adhere to a non-disclosure agreement, in relation to the programme content and function. Shades of Noir intends to disclose information to the academics for the purpose of working with Shades of Noir and Teaching Within.

What does it mean for me?

This means anything which you are exposed to as part of the programme is the property of Shades of Noir and therefore cannot be shared or used beyond the programme with any parties or for personal use. The Recipient undertakes not to use the Confidential Information for any purpose except for Teaching Within, without first obtaining the written agreement of Shades of Noir. The Recipient also undertakes to keep the Confidential Information secure and not to disclose it to any third party except to its employees and professional advisers who need to know the same for the Purpose, who know they owe a duty of confidence to the Disclosure and who are bound by obligations equivalent to those outlined above. If this agreement is breached disciplinary actions can be taken against you and may lead to prosecution action.

Can I share the resources with anyone beyond the programme?

No, you cannot, the resources that each of you as TW academics are provided with has been designed to aid the Teaching Within Community and programme. We do not want this to be shared with anyone beyond the programme as this will be a breach of the non-disclosure agreement. This is the property of Shades of Noir. This has been designed to benefit and provide scaffolding for the community. The Teaching Within team has worked extensively on the resources and this should not be shared with anyone under any circumstances.

What happens in a virtual session?

Shades of Noir made the important decision to move to a virtual space in response to the Covid pandemic earlier this year. This means that for the moment our workshops and teaching is currently being taught on virtual platforms. All workshops and teaching will require access to a computer/ laptop and a platform such as Google meets and Microsoft teams where the lessons will take place. At Shades we take into consideration that this way of working needs to be safe and therefore we have our Shades of Noir Netiquette which outlines the procedure for engagement within this learning environment as well as how we as a brand mitigate any problems.

In the sessions, different methods of teaching will take place. This can include one to one teaching, co-teaching, conference-style teaching or a dialogic space forum. As part of the programme, you will be shown how to use the virtual platform and it is likely that you will conduct this style of teaching as part of the programme.