How different is high school teaching to university teaching, and most specifically teaching at LSE?

General differences

University faculty bare the correct assumption that their students are adults who can withstand adult-level responsibilities. These responsibilities include organisation, scheduling, prioritising and being able to do independent reading and research. At high school, it is usually seen as going above and beyond to be responsible for your education outside of the curriculum whilst at university this is expected. Those at the high school level are often seen in society as not capable of being responsible for their own learning but those who do go beyond being dependent on teachers often succeed.

Teaching at LSE

At LSE, teaching involves a mixture of lectures, workshops and seminars. There is an expectation of independent study which students should conduct for themselves. This significant amount of independent study is what sets you up for success. My top tips for this include doing readings outside the set reading list, practising your essay writing and discussing the texts with your peers. If you can, try not to turn up to class without having read the essential readings because you may be lost and it would be a waste of everybody’s time. Try and put your best foot forward because the more you put in the more you get out. The teachers and lecturers can only do so much if you’re not willing to work for yourself.

Lectures are non-compulsory but you should make the effort to attend them as they are guides to understanding the overall topic for that week. Seminars are compulsory and are where you work through what may have arisen during the lectures. You are expected to come fully prepared for seminars whilst willing to participate in class discussions. Every term, teachers record your class attendance, work within the class and the formative written work you will have submitted.

My experience with the teaching style at LSE

At LSE, I learnt much more about the subject I was interested in. University has smaller classes which means teachers can be more attentive as opposed to my sixth-form experience which had bigger class sizes. With smaller classes, it makes it easier to open up discussions and invite everyone to contribute. Last year, I started an outside course in the Department of Social Policy. I thoroughly enjoyed that my teacher started each class by allowing each student to say one thing they found interesting about the reading and another thing they found intriguing about the lecture. This allowed every student to be listened to and heard because the teacher was opening up a conversation with their students. That’s something I’ve enjoyed about the teaching staff at LSE, every teacher I’ve had has really pushed my passion for the subjects I’m learning. They all share this welcoming and informative persona which is easy to identify with and learn from.

In most of my classes, the teachers, as part of the course, make us perform student presentations. These help us with confidence, communication and interpersonal skills. It also helps us to show what we have learnt in reading and a topic through a structural format. Last year, I delivered a presentation on prison abolition and had a delightful session with my peers.

Assessment

You are assessed throughout the terms at LSE. These assessments aim to develop your skills and check your progress. Teachers will often set formative tasks in each term to check where you are at and provide you with feedback. It is very important to take advantage of these formative tasks, because you can gain an understanding of your faults and strengths, preparing you well for the summative assignments.

Final words

Teaching differs wherever you go but LSE prides itself on its well-equipped staff so take advantage and you will get the best out of it when you join us at LSE.