Faces of Reading

I speak several languages, so I know exactly what the main problems are with learning a new language and what students find most difficult. I try to encourage them to speak the language and overcome any difficulties on the way.

Everyone here has given me the opportunity to show my potential and challenge myself as a language teacher, but most of all to do what I love.

I'm an audiovisual translator and I study BSL. I believe that deaf and visually impaired people should have access to language learning too. My aim is to work as an interpreter in the future, and I am proud that BSL will be taught here at the University.

I'm a School Champion for Diversity and a member of the LGBTQIA+ staff scheme. I think it's important to promote diversity and inclusion.

At the University of Reading, our students come from all around the world and this makes their learning experience really interesting. I really like to build a relationship with my students, watching them grow as independent learners, helping them with their learning process, and making them feel part of a community.

I give a lot and receive a lot; it's beautiful. This is why I'm still teaching after 12 years.

Read more about the University's LGBT Plus Staff Network.

I entered higher education on a series of fixed term contracts which is common to our sector as there is a disproportionate demand for EAP teachers/lecturers in the summer, but this reduces once Autumn is upon us. Living in this state of employment precarity was unnerving, especially when I was expecting my first child. In 2009, I did manage to secure my first permanent post despite being five months pregnant at the time of the interview. Even though it is unlawful to consider this ‘temporary condition’ during the selection and recruitment process, just 11 years ago attitudes differed. I felt incredibly anxious before the interview panel. Currently, as a member of the Unviersity Parent and Family steering group, I am keen to open up discussions on issues facing parents -to- be, parents, and carers working at universities, and share best practice in support across the University. 

I came to work at UoR, after working for nine years at Royal Holloway, University of London. Moving jobs mid-career is a huge leap of faith for anyone, but with a young family to relocate, this was a significant undertaking for me. In addition, my carefully built network of personal and professional contacts had also been removed. At first the benefits of changing employer and location can seem quite small in comparison to the sacrifices. I would say to anybody in this position though that the gains do start to emerge incrementally. 

Reflecting on the long working lives ahead of us, we should reconsider outstaying employers. Four years on my family are settled and working at Reading has brought me so many new opportunities in teaching a greater diversity of nationalities, supporting outreach work in English Language teaching, and leading on new provision. Most of all I have experienced a more positive approach to different contracts types. I now work 0.9FT and have a better work/family balance as a result, something that was not conceivable in my past roles.

It's particularly satisfying to make a custom piece of glassware for researchers and get involved in the design process, which can involve multiple iterations to achieve a successful result.

I've got a very friendly working environment. Diversity and inclusion is something the University wholeheartedly embraces, which is great.

I'm asexual and have been involved in visibility work for AVEN (the Asexual Visibility and Education Network), of which I'm a member. This has involved TV and radio appearances, and contributing to newspaper and magazine articles.

When the University was applying to become a Stonewall Diversity Champion, I went to meetings to raise awareness of the asexual community. This resulted in the Staff and RUSU LGBTQIA+ organisations holding an Asexual Awareness Week, to which I was happy to contribute.

Asexual people are thought to make up about 1% of the population, which means there could be somewhere between 30 and 40 asexual people working at the University, even more in the student population.

I think it's important there's visibility for asexual people, and those who think they may be asexual, in particular, to have someone to talk to who is asexual.

While at Reading I have developed in so many different ways. At a professional level, when I arrived I was in charge of the secondary history teacher training course. I was soon asked to take responsibility for the MA in Teaching and Learning, and shortly after that I became programme director for the MA in Education programme.

More recently I have been School Director of Teaching and Learning (SDTL) – this was a very varied role, but the main focus was on ensuring all of our students have a really positive academic experience with us. I was involved in leading initiatives within the Institute of Education to enhance the quality of our teaching and learning provision, monitoring the quality of our programmes, and supporting the implementation of university wide projects. As SDTL I sat on the senior management group for the Institute of Education and line managed a number of staff. My role therefore involved working with lots of colleagues within Education and across the University.

Since stepping down as SDTL I have taken on more teaching and supervision of PhD students, and have been able to develop my research interests – in particular, I have been looking at the experience of LGBTQ+ students in schools. I also feel privileged to have been involved with many interesting national and international projects, most notably the Council of Europe’s ‘Pestalozzi’ teacher training programme.

On a personal level, I joined Reading at a point where I was coming out as transgender. My colleagues have been tremendously supportive and I work in an environment where I am accepted and respected for who I am. My colleagues are very used to me presenting whichever way I feel comfortable, which can shift from day to day.

Working at Reading is very much about people – the staff are truly committed to their students and the university is committed to developing and supporting both staff and students.