Part IA Demonstrating

All demonstrators will receive a comprehensive demonstrator handout, which details how to run each session and gives model write-up examples to assist with speedy marking. These documents can also be accessed on Moodle ahead of demonstration session alongside demo videos of each experiment, students' handout. It is expected that you go through these documents and watch the demo videos ahead of your demonstration session starting. Additionally, during the first hour of each day of Part 1A demonstrations, the lab technician will run through the experiment in a live demo and prepare you for what to expect from the day of teaching undergraduates. 

The Part IA Practical Course has been designed to follow the first year lecture course:

• The four experiments involve mainly organic chemistry and applications of spectroscopy.
• Lent Term:  We normally lead with two organic experiments (weeks 1–4) and finish with two physical (weeks 5–8).
• Easter Term: We conclude with two short inorganic experiments (weeks 1–4), in recognition of the fact that time is at a premium in the run up to the undergraduate first year examinations.

Please note the following:

• The order of experiments may be subject to alteration, depending on the feedback from previous demonstrator cohorts.
• All demonstrators must attend technique demonstrations (given by Senior Laboratory Technician Yuko Kumeda), to ensure uniformity of the demonstrations.
• Demonstrators in this class work from 10.00am - 5.00pm, alternate weeks during term time, i.e. 10 sessions total per demonstrator, and one extra hour is paid for marking the scripts, i.e. payment for 8 hours total for each session.*
• This class is normally entirely populated with the Michaelmas intake of PhD students.

*Exceptions:

• For any session where a demonstrator needs to be replaced, usually due to illness or emergency, an enhanced payment of 1.5 x the usual rate will be offered.
• Situations where a demonstrator sorts out a swap well in advance of a conference or other planned event (it is expected that this will not be a last minute arrangement) will not be paid at this enhanced rate: they will be paid at the usual hourly rate.