From masters student to master of the classroom!
A GCU Student has been given the opportunity to teach a module the University - having just finished his course at GCU!
During his time as a student, part-time stand-up comedian and soon-to-be MSc International Tourism and Events Management graduate Chrissy Ross discovered he had knack for supporting other students.
He decided to get in touch with his programme leaders on his course during the final months of his degree to express his interest in tutoring students.
He said; “I remember doing group work and thinking I’m actually really good at explaining stuff - plus I’d done teaching education before as part of my BA.
I thought to myself I would quite like to give something back at some point so I got in touch with my old college and my tutors here thinking nothing would come from it.
I had actually got back to planning my comedy stuff when I got a wee call to ask if I would be interested in teaching the Creating and Designing Experiences module”
Chrissy added; “It was something that I was already doing consultancy work in comedy with so not only was it the perfect module for me because I know the content inside out – it’s also something that’s really relative to what I’m doing outside of GCU.”
Being a mature student, Chrissy explained how he naturally felt himself taking on a leadership role in classes – having already experienced being at university at a young age and seeking any extra support from peers.
He said; “I was a mature student in my undergrad and I always tried to help out and give a little more of my time mainly because my first time at university I was seventeen and I didn’t have a clue.
At that time, I could have really been doing with someone taking a sort of mentor role and helping me out a wee bit.”
Chrissy added; “With the experiences I’ve had, I feel like this new job is a just natural progression for me”.
Whilst preparing coursework and classes for his new students, Chrissy will still be writing comedy materials for his regular stand-up gigs in Glasgow.
He said; “I’ve got my first comedy gig back in eighteen months on the Saturday before I take my first ever lecture.
I’m supporting my mate Gary Faulds and I was speaking to him about how I’m feeling so confident with the lecturing – but after not gigging for over a year – I can’t say the same about the stand-up comedy!”
He added; “We joke about this but there is a lot of transferable skills from the live performance element of it – and I don’t think any of the students will have had a stand-up comedian teach them before.
I’m genuinely buzzing about starting and my only hope is that I can do this job to the standards of the lecturing I’ve received in the last few years which has been outstanding.”
Find out more about the International Tourism and Events Management course here.
By Rebecca Meechan
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