Theology and Religious Studies PhD student Peter Watts has been awarded one of three prestigious Postgraduate Teaching Assistant Awards bestowed annually by the University of Nottingham.
Peter, who has been began to study at Nottingham as an undergraduate in 1999 and has also spent time teaching in a secondary school, is currently researching the concept of the 'new song' in the Bible and particularly in the Book of Revelation. Since September 2010, he has also been teaching first year Biblical Greek, which has an important place in the theology curriculum. He has introduced a variety of teaching and learning tools and techniques, and has succeeded in encouraging an increasing number of students to continue in the study of the language.
Peter says "My own background as an undergraduate in the department has enabled me to provide many examples of the contribution that learning Greek can have for a range of other modules...I have attempted to combine the traditions of teaching Greek in the department - including recent developments with regard to resources, assessment and didactic methods - with innovations that aims to reinvigorate the study of the language as an important tool for the wider study of theology, accessible to as many students as possible."
Some of the variation in classroom teaching styles are down to the Department's acclaimed Bibledex project, a series of videos representing every book in the Bible, to which Peter is also a key contributor.
'Peter is an extraordinarily gifted and committed teacher, much loved by students and staff alike' says Karen Kilby, the Head of Department, 'and we are delighted to have him teaching for us.'
Peter will be presented with the award in a ceremony at the Graduate School, June 2012.
Posted on Friday 18th May 2012