Easing the Transition: Students Helping Students in the Classroom - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Easing the Transition:

Students Helping Students in the Classroom

Presented by

• Dr. Heath P. Boice-Pardee

Assistant Dean for New Student Programs Rutgers College Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 115 College Avenue New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1188 (732)932-7442 hboice@rci.rutgers.edu

10th National Conference on Students in Transition

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Presentation Overview

• Vision for Peer Instructors and role as peer mentors
• Benefits for easing transition
• Implementing a similar program at your school
• Application/Selection process
• Training
• Summer institutes
• Peer education class
• Qualitative data
• Partnerships
• Challenges

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Vision for Peer Instructors at Rutgers College

• Easing student transition through intentional peer to

peer contact.

• Commitment to enhancing student development

throughout the college experience and providing multiple student leadership opportunities.

• Opportunity to provide an important leadership

experience for upper class students and a vital peer relationship/connection for new students not achieved through traditional teaching methods.

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Benefits

By offering this opportunity to students:

• establishes a weekly forum for peer interaction
• eliminates the challenges of finding faculty/staff to teach

sections of FYE seminars/FIGS

• eliminates the concern about some faculty/staff members

“relating” to new students more than others

• eases budgetary considerations by offering leadership

experience/3 credits instead of compensation

• offers college another way to connect with upper-class

students and broadens the opportunity for a peer mentor connection

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Role of Peer Instructors

• Develop and lead a FIG for 10-25 new students based
• n a particular area of interest
• Create a class that fosters a safe environment and
• pen discussion
• Focus on transition issues
• Plan, develop and implement a syllabus
• Plan class topics, lectures, discussions, guest

speakers, class trips, etc. as related to course

• bjectives
• Grade assignments, maintain attendance/grade rosters
• Submit final grade recommendations to Asst. Dean at

conclusion

• Act as a role model both in and outside the classroom

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Role of Peer Instructors

• Engage new students in discussions that can enhance

the peer/mentor relationship, including:

• Navigating around a new campus
• Dealing with school issues (roommates,

professors, judicial problems, etc.)

• Offering referrals for personal concerns
• Other elements relating to diversity,

academic success, communication, wellness and careers

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FIGS Timeline

• January- Peer Applications Available
• February- Peer Applications Due
• March/April- Selection
• May- Summer Institute I
• August- Summer Institute II
• September- Week prior to first FIGS class, Peer

Instructor Education class begins

• September- Week 2 of classes- FIGS begin
• November- 10 week FIGS end
• December- Peer Instructor Education class ends

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Application/Selection Process

• Application discloses the general FIGS topics that we hope to
• ffer: Business, Law, Health & Medicine, Communications,

Psychology, Leadership, Special Interest, etc.

• Based on these topics, applicants are asked:

1. To propose a FIG based on applicant’s expertise. 2. Propose an innovative title! 3. Outline the focus and overview of the intended FIG including potential assignments, topics, trips, etc. Limited to 1 page. 4. Discuss skills that applicant possesses that will make them a good teacher and good peer mentor. 5. Discuss why he/she wants to have this teaching experience. 6. Provide a written recommendation from faculty/staff.

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A Selection of FIGS Topics Submitted by Peer Instructor Applicants

• Art & Social Activism
• The Impact of Communication on College Students
• The First Time: Literature on the “Freshman” Experience
• Finding Your True Voice (and letting it be heard)
• Identity Crisis: Approaches to Asserting Individualism on

the College Campus and Beyond

• Adventures in Health and Medicine
• Law: An Introduction to Current Issues, Career and

Undergraduate Study

• Take Me to Your Leader: Exploring Past, Present and

Future Leaders

• A Psychological Approach to Personal Wellness
• Rutgers: Taking a Look at the Past and Taking Advantage in

the Present

• Global Environmental Issues: Searching for Middle Ground

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Application/Selection Process

• Applications are reviewed by a panel of former

Peer Instructors, Asst. Dean for New Student Programs as well as Asst. Dean in Academic Affairs.

• Applicants then participate in an interview.
• Academic and conduct records are then verified.
• Final selections made.

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Training Philosophy

Peer Instructors receive guidance, training and instruction both before and during FIGS to maximize learning and build confidence.

• Summer Institute I & II
• Peer Instructor Education Class
• 3 credits total

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Summer Institutes provide pre-FIG guidance, training and support

Summer Institute I (SI-1)-Late May (before Peers

leave for summer), focuses on:

• Overview of FIGS mission, philosophy, goals
• Peer Instructor role, expectations
• Q&A with past peers
• Ten FIGS elements to cover in curriculum
• Creation of a syllabus
• Training Manual provided
• Syllabus due August 1
• Classroom management NOT covered yet!

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Summer Institutes provide pre-FIG guidance, training and support Summer Institute II (SI-2) (Late August, just

prior to beginning of semester) focuses on:

• Final feedback on each syllabus
• Classroom management
• “Train the trainer” presentations modeling for Peers what they can do in

class and offering on-campus resources: » Career Development » Study Skills/Time Management » Diversity » Counseling Staff

• Role plays, teaching scenarios
• Questions answered, motivation, encouragement, support!

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Peer Instructor Education Class “The Art of Teaching” Goals:

• To support learning of effective teaching methods.
• To offer a forum to discuss challenges of transition and

peer mentorship.

• To explore the broader context of teaching through the

exploration of educational theory and philosophies of education.

• To encourage a greater understanding of first-year

students through examination of student development theory.

• Build confidence in individual teaching style.

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Peer Instructor Education Class “The Art of Teaching” During the class, each lecture falls under a category:

• Understanding your students
• Teaching your students
• Understanding yourself

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Peer Instructor Education Class “The Art of Teaching”

Syllabus Overview- sample

• Week one:

course introduction, final pep talk

• Week two:

readings/discussion on new student orientation

• Week three:

readings/discussion on today’s first-years

• Week four:

readings/discussion on life outside of class (activities)

• Week five:

former peer instructor panel

• Week six:

student development theory primer

• Week seven: student development theory continued
• Week eight:

educational philosophy of John Dewey

• Week nine:

inspiration on teaching, Parker Palmer

• Week ten:

educational philosophy of bell hooks, P. Freire

• Week eleven: self-assessment discussion
• Week twelve and beyond:

final presentations

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Peer Instructor Education Class “The Art of Teaching”

Course Assignments

• Two Reaction Papers Throughout the semester
• “Challenges/Triumphs in my class thus far…” -mid
• “How student development theory assists in teaching my

FIG” –later mid

• In-class Observation/Video Observation/Self-Assessment
• Promotes a forum for feedback, discussion and insight
• Final Paper/Portfolio and Presentation
• Final overview of experiences in the classroom
• Reactions, observations, journal entries, teaching tools,

class projects, challenges, successes, pictures,

• Intended as a map for future FIGS and Peers

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Qualitative Data

Feedback received on course evaluations regarding Peer Instructor experience:

• “I’ve gotten to explore becoming a teacher without having to

become a teacher.”

• “The experience was worth the effort.”
• “This course, in affiliation with the teaching, has helped me

broaden my abilities to relate to people, understand and befriend them, while maintaining a (leadership) position.”

• “This was a great experience. I hope it can be afforded to more

students in the future.”

• “I have grown immensely from this experience because I feel like I

have impacted the lives of first years positively.”

• “Opened my eyes to a new perspective on learning/teaching.”

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Qualitative Data

Feedback received on course evaluations regarding Peer Instructor experience:

• “Increased my creativity.”
• “I have learned so much in this course about teaching and myself.

It has been such a valuable experience.”

• “It has greatly expanded both my intellectual growth as well as that
• f my students.”
• “Now I know so much more about student development and the

first year experience.”

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Vital Partnerships

• Faculty relationships – curriculum developers,

advisory committee

• Administrative – Academic affairs, counseling,

career services

• Alumni
• Students
• Outside resources: professionals from a variety
• f fields to serve as guest speakers

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Challenges

• Over-extended student leaders who become Peers
• Sometimes need to legitimize the rigors of Peer

training for faculty, staff, parents

• Rare challenges arguing that new students should

be taught by faculty

• Sometimes, Peer Instructors need to be reminded

to integrate FYE/transition issues as opposed to their individual FIG topic

• A few PIs sometimes struggle with balance

between “peer mentor” and “instructor”

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Easing the Transition:

Students Helping Students in the Classroom

Presented by

• Dr. Heath P. Boice-Pardee

Assistant Dean for New Student Programs Rutgers College Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 115 College Avenue New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1188 (732)932-7442 hboice@rci.rutgers.edu

10th National Conference on Students in Transition