Chemistry PLTL
Chemistry PLTL
Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) at IUPUI is a program that is designed to help general chemistry (C105 and C106) students develop a stronger understanding of the difficult material presented in these classes. This is done through classes called "recitation" where students who previously took the course and excelled with the material help students currently taking the course.
Being a PLTL leader has allowed me to interact with students by helping them develop strong study habits, guiding them through difficult workbook problems, and preparing them for exams. I also was able to collaborate with other leaders once every week to discuss the workbook problems assigned for that week's class. During those meetings we often brainstormed ways to get students more involved or motivated, depending on the situation at hand.
Because of COVID precautions, a portion of my first and second semester leading was all virtual. This gave me the chance to work with various online teaching and leading formats. It also helped me to figure out effective ways to motivate and engage students in a difficult setting, such as using online tools like Google JamBoard to brainstorm study ideas as well as the Zoom Whiteboard to work out problems. The experience of transitioning to the online format has advanced my digital literacy and adaptability skills, which will ultimately prepare me for the professional world.
Other skills that I am able to take away with this experience is collaboration with other leaders and our supervising professors, weekly communication with a group of students, professional communication with professors, and presenting and explaining difficult scenarios. These can all be transferred to a career in a lab as collaboration will always be present and casual and professional communication can be utilized as well. Presenting and explaining difficult situations is also important as lab work is not always easy or predictable.
Overall, being a PLTL leader has shown me how to successfully interact with students while also guiding them toward success in a class that may be more difficult than any course they had previously taken.