Peer-Educators and the Two-Way Street
Peer-Educators and the Two-Way Street
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Reading research on the benefits of peer instruction inspired me to think about how peer-educators form a SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP with their students:
Reading research on the benefits of peer instruction inspired me to think about how peer-educators form a SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP with their students:
-Peer-educators dismantle the student-instructor power dynamic in the classroom. This creates a more comfortable environment for students and allows more opportunity for collaborative learning.
-They offer students a sense of familiarity at a more personal level.
-They offer student-specific time in and out of the classroom that supplements what students receive from the instructor.
-Because peer-educators are also peer-tutors, they can have more flexible office hours or be more open to communication outside of class.
Examples of symbiosisCourtesy of Google Images
"Being a peer-educator becomes an opportunity to sharpen, refresh, and develop skills"
"Being a peer-educator becomes an opportunity to sharpen, refresh, and develop skills"
While the benefits to students are noteworthy, what peer-educators get from this experience is particularly meaningful.
While the benefits to students are noteworthy, what peer-educators get from this experience is particularly meaningful.
Giving undergraduates the opportunity to assume the role of a peer-educator allows them to have an active hand in their education. That sense of autonomy is crucial for students. It’s also an opportunity to practice interpersonal skills from the viewpoint of an instructor and an excellent avenue for professional development. Peer-educators can develop their experience into a personally meaningful project. Like the nursing students reported, being a peer-educator becomes an opportunity to sharpen, refresh, and develop skills that will follow students beyond their undergraduate career.
This role taught me to value myself
This role taught me to value myself
as a leader and tutor. It also taught me the importance of saying "no" and setting boundaries. The most challenging part of this project was finding balance in the power dynamic with students. While this peer-to-peer relationship supplies students with an emotionally involved context to learn, peer-educators need to establish student-instructor boundaries. Overall, the experience helped my position in the Writing Center as a tutor coordinator by giving me the chance to get to know the new tutors during their first semester. This made the group feel more welcomed when they joined the rest of the group.
as a leader and tutor. It also taught me the importance of saying "no" and setting boundaries. The most challenging part of this project was finding balance in the power dynamic with students. While this peer-to-peer relationship supplies students with an emotionally involved context to learn, peer-educators need to establish student-instructor boundaries. Overall, the experience helped my position in the Writing Center as a tutor coordinator by giving me the chance to get to know the new tutors during their first semester. This made the group feel more welcomed when they joined the rest of the group.
Acting as a peer-educator also helped me realize my talent for instruction and student empowerment, something I plan on pursuing after graduation.
Acting as a peer-educator also helped me realize my talent for instruction and student empowerment, something I plan on pursuing after graduation.
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