The images to the right were taken in Autumn Quarter, 2013. They show my students engaged in a variety of different community-building activities. Some of the activities asked them to relfect on things that are significant to them personally, some activities had them demostrate their connections to various parts of campus, and some of the activities invovled brainstorming new ways to get involved at the UW! And, of course, some of the activities invovled pot lucks!

 

FInal reflection:

Prompt: You might consider addressing what skills you have learned over the course of the quarter so far; what knowledge you have gained about yourself from this experience; what behaviors and attitudes you’ve found to be most successful in teaching; what challenges you continue to face in the classroom. Think of this as an articulation of your personal growth and development as a leader and a thinker, and how this experience and what you gain from it might carry forward into future endeavors.

 

PE Reflection 11/2013

As a returning Peer Educator, I have had the privilege of moving through this entire process – from syllabus construction and lesson planning, to instructing a brand new cohort, to watching students give their final portfolio presentation – three times! It has honestly been one of the most informative and challenging experiences of my undergraduate career. It has been a site of immense growth and pride for me. I began my first year, perhaps overly confident in my skills.I thought that I was a good fit for this role: I was comfortable speaking in front of people, I was interested in leadership, and I thought I had a pretty secure handle on the Honors Program requirements and philosophy. This seemed like something I was ready for. But I was quickly shown the hard way that charisma is great, but nothing replaces solid preparation and a willingness to be flexible. I had underestimated how important it was to have detailed lesson plans (even to the point of having back ups for my back ups!) and how difficult teaching can be. After my first year as a Peer Educator, I was initially unsure if I would return. I had not anticipated that it would be such a rigorous experience, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to re-commit. I did not, at the end of that first year, feel like I was particularly well-suited to that type of role. But, with friendly encouragement from the Honors advisers, I revisited the idea of applying to become a Peer Educator. I started to think more thoughtfully about my first year, and I began to identify all of things I had the chance to learn. I realized that It had been a wonderfully humbling experience: I now understood what it was like to be on the receiving end of end-of-quarter evaluations. I understood what it was like to face down a classroom filled with dead-eyes. I understood what it was like to speak about concepts theoretically and philosophically that I did not necessarily have personal experience with. It was as if I had gotten a glimpse of life at the front of the classroom, which gave me a overwhelming sense of respect for my professors and, by extension, educators everywhere. Teaching is damn hard work and people who do it well are masters of their craft. This experience also marked the beginning of my interest in, and sensitivity to, pedagogy, which has been instrumental in my subsequent academic and professional interests.

 

Being a returning Peer Educator also gave me an unparalleled opportunity for sustained growth. This experience has pushed me, highlighted my mistakes and areas of improvement, and has also given me the perspective I needed to make adjustments. Each year that I have been a part of this program, I feel a little more confident, a little more competent. I have been granted the opportunity to improve and try new approaches. I have been encouraged to challenge myself, and been supported along the way. And I have learned a lot. I’ve learned that extensive preparation is necessary to classroom success, but does not guarantee it. I’ve learned that my energy and attitude is crucial to how my students perceive the goals of the course, and what they can take from it. I’ve learned that no one can account for class chemistry, but that one can be clever and strategic in order to tease out the strengths of each student individually as well as the larger group. I’ve learned that being able to revise, even in real-time, is one of the most significant skills for any educator. I've learned that hybrid roles (being both a 'peer' and an 'educator') can be tricky to navigate, and require constant tweaking. I've learned that how one says something is often more important than what is actually said. I've learned that difficult experiences are usually the most rewarding.

 

This experience is incredibly important to me, as I consider my future academic and professional goals. As someone who is interested in the administrative and policy side of education, I have come to adamantly believe that having experience inside a classroom is absolutely necessary in order to be a successful administrator. Being a good leader involves having a strong sense of empathy, humility, an openness to new thoughts, and a commitment to making changes based on needs that arise and these are skills/characteristics that are implicit in the role of Peer Educator. I am so thankful for this amazing learning experience!