| The students
that work as Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leaders
and peer mentors are an integral part of the Special
Retention Program office. These students commit time
and energy to helping other students excel in their
college courses. It's not totally selfless though,
the SI leaders and peer mentors receive benefits that
go beyond their hourly wage. So,
What does it mean to be an SI leader?
I mean, the party line says that an SI leader is someone
who is course competent and capable of leading study
sessions twice a week. Sessions should be interactive
and collaborative. But what does all that really mean?
I think that to answer this question, you must actually
break it into two questions: What does being an SI
leader mean to the students, and what does it mean
to the leader?
When I think of the interactions that I have had students
over the past few years, one of the first things that
comes to mind is that I help the student navigate the
sometimes frightening waters of a new course. Maybe
it's the content that they are unfamiliar with. Maybe
it's the professor—they aren't exactly sure what to
expect. Often, students are in need of general skills
such as how to write the five-paragraph essay, or how
to take notes in a class. The end result, whether you
are conducting SI sessions for Psychology or Math,
is that your students are better prepared for the next
course they take—whatever that course is!
But being an SI leader is more than helping others.
I often tell people that I have learned and gained
so much more than I have given! Being an SI leader
means that I can attend the class again, but this time,
I can hear the material from the perspective that I
already understand the basic concepts of the course—now,
I can learn the finer points of the material that perhaps
I missed when I was hearing it for the first time!
In addition, as someone who just finished filling out
grad school applications, I can tell you that the relationship
that you can build with the professors you work with
can lead to some really strong recommendations. And
the experience leading discussion sessions can also
lead to graduate assistantships. It could also help
you land a job in the future, because you will be able
to show leadership capabilities and the ability to
manage your time well.
So, what is an SI leader? Well, as an SI leader, we
make differences in people's lives. Starting with our
own!
Charlotte Noble, SRP assistant, SI leader, peer mentor,
and Sociology Major.
Check out the SRP newsletter on-line at: http://www.iun.edu/~supple/newsletters/2006/newsletter_final.pdf |
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