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Developing Reflective Teaching Practices through a Graduate Student Peer Mentoring Program. Joseph Hardcastle , Manher Jariwala, and Bennett Goldberg CAS Physics. BU-CIRTL: Preparing Future Faculty.
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Developing Reflective Teaching Practices through a Graduate Student Peer Mentoring Program Joseph Hardcastle, Manher Jariwala, and Bennett Goldberg CAS Physics
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program BU-CIRTL: Preparing Future Faculty • BU is part of the nationwide, NSF-funded CIRTL network, focusing on training next generation of teaching faculty. • BU-CIRTL impacts ~250 Ph.D. STEM students in Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and BME, and growing. • Local efforts are supplemented by online courses, e.g. Diversity in College Classroom, TAR in STEM Courses • Immediate on-campus impact evidenced by development of graduate students like Joe Hardcastle.
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Physics TF Peer Mentoring Program Motivation: Graduate student Teaching Fellows (TFs) need feedback on their classroom practice • Faculty usually don’t observe or provide TF feedback. • Courses in teaching pedagogy don’t address this. • TFs themselves expressed need for teaching feedback. Goals: • Use experienced grad students to mentor first year TFs in classroom teaching efficacy & the challenges of teaching. • Provide an opportunity for graduate students to continually develop and improve their teaching practices.
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Teaching Fellow Peer Mentoring PY 961 (Scholarly Methods Course on Teaching Pedagogy) Teaching Boot Camp Observations Mentee Group Meeting Observations Student Survey Mentee Group Meeting Observations Assessments Progress into the Semester
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Teaching Boot Camp Teaching Boot Camp • Introduction to teaching concepts and philosophy • Opportunity to practice teaching and get feedback • Introduction to TF Mentors and Mentoring Program First year TF running a “mock” discussion section
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Observations Observations • Mentor-Mentee Feedback • 3 observations over the course of the semester • Mentors observe classroom practices • Meet with Mentee for review and discussion • State teaching goals for next observation TF running a discussion while being observed
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Mentee Group Meetings Mentee Group Meeting • Mentee-Mentee Feedback • Forum for mentee to discuss teaching and learning with their peers • Discuss overarching teaching principles and share experiences Mentee discussing teaching challenges and solutions
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Mentee Student Survey Student Survey • Student Feedback • Survey designed by mentees and mentors • Given in the middle of the semester in each mentees class Mentee and Mentor discuss the results of their student surveys
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Program Assessments Assessments • Assessments • Pre-Post Surveys • Observations by the Mentors • Interviews with Mentees • Surveyed Mentors
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Assessments: Mentoring
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Assessments: Teaching ability Mentoring
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Assessments: Feedback Methods “(the observations) helped me reflect and set goals on things I might not have considered otherwise.” “The observations feedback is very important. Specific and practical. “ “I found everything to be important because it allows for feedback from multiple angles…from more experienced TFs, my colleagues, and the students.”
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Assessments: Overall Benefits Mentee Benefits: • Value of effective teaching • Importance of being a reflective and constantly improving teacher • Reinforcement of TF + LA partnership • More favorable opinion on mentoring in general • Advice outside of teaching Mentor Benefits: • Mentoring Experience • Became more reflective about their own teaching • Graduate Student Teaching Community
CEIT 2014 Graduate Student TF Peer Mentoring Program Acknowledgements Mentors MairaConstantino Michael Chernicoff Colin Howard and • Department of Physics (Chairs: Sid Redner, Karl Ludwig) • BU-CIRTL (PI’s: Bennett Goldberg, Janelle Heineke) Special Thanks Alexis Knaub John Ogren