2 What to do during your meetings with peers
What to do in your meetings/sessions with peers
Presenting materials
How to present interactively: how to present material while asking questions so that the students have a chance to fill in the answers and be part of the dialog. How to set the correct level while doing this so that it works. How to encourage students to get involved in the discussion without scaring them.
Communication skills
respectful and encouraging manner, while still moving the discussion forward.
leadership in the classroom (ie, displaying confidence;
acknowledging each person who walks in the room;
arranging seating so that it helps students know what is expected of them such as group work or individual work;
how to confront without being confrontational;
checking in with each group when they are working on something so as to keep them on task and directed; etc).
Helping students problem solve
Your peers might come to you after getting frustrated by their attempts at solving the problem. Remember to encourage them to keep trying to work through the problem. Give your peers guidance without solving the problem for them. They need to practice the steps so that they can do this work on their own when they have to for quizzes and exams.
Dissect the problem
Help your peers dissect the problem and figure out which theories, equations etc. apply to this problem. This helps them start with a problem and go to the theory, but also help them see how they can start with a theory and then go to the problem —–> need an example
Show peers how to break down a theory, equation, course concepts etc. into smaller chunks to ensure that they understand all the components. It takes skill to communicate in a respectful and encouraging manner, while still moving the discussion forward without leaving students behind.
Discussion & Questioning Strategies
In this lesson, we will explore strategies for facilitating discussion and learning in small groups. Please read the chapter on Questioning and Discussion in Trowbridge, Bybee, and Powell’s Teaching Secondary School Science: Strategies for Developing Scientific Literacy.
In order to get students to feel comfortable in discussion you will need to build rapport with them.
- Start by learning their names. You can use tools in Canvas (Photo Roster and Name Coach) to get to know their preferred names and pronunciation.
Resources
Group Work
In this lesson we will explore ways to facilitate group work in class by reading a chapter by Linda Nilson on Managing Productive Groups. The formal name for group work is collaborative or cooperative learning.
Resources
IUB Student Academic Center’s video: How to do Math