Honors Peer Educator |
During Autumn of my junior year I took a leadership role as a Peer Educator (PE) in the Honors Program, which challenged me in areas of leadership I had little comfort or experience in and vested in me a large amount of responsibility. As a PE, I led a class of 11 incoming Honors 100 students, introducing them to the Honors program requirements and community. I was drawn to this experience by the opportunity to welcome and connect to new students, reaching out as a resource and mentor for them during their transition to UW.
Personal Importance of Work My motivation to become a Peer Educator was founded both in goals for personal development and in a desire to build connections and community. During my own challenging first quarter at UW, I had found a support system in the Honors community. Honors 100 in particular offered me a valuable connection to an upperclassman, my PE, whom I trusted and felt comfortable approaching, and who demonstrated that she genuinely cared about us. Becoming a PE myself, I wanted to provide this for a new group of incoming students. I love investing in the communities that I care about and especially when I feel I can meaningfully contribute back in return for the support they have given me. |
Throughout Fall quarter 2014 I had the pleasure of teaching 11 freshmen in the Honors program--introducing them to the program requirements and the accessible community that Honors creates at UW.
|
Tasks Accomplished
· Developed my own Honors 100 lesson plans during Spring 2014
· Implemented lesson plans while teaching Honors 100 course during Autumn 2014
· Communicated with students via email regarding course logistics and announcements
· Presented information about the Honors curriculum, experiential learning, and portfolio requirements
· Shared information with students about opportunities and resources on campus
· Facilitated ice breakers, group discussions, and activities to build community within Honors 100 cohort
· Arranged and facilitated opportunities for guest speakers—students and staff—to visit and present information, opportunities, and perspectives to students
· Worked with Honors advisers and my cohort of Peer Educators to create a community of support and reflection as we navigated this teaching experience together
Leadership Competencies Developed
Vision
Prior to being a PE, I had little confidence in my ability to project a vision and motivate others toward it. Peer Educating obligated me to do this because in my classroom I was leading autonomously—without a team of peers to back me up--and with my students relying on me to follow through with my commitments. Throughout the quarter I found personal motivation in envisioning my goals for the class. I strove to represent these goals in my lesson plans and in the way those translated into my teaching, and it was rewarding when I felt I achieved them. The unique style I brought to peer educating incorporated my personal vision for all that I wanted my Honors 100 class to be and to offer my students. Although the social responsibilities felt somewhat overwhelming at times, I feel that the experience has ultimately given me confidence in my ability to lead from a role to which I’ve greatly contributed my own vision.
Idea Generation
During the Spring I and my fellow PEs spent extensive amounts of time developing the lesson plans we would use to outline our entire teaching experience. The Honors Program provided guidelines as to how the progression of topics would unfold throughout the quarter, but we were individually responsible for deciding how we would present them in class. The exercise drew on my creativity, and I found that as my plans developed I received a lot of inspiration from my prior experiences and through idea-sharing with peers. I generated lesson plan ideas by exploring my own experiences and identifying those that would convey the information I intended or achieve the goals I had in mind. Modifying ideas from other contexts and people allowed me to sculpt them to fit the intent I had for my class. I didn’t feel that any of the ideas I used were particularly original--all had been derived in some way from other experiences. The product of my lesson plans, though, was entirely unique to me and the way that I envisioned meeting my goals as a PE.
Facilitation
Although the majority of the time I invested in peer educating was spent outside of the classroom in the organization, planning, communication, and grading that took place behind the scenes, the most important context into which it all came into play was during the weekly sections I led. Facilitation included leading group discussions, ice breakers, and activities, as well as more subtle aspects of the class such as the way that I set up the room, communicated nonverbally with my students, and introduced guest speakers. Facilitating the class required a range of capabilities that challenged me to be fully present— having thoroughly developed plans (and back-up plans), preparing myself and materials beforehand, being attentive to my audience, communicating clearly and effectively, and requesting engagement from others on multiple levels (e.g. through verbal communication, body language, and classroom atmosphere). I found that facilitation on my part relied quite a lot on the interaction and interpersonal communication my students had with each other as well, and so the classes were all in all a group effort. It mattered as much that I engaged as that my students did, and our behaviors were very much able to influence each other.
Confidence
Confidence is something I struggled with as a Peer Educator: both confidence in being in a role that felt somewhat unnatural to me and confidence that I was having a valuable influence on the students I was teaching. Peer Educating put me in a position of authority and responsibility for others which I had not experienced before, and I was sometimes overwhelmed with self-doubts about the adequacy of my own skills and personality for the role. I was also discouraged by the relative lack of feedback that I experienced as a teacher, feeling I had no way to evaluate the impact I was having. It was only week by week, going through the motions, that I was able to prove to myself that I was capable and slowly gain confidence and greater comfort in the role as a result. When the quarter ended and no feedback surveys came in from the students I taught, I made a decision to settle with my own self-evaluation. I came to terms with the personal belief that I had done my best and that all of my students had benefitted in some way from being in my section—and that would have to be enough. Peer Educating represents a personal accomplishment for me in diving into an experience I never imagined myself having the courage for, and it has given me further confidence in myself to handle roles of responsibility and risk in the future.
Personal Values
Honors 100 is intended to introduce incoming Honors students to the program requirements and to build community among them. As a Peer Educator, I was invested with the responsibility of doing so and provided an outline of the sections I would be teaching throughout the quarter. My responsibility to myself was more than that, though. I became a Peer Educator because I care about connecting with younger students and helping them find a community and a system of support in the Honors program such as the one I had found my first year at UW. Rather than just preaching the Honors requirements as a list of commandments or a checklist to complete, I wanted to share with my students the value that the Honors program holds for me and to help them see and experience that value as well. It was important to me to be able to write out my personal goals and bring myself and my own values of respect, community, reflection, and engagement to each section. I learned that I can bring energy and enthusiasm and build trust and respect if I am genuine and truly believe in the importance of what I am doing.
Lessons Learned and Future Oriented Statement
Although I was unsure during the experience what impact I was having as a PE, looking back in reflection I believe I was able to contribute greatly to the experience of my students during their first quarter at UW, and that is ultimately what I was striving for. Gaining experience in individual leadership and in my own ability to contribute to a vision gives me confidence to envision myself in leadership roles in the future that might stretch me outside of my natural talents or comforts as a leader. The experience also emphasized to me leadership skills I can continue to improve on, such as public speaking, awareness and respect of others’ situations, time management, and the importance of self care.
· Developed my own Honors 100 lesson plans during Spring 2014
· Implemented lesson plans while teaching Honors 100 course during Autumn 2014
· Communicated with students via email regarding course logistics and announcements
· Presented information about the Honors curriculum, experiential learning, and portfolio requirements
· Shared information with students about opportunities and resources on campus
· Facilitated ice breakers, group discussions, and activities to build community within Honors 100 cohort
· Arranged and facilitated opportunities for guest speakers—students and staff—to visit and present information, opportunities, and perspectives to students
· Worked with Honors advisers and my cohort of Peer Educators to create a community of support and reflection as we navigated this teaching experience together
Leadership Competencies Developed
Vision
Prior to being a PE, I had little confidence in my ability to project a vision and motivate others toward it. Peer Educating obligated me to do this because in my classroom I was leading autonomously—without a team of peers to back me up--and with my students relying on me to follow through with my commitments. Throughout the quarter I found personal motivation in envisioning my goals for the class. I strove to represent these goals in my lesson plans and in the way those translated into my teaching, and it was rewarding when I felt I achieved them. The unique style I brought to peer educating incorporated my personal vision for all that I wanted my Honors 100 class to be and to offer my students. Although the social responsibilities felt somewhat overwhelming at times, I feel that the experience has ultimately given me confidence in my ability to lead from a role to which I’ve greatly contributed my own vision.
Idea Generation
During the Spring I and my fellow PEs spent extensive amounts of time developing the lesson plans we would use to outline our entire teaching experience. The Honors Program provided guidelines as to how the progression of topics would unfold throughout the quarter, but we were individually responsible for deciding how we would present them in class. The exercise drew on my creativity, and I found that as my plans developed I received a lot of inspiration from my prior experiences and through idea-sharing with peers. I generated lesson plan ideas by exploring my own experiences and identifying those that would convey the information I intended or achieve the goals I had in mind. Modifying ideas from other contexts and people allowed me to sculpt them to fit the intent I had for my class. I didn’t feel that any of the ideas I used were particularly original--all had been derived in some way from other experiences. The product of my lesson plans, though, was entirely unique to me and the way that I envisioned meeting my goals as a PE.
Facilitation
Although the majority of the time I invested in peer educating was spent outside of the classroom in the organization, planning, communication, and grading that took place behind the scenes, the most important context into which it all came into play was during the weekly sections I led. Facilitation included leading group discussions, ice breakers, and activities, as well as more subtle aspects of the class such as the way that I set up the room, communicated nonverbally with my students, and introduced guest speakers. Facilitating the class required a range of capabilities that challenged me to be fully present— having thoroughly developed plans (and back-up plans), preparing myself and materials beforehand, being attentive to my audience, communicating clearly and effectively, and requesting engagement from others on multiple levels (e.g. through verbal communication, body language, and classroom atmosphere). I found that facilitation on my part relied quite a lot on the interaction and interpersonal communication my students had with each other as well, and so the classes were all in all a group effort. It mattered as much that I engaged as that my students did, and our behaviors were very much able to influence each other.
Confidence
Confidence is something I struggled with as a Peer Educator: both confidence in being in a role that felt somewhat unnatural to me and confidence that I was having a valuable influence on the students I was teaching. Peer Educating put me in a position of authority and responsibility for others which I had not experienced before, and I was sometimes overwhelmed with self-doubts about the adequacy of my own skills and personality for the role. I was also discouraged by the relative lack of feedback that I experienced as a teacher, feeling I had no way to evaluate the impact I was having. It was only week by week, going through the motions, that I was able to prove to myself that I was capable and slowly gain confidence and greater comfort in the role as a result. When the quarter ended and no feedback surveys came in from the students I taught, I made a decision to settle with my own self-evaluation. I came to terms with the personal belief that I had done my best and that all of my students had benefitted in some way from being in my section—and that would have to be enough. Peer Educating represents a personal accomplishment for me in diving into an experience I never imagined myself having the courage for, and it has given me further confidence in myself to handle roles of responsibility and risk in the future.
Personal Values
Honors 100 is intended to introduce incoming Honors students to the program requirements and to build community among them. As a Peer Educator, I was invested with the responsibility of doing so and provided an outline of the sections I would be teaching throughout the quarter. My responsibility to myself was more than that, though. I became a Peer Educator because I care about connecting with younger students and helping them find a community and a system of support in the Honors program such as the one I had found my first year at UW. Rather than just preaching the Honors requirements as a list of commandments or a checklist to complete, I wanted to share with my students the value that the Honors program holds for me and to help them see and experience that value as well. It was important to me to be able to write out my personal goals and bring myself and my own values of respect, community, reflection, and engagement to each section. I learned that I can bring energy and enthusiasm and build trust and respect if I am genuine and truly believe in the importance of what I am doing.
Lessons Learned and Future Oriented Statement
Although I was unsure during the experience what impact I was having as a PE, looking back in reflection I believe I was able to contribute greatly to the experience of my students during their first quarter at UW, and that is ultimately what I was striving for. Gaining experience in individual leadership and in my own ability to contribute to a vision gives me confidence to envision myself in leadership roles in the future that might stretch me outside of my natural talents or comforts as a leader. The experience also emphasized to me leadership skills I can continue to improve on, such as public speaking, awareness and respect of others’ situations, time management, and the importance of self care.