As a junior I taught a Freshman Interest Group, a peer-guided group of freshmen students who enroll in a cluster of classes together during their first quarter at UW. I taught the course General Studies 199: Introduction to the University Community, where the students essentially learned how to navigate the massive and complex community that is UW. This experience actually began the year before, when I was chosen to be a FIG Leader after several rounds of interviews. I then enrolled in a class which taught the FIG Leaders how to be successful instructors. We learned how to craft lesson plans, relate to our students, and ensure that we used our time as effectively as possible.
Significance
In doing so, I served as both a mentor and a resource for these students. I created lesson plans around their needs as well as my own perspective on the Husky experience, which entailed a lot of exploration outside of the classroom and opportunities for personal engagement with the UW community. My take on being a Husky is that there are so many amazing ways to get involved that it would be foolish not to take advantage of at least some of them.
Tasks Accomplished
Through class interaction and activities, the course was designed to help students define problems, gather information, and engage in classroom discussions with a small group of peers; establishing skills that will help them to be successful at the university. All course assignments and in-class activities focused on four themes: Major Exploration & Investigation, Critical Thinking & Research, Leadership & Community Engagement, and Career Connections. There were also four mandatory assignments.
Seattle Communities: This project promoted collaboration and community building outside of the classroom. In groups, students explored a local community and then made a presentation to the class about the community that they explored.
Projecting Forward: This project challenged students to begin exploring how their college experience will impact their time after the UW. “Who do you want to be?” That is a question only they could answer. They interviewed a person in a field related to the field/career that you are interested in pursuing, and then reflected that experience.
Research and Discovery Project: This project is designed to expose students to the UW libraries and to begin to think critically about research. In a group they defined a problem, gathered information, formed an argument, and engage in a classroom debate. A portion of their grade will include a peer evaluation from your group members.
Mapping Your UW Experience: This project is designed to allow students to investigate the academic and co-curricular opportunities that exist on campus, and how they may be combined to create a comprehensive undergraduate experience. They will dig deep into a major, explore a campus activity or event, and reflect on that experience which will result in the creation of an academic blueprint.
Competencies
Working as a FIG Leader necessitated a profound understanding of others' circumstances. There are few environments where leadership is more directly impactful than in the classroom, and I used this platform to promote inclusivity. For example, when introducing themselves on the first day of class I asked the students to include their personal pronouns out of respect for everyone's gender identity. This was an important lesson for the students, as they learned not make assumptions when it comes to another person's identity and truth.
I was also challenged to develop my skills in mentoring others. I offered my own perspective to my students and hoped that they would learn from it. On the first day of class I told them why I had become a FIG Leader. I explained how pushing myself outside of the classroom was just as valuable as anything I did inside the classroom. My Husky Experience was enriched by these opportunities, and I found involvement outside of the classroom to be a critical aspect to being a student at UW. I am someone who has learned from pushing myself in different directions, and wanted my students to experience that same kind of development.
As a FIG Leader I learned that listening is actually one of the most important things that an instructor can do. I actively listened to my students throughout the quarter, and was open to making any adjustments to the course that might have benefited the class. For example, during class one day a student raised some concerns over one of the projects that had been assigned. I then asked other students to speak to whether or not they felt the due date was reasonable given what they were expected to do for the assignment. After realizing that the initial student's concerns were shared by many, I reorganized our schedule to better accommodate their needs.
Lastly, being a FIG Leader taught me how to recognize productive relationships. Mentorship was only half of the picture, as being a FIG Leader was a two-way street. Not only did my students learn from me, but I learned from them as well. I was an upperclassmen helping to guide them through their first quarter at UW, and they were 24 fresh perspectives on what it means to be a Husky. I encourage my students to use me as a resource for whatever it was they were interested in exploring. For example, I discussed working for the ASUW Office of Government Relations at length with one of my students and showed them a number of avenues for involvement. At the end of the year they applied to work for OGR, having developed an understanding of what it meant to work there through conversations with me.
Lessons Learned
Mentorship is an incredibly valuable experience. Assuming responsibility for the education and development of others is both challenging and rewarding. I needed to balance being a peer of my students with being their instructor. I was kind, humorous, and accessible but also firm and expected the best effort from them. Striking this balance has been critical in other areas of my involvement, namely with the ASUW. I also learned the hard way that you simply cannot help everyone. While nearly all of my students excelled, there were two who unfortunately failed the class. While you can do your best to encourage and motivate those around you, you can never make anyone do anything. This was a humbling but valuable lesson. In the future I plan to continue to balance personability with professionalism. I will also know that my influence can only go so far with different people.
Significance
In doing so, I served as both a mentor and a resource for these students. I created lesson plans around their needs as well as my own perspective on the Husky experience, which entailed a lot of exploration outside of the classroom and opportunities for personal engagement with the UW community. My take on being a Husky is that there are so many amazing ways to get involved that it would be foolish not to take advantage of at least some of them.
Tasks Accomplished
Through class interaction and activities, the course was designed to help students define problems, gather information, and engage in classroom discussions with a small group of peers; establishing skills that will help them to be successful at the university. All course assignments and in-class activities focused on four themes: Major Exploration & Investigation, Critical Thinking & Research, Leadership & Community Engagement, and Career Connections. There were also four mandatory assignments.
Seattle Communities: This project promoted collaboration and community building outside of the classroom. In groups, students explored a local community and then made a presentation to the class about the community that they explored.
Projecting Forward: This project challenged students to begin exploring how their college experience will impact their time after the UW. “Who do you want to be?” That is a question only they could answer. They interviewed a person in a field related to the field/career that you are interested in pursuing, and then reflected that experience.
Research and Discovery Project: This project is designed to expose students to the UW libraries and to begin to think critically about research. In a group they defined a problem, gathered information, formed an argument, and engage in a classroom debate. A portion of their grade will include a peer evaluation from your group members.
Mapping Your UW Experience: This project is designed to allow students to investigate the academic and co-curricular opportunities that exist on campus, and how they may be combined to create a comprehensive undergraduate experience. They will dig deep into a major, explore a campus activity or event, and reflect on that experience which will result in the creation of an academic blueprint.
Competencies
Working as a FIG Leader necessitated a profound understanding of others' circumstances. There are few environments where leadership is more directly impactful than in the classroom, and I used this platform to promote inclusivity. For example, when introducing themselves on the first day of class I asked the students to include their personal pronouns out of respect for everyone's gender identity. This was an important lesson for the students, as they learned not make assumptions when it comes to another person's identity and truth.
I was also challenged to develop my skills in mentoring others. I offered my own perspective to my students and hoped that they would learn from it. On the first day of class I told them why I had become a FIG Leader. I explained how pushing myself outside of the classroom was just as valuable as anything I did inside the classroom. My Husky Experience was enriched by these opportunities, and I found involvement outside of the classroom to be a critical aspect to being a student at UW. I am someone who has learned from pushing myself in different directions, and wanted my students to experience that same kind of development.
As a FIG Leader I learned that listening is actually one of the most important things that an instructor can do. I actively listened to my students throughout the quarter, and was open to making any adjustments to the course that might have benefited the class. For example, during class one day a student raised some concerns over one of the projects that had been assigned. I then asked other students to speak to whether or not they felt the due date was reasonable given what they were expected to do for the assignment. After realizing that the initial student's concerns were shared by many, I reorganized our schedule to better accommodate their needs.
Lastly, being a FIG Leader taught me how to recognize productive relationships. Mentorship was only half of the picture, as being a FIG Leader was a two-way street. Not only did my students learn from me, but I learned from them as well. I was an upperclassmen helping to guide them through their first quarter at UW, and they were 24 fresh perspectives on what it means to be a Husky. I encourage my students to use me as a resource for whatever it was they were interested in exploring. For example, I discussed working for the ASUW Office of Government Relations at length with one of my students and showed them a number of avenues for involvement. At the end of the year they applied to work for OGR, having developed an understanding of what it meant to work there through conversations with me.
Lessons Learned
Mentorship is an incredibly valuable experience. Assuming responsibility for the education and development of others is both challenging and rewarding. I needed to balance being a peer of my students with being their instructor. I was kind, humorous, and accessible but also firm and expected the best effort from them. Striking this balance has been critical in other areas of my involvement, namely with the ASUW. I also learned the hard way that you simply cannot help everyone. While nearly all of my students excelled, there were two who unfortunately failed the class. While you can do your best to encourage and motivate those around you, you can never make anyone do anything. This was a humbling but valuable lesson. In the future I plan to continue to balance personability with professionalism. I will also know that my influence can only go so far with different people.