Student Mentoring through Service Learning Don Baldus Math Instructor and Math Area Learning Center Coordinator Rochester Community and Technical College Don.baldus@roch.edu Tutor Summit North Hennepin CC 30 November 2007 A free service for all UCR students

Student Mentoring through Service Learning Overview of Presentation A free service for all UCR students Rationale Who qualifies to be ‘coached’ The coaches Training the coaches One-on-one sessions and tracking progress Results – is it working? Questions?

My Typical Developmental Math Class Student Mentoring through Service Learning My Typical Developmental Math Class A free service for all UCR students

After Service Learning Student Mentoring through Service Learning After Service Learning A free service for all UCR students

Who Qualifies to be ‘coached’? Student Mentoring through Service Learning Who Qualifies to be ‘coached’? A free service for all UCR students Students in Pre-Algebra, Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, or Contemporary Concepts are eligible Most are from my classes but I have had some participate who are not my students (average: 15-20/semester) They must sign an agreement form and abide by the rules

The agreement A free service for all UCR students Student Mentoring through Service Learning The agreement A free service for all UCR students Request for a Peer Math Coach Name:_____________________ Course and Section:_______________________________ Instructor:______________________ Previous math course and where taken:________________________________________ Grade in Previous Course:__________________________________________________ Phone and/or e-mail:__________________________________________________ Indicate the times you would be available to meet with a peer coach: Schedule Inserted Here Rules: Always bring your text and class hand-outs and materials to your coaching session. This includes pencil, paper, recent assignments, and calculator. If you cannot make a scheduled session, you must notify your coach. Failure to do so may result in removal from the program. (Failure to do so twice will result in removal from the program.) You must meet a minimum of once per week with your coach in the Learning Center. Your coach is required to fill out a form each time you meet. You must provide them with the information they need to do this. In selecting a coach for you, please list any thing we should be aware of or any comments you have concerning an appropriate coach for you on the back side.

Who Qualifies to be a coach? Student Mentoring through Service Learning Who Qualifies to be a coach? A free service for all UCR students Students in my Pre-calculus class (I have used College Algebra students before.) A few students from our other pre-calculus section (another instructor) have participated They must sign an agreement form and abide by the rules I have not prohibited anyone from participating but I have removed a couple for various reasons

Coaches Agreement A free service for all UCR students Student Mentoring through Service Learning Coaches Agreement A free service for all UCR students Name:__________________________________________________ Course and Section:_________________________________ Instructor:__________________________________________________ Previous math course and where taken:_______________________________________ Grade in Previous Course:__________________________________________________ Phone and/or e-mail:__________________________________________________ Indicate the times you would be available to meet with your student partner: SCHEDULE INSERTED HERE Rules: You must meet with your instructor three times during the semester. Bring the progress reports to the meeting. You must attend 3 training sessions. Be prepared for each session with your student. If you cannot make a scheduled session, you must notify the student you are coaching. Failure to do so may result in removal from the program. (Failure to do so twice will result in removal from the program.) You must meet a minimum of once per week with your student in the Learning Center. You must fill out a form each time you meet. F:\GrantMentors\Request for Math Coach.doc

Coach: What do I get out of this? Student Mentoring through Service Learning Coach: What do I get out of this? A free service for all UCR students A chance to help a struggling student Sharpen your own math skills May look good on a resume

Coaches can replace one exam score with their highest exam score Student Mentoring through Service Learning Sorry – but they need more than this. After all, they are volunteering 18 hours of their time A free service for all UCR students Coaches can replace one exam score with their highest exam score This includes the final exam So if a student has an A (or a ‘satisfactory grade’) going into the Final Exam, they may choose to not take it

Training the Coaches – Three One Hour Sessions Student Mentoring through Service Learning A free service for all UCR students Training the Coaches – Three One Hour Sessions Session I: Introduction, Coaches Manual, How to and how not to tutor Session II: Academic Support Services, Story problems Session III: Story problems, Mock sessions, questions And . . . . . . .

Training the Coaches A free service for all UCR students Student Mentoring through Service Learning Training the Coaches A free service for all UCR students Peer Coaches Manual for Math Mentorship Rochester Community and Technical College Fall Semester, 2007

Why do I have this program Student Mentoring through Service Learning Training the Coaches First Session: Why do I have this program What are my expectations of you (reliability, attitude, confidentiality, hygiene, respecting personal space, ‘hitting’ on someone, …) Describe a typical coaching session Pass out coaching manual and talk about tutoring ‘best practices’ Mock session (role playing) if time A free service for all UCR students

Best Practices in Tutoring Student Mentoring through Service Learning Best Practices in Tutoring The person holding the pencil does the learning Tutor’s code of ethics (from Boise State University) Accept – don’t judge: never impose your value system on your student Your student deserves your full attention Perhaps the best thing you can do is to build your student’s self-confidence A free service for all UCR students

Best Practices in Tutoring Student Mentoring through Service Learning Best Practices in Tutoring Be prepared: know what is being taught and how it is being taught Refer to the text – show your student how to use the text Ask one of the math specialist if you are ‘stuck’ – don’t ‘guess’ (I stress that this will happen!) Resist the student’s efforts to just ‘get the answer’ They are participating because they have questions – don’t ask “Do you have any questions?” A free service for all UCR students

Coaches are encouraged to share this information with their students Student Mentoring through Service Learning Training the Coaches Second Session: Guest speaker from our Academic Support Center talks about their programs Coaches are encouraged to share this information with their students Review Story problems – Elementary Algebra students are at this point in their classes Mock session (role playing) if time A free service for all UCR students

Mock Coaching Sessions Student Mentoring through Service Learning Mock Coaching Sessions The ‘student’ is given a particular role Examples Failed last exam Haven’t been attending class Don’t understand the lesson Haven’t been taking notes Coach must root out this issue A free service for all UCR students

Feedback from Mock Session Student Mentoring through Service Learning Feedback from Mock Session Comments from the coached student Comments from the audience My comments positions did you see . . . did they have . . . did the coach establish rapport with their student A free service for all UCR students

More of the same (story problems, mock sessions) Student Mentoring through Service Learning Training the Coaches Third Session: More of the same (story problems, mock sessions) Questions and Pep Talk Is this what you were expecting? (a chance to opt out if they want) A free service for all UCR students

I pair up coaches with their students: Considerations: Student Mentoring through Service Learning Let’s get started I pair up coaches with their students: Considerations: Schedules must match I set up the first meeting – always in the Learning Center Gender Cautions I let them exchange phone numbers, etc. A free service for all UCR students

Student Mentoring through Service Learning Whoa! If at any time you are feeling uncomfortable or if your partner is behaving inappropriately, let me know and I will pull you out and pair you with someone else. If you do not feel that your partner is fully participating – let me know and I will take appropriate action. A free service for all UCR students

Weekly Progress Report Student Mentoring through Service Learning Weekly Progress Report IWeekly form to be filled out by Coach: Date: ________________ Coach:___________________Student:_________________________ Student attended all classes since last meeting: Yes No Student’s class notes from this past week are organized: Yes No Is the student up-to-date with their work: If not, what are they missing? Yes No_____________________________________ A free service for all UCR students

Weekly Progress Report Student Mentoring through Service Learning Weekly Progress Report Student is prepared for session: Yes No Summary of the session:_________________________________ Were exams taken this past week? Chapter(s) covered and grade: Yes No Date of next exam:_____________________________________ Did you fill out a study plan for next week: Yes No Make any comments below: A free service for all UCR students

I review the reports each week Student Mentoring through Service Learning Weekly Sessions I review the reports each week I can quickly determine if I need to intervene Students are also reminded that they can talk to me anytime about issues A free service for all UCR students

Midterm Feedback Session Student Mentoring through Service Learning Midterm Feedback Session Meet individually with students (group if possible) Also, I have a form for them to fill out How many times have you met List two negatives List two positives What can I do to make it a better experience? A free service for all UCR students

I do not yet have quantitative data Student Mentoring through Service Learning Is it working? I do not yet have quantitative data I have had students ask for the same coach next semester I have had students volunteer to participate as coaches the following semester A free service for all UCR students

Other evidence that this is a good thing! Student Mentoring through Service Learning Other evidence that this is a good thing! I have seen individuals students’ grades rise when they start working with a coach Last semester an instructor said that there is no way a certain student would have passed without the coaching A free service for all UCR students

Show us how to deal with ‘attitude’ I feel I am learning as well Student Mentoring through Service Learning Coaches Comments Show us how to deal with ‘attitude’ I feel I am learning as well I have truly enjoyed tutoring Jane It has been a great experience I should volunteer more You should meet with us during the first session A free service for all UCR students

Questions? Don.baldus@roch.edu Student Mentoring through Service Learning Questions? Don.baldus@roch.edu A free service for all UCR students