Tutor/Instructor Symbiosis: Professionalization and Growth Through Extended Collaboration Amy England, University of Cincinnati Kyle Doan, University of Cincinnati

Overview Summary of Comp 101B Planning Implementation Reflections

Summary of Comp 101B Extended class time Guaranteed computer lab time Tutors in the classroom two hours a week Course cap at 15 students Nearly 100% full-time faculty instructors

Pre-Project Expectations Enhancement of active learning environment for at-risk students More individualized attention from two experts with different styles, experience, and expertise

Planning Project approval process – Authorization from Writing Center Coordinator – Authorization of additional funding Reflection on previous classes Finding and selecting articles Designing activities

Planning (cont.) Scheduling – In-class tutor participation – Out-of-class tutor involvement Tutor introduction to the role of “instructor” – New terminology – New roles and responsibilities – Tutor acclimation to pedagogies and theories Journal prompts and readings

Implementation Weekly lesson plans Pre-class communication Shared instructional duties and authority Guided, collaborative design of class activities Allocated time for tutor reflection and observation Post-class reflection and discussion

Team-Teaching Assessment Team assessment of student essays and revisions Team assessment of process work Daily team assessment of class activities and student progress

Essays and Revisions Kyle’s assessment curve – Essay 1 – Amy reads and discusses her assessment with Kyle. – Essay 2 – Kyle adopts Amy’s assessment system. – Essay 3 – Kyle uses student essays to develop his own assessment system.

Process Work Reading responses – Periodically shared reading responses Class discussions – Reflective assessment and revision based on conversational content Workshops – Reflective assessment and revision based on student progress

Daily Assessment Assessment of class activities and student progress “Observer” critiques “instructor” pedagogy Closer monitoring of individual students’ progress Troubleshooting potential problems

Surprises for Amy Compensation for extracurricular tutor activities was more complicated than we thought. Instructor’s diffusion of authority was more difficult for her than anticipated. Temporary disruption of established patterns in the classroom Timing was off; first few classes went too short or too long Conscious effort to include Kyle early on Lesson plans and reflections written for a second person – required more effort and time than anticipated.

Surprises for Kyle Amount of time required for proper class design and pre-class preparation How well one-on-one tutoring translates into the instructor’s role The necessity of a backup plan Diverging pedagogies and theories

Unexpected Bonuses Constant collaboration revitalized Amy’s teaching and made Kyle want to continue and expand his professional development. Collaboration enhanced reflection. Improved response to individual students’ needs and learning styles.

What We Would Do Differently Arrange for more meeting time Arrange for funding before the project started Ask for more release time Develop more lesson plans in advance