What SI Leaders Say:

As a result of leading SI discussion sections, how has your teaching changed?

• "I am now more interested in understanding how to teach students critical thinking skills, rather than feeding them more and more information. I am also aware of the need to connect the course's subject matter to students' personal lives. When this happens, students seem to be more engaged and to think more holistically about a topic."
• "I have a much bigger investment in my students' success than I ever had before."
• "I can understand the perspective of the students who are seeing the material for the first or second time ... this awareness helps me address their confusions directly, not misinterpreting their questions and leading them down a complicated/irrelevant line of reasoning."
• "I gained the confidence through SI to put more responsibility on the students. I used to feel obligated to perform for them, but I've learned more how to work together with the students. This really increases their retention of the material and their interest in the section."
• "I have much more patience with others. I can also see an improvement in my explanations."
• "I believe I am more effective in helping students derive their own answers instead of just providing them."

What changes did you observe in your students as a result of their participation in Supplemental Instruction?

• "More motivated to do well in the class ... a lot of anxiety was reduced."
• "Increased confidence in their ability to handle the material; greater confidence in formulating an argument.
• "Increased willingness to speak up in discussion and recognize holes in their own thinking."
• "Students feel more comfortable with themselves and their knowledge ... they've learned to constantly revisit the material instead of waiting until right before the test."
• "They seemed better able to anticipate test questions and to glean important concepts from the text by the end of the semester."