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The Battalion
Page 3A • Thursday, October 17, 2002
Beyond the classroom
SI leaders help struggling students make the grade
By Lisa Merryman
THE BATTALION
Derek Mercer may not be working
in Washington, D.C., but his on-cam
pus job as a supplemental instruction
leader for Dr. Douglas
Thornton’s political science 206 class
is giving him a head start on a career
politics.
“This job prepares me much more
for my future job because I'm dealing
with information that's applicable to
the field of politics,” said Mercer, a
junior political science major. “Being
an SI leader is not a menial task. I'm
actually working with people who
care about understanding the material
I will be pouring my life into
one day.”
In addition to gaining an applica-
; knowledge of politics, Mercer
said he enjoys teaching students
about something he loves.
“I get to work with the same stu
dents all semester and see them
improve from test to test,” he said. “I
really feel like the time I put into this
job is well worth it because I’m help
ing other students and not just work
ing for self gain.”
Mercer said he spends several hours
aweek preparing for his SI sessions.
“To prepare for my SI sessions, I
make sure and get all the in-class
notes from Dr. Thornton, as well as
omplete all the assigned readings,”
;Mercer said.
Interacting with students and seeing
the results of his efforts is one of the
strongest perks of the job, Mercer said.
Nolan Griggs, a SI leader for Dr.
m Hogg’s organic chemistry I and
organic chemistry II classes, agrees
dta/rocHing other students has
intangible benefiits.
“It’s not extremely difficult to
become an SI leader, but you defi
nitely have to have the desire to want
students to learn the material you're
helping them with,” said Griggs, a
senior chemistry major.
u
(Students) come to
me for guidance on
what to study for the
testy and it’sjust an
overall positive working
relationship.
— Lauren Schultz
supplemental instruction leader
for history 106
To become an SI leader. Griggs said
applicants must have made an A or a B
in the class they want to instruct.
“Being an SI leader is way easier
if you understand the material, and
you're confident in helping other stu
dents understand it.”
Along with the emotional rewards,
Griggs said the pay is also a plus.
“The main benefit is of course the
pay, which is about $140 every two
weeks after taxes. After two semesters
being an SI, you get a small raise,”
Griggs said. “In terms of hourly rate,
your first two semesters you get $6 an
hour, and your third semester it’s
raised to $6.50 an hour.”
Griggs, who has instructed chem
istry 106, organic chemisty I and
organic chemistry II, said mastering
the material he te'Aches tlurirjg SI ses
sions is another benefit of the job.
“After four semesters of organic
chemistry, I understand it well, which
could help with future school and
tests, such as the MCAT or GRE.”
Griggs said he is required to
attend every organic chemistry class,
just as if he were a regular student.
In addition, he holds three one-hour
SI sessions a week, which he said are
not “re-teaching” sessions.
“A lot of people are under the
impression that an SI is a tutoring ses
sion, and that we are supposed to be
able to re-teach the students the mate
rial,” Griggs said. "Instead, SI leaders
are supposed to simply facilitate the
learning by helping students with
study skills, and by giving direction
on what to focus on for exams.”
Griggs said he doesn't want to be
perceived as the teacher, or seem
unapproachable to the students dur
ing his SI sessions.
“I am a student just like they are,
so that is the way I like to keep it,”
Griggs said.
Of the 12 hours SI leaders are
required to work each week, four are
devoted to preparing weekly lessons.
Lauren Schultz, a senior sociology
major, said being an SI leader puts
things into perspective about what
it's like to be on the teaching end.
“This is my first semester as an SI
leader, and I already can appreciate
more of what my professors do for
me,” Schultz said. “I want the students
in my SI sessions to master the materi
al, just like 1 know my professors
desire me to master their material.”
Schultz, an SI leader for Dr.
Anderson's history 106 class, said
working in a classroom environment
has heljJed'fiter build tfm>f witlf s'tu-'
JOHN C. LIVAS • THE BATTALION
Senior philosophy major Jeramia Poland reviews lecture notes for a philosophy 240,
Introduction to Logic, supplemental instruction session Wednesday afternoon in Blocker.
dents in the class.
“I love this job. especially getting to
be there to help students,” Schultz said.
“They come to me for guidance on
what to study for the test, and it's just an
overall positive working relationship.”
Schultz said she tries to go by her
professor's cfffice ttkice a we^k to see
what material she should cover in
each SI session.
“My professor is a great advocate
for the SI program and has really
helped me out a lot,” Schultz said.
“The students really appreciate the
work hours and effort we put into it. I
would definitely recommend this job.”
... * ’"'k
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