Edward Schaefer
I have used peer educators a number of times in my calculus courses. Since these classes have 35 - 40 students, peer educators can help me run interactive quizzes and circulate during group work. During the last few minutes of class I have them field questions the students have from previous homework. I enjoy seeing their growth doing this during the term. One peer educator, Maribeth Oscamou, developed so fast that near the end of the term, during an interview at a local private high school, she was offered a job on the spot. She is currently a Lecturer in our department.
Being the director of the Peer Educator Program for 12 years was a joy. The faculty I worked with are among those who are most dedicated to teaching. At graduation, I always recognized half the names of the students who had received awards as they had been peer educators. How often do you get service work where you only work with amazing people? At the end of each workshop, I asked each new peer educator to share their modes of learning. I did this because it takes different techniques to reach students who use various learning modes. The first step is to be aware of those modes. It was fascinating for me to learn how these young people learned.