BIOLOGY WRITING PORTFOLIO

WORK AS A PEER EDUCATOR

I am a biologist, and I find anecdotes, metaphors, and acronyms extremely useful in learning and understanding concepts. This being said, I like comparing peer education to a mutualistic symbiosis. One example of such a relationship is relevant to my field of interest are trees and fungi. Trees are in a constant battle for water and nutrients, and underground fungi (mycorrhizae) desperately need carbohydrates, as they cannot produce their own as plants can. The two have developed quite the interesting relationship; mycorrhizae affix themselves to tree roots, exponentially increasing the surface area of the tree root, reaching water and nutrient stores the tree may not be able to reach, and since they are now attached to the tree root, they have access to the tree’s vast stores of carbohydrates. Keep this in mind, as I will come back to this later.  

I started as a peer educator as a TA in an introductory biology lab because I enjoy communicating how exciting biology is to young students in STEM, who may be unsure about their future or place in the STEM field. I didn’t have much of an end goal or direction when I first entered peer education, and I was recommended to be a TWA for BIO 242, the second in a trio of biology core courses, focusing on cellular biology. I took on the job lightly, but soon found that I enjoyed helping my peers critically examine their work, and facilitating conversations about problems they see in their own writing. In an effort to provide more support for students writing in the sciences, I was able to add more hours in the ARC for writing support, and now facilitate discussions and conferences with students from all disciplines, and I have found this position to be positive and fulfilling.

In the short time I have been a peer tutor, I have found that my definition of peer education has morphed and changed. At first, I thought of it as a traditional tutoring situation, where the tutor has the lead role in the session. I now have discovered that peer education is collaborative and is primarily a facilitator of conversation and critical thinking. Through mirroring and asking questions, the tutor is able to draw out from the student what the already know, and helps the student create scaffolding upon which they can craft their writing. The peer tutor eventually takes the backseat in the session, and the student uses them as a sounding board and a resource when questions arise.

I believe in taking the writing and learning process slowly. Slow writing and slow learning is important for key understandings of concepts, and although some students want to get everything done as quickly as possible, there is great value in slowing down. Additionally, simple and honest reflection on how the writing/learning process is going, and looking back on past assignments and learning from them is important to how students make progress in the learning and how they develop their own philosophies and take command of their own learning and writing.

One of my favorite things about tutoring is when students become excited about their work and when I can encourage students to take their work one step further, to make it the best product they can manage. I also like how peer education is a challenge for me, and that I learn something new about myself and the education process with every session I hold with a student. In this way, peer education is a lot like the mutualistic symbiosis I described at the beginning of this document. I think of the student as a tree root. They are growing and could do all of the growing by themselves--they have leaves, a trunk, roots, a healthy immune system, etc., but extra surface area to obtain nutrients and water is always a good thing. I am the mycorrhizae. I provide extra surface area and help the tree extend its network of nutrient and water-gathering roots; however, I also benefit. The student has knowledge that is helpful to me and helps me grow as a tutor. I never thought I would compare myself to an underground fungus, but here we are.

I sometimes find myself in precarious positions when discussing a students’ work with them, especially if their work is personal or sensitive for any reason. When this happens, the most appropriate way to handle these mistakes is humbly and apologetically. Everyone makes mistakes, but we must all learn to learn from the mistakes we make. Each student should feel safe and welcome in the space of the ARC.