Students excel at teaching

Marisa Cullnan, an intern for LAS 101, a course dedicated to acclimating first-year students to campus life, recalls one particular student in the seminar course who was particularly quiet. The student was having trouble actively participating in conversations and activities intended to help newcomers feel comfortable in their new surroundings.

“I wanted to figure out ways to encourage them to participate without putting them on the spot or making them feel uncomfortable. We had a one-on-one meeting over coffee and they really opened up,” Cullnan said, a senior in developmental psychology. “We chatted about things other than school, like their hobbies and talents. After that meeting, I noticed that they started to participate more in class. It felt great to make a connection with this student.”

This is just one success story from the many LAS interns who instruct courses through the LAS Life + Career Design Initiative, including  LAS 101, LAS 102, a transfer seminar, and LAS 399, a leadership and professional course for the interns themselves. Of the 94 students total who facilitated these courses last fall, 86 percent of all interns, including Cullnan, were listed as excellent or outstanding, according to the Instructor and Course Evaluation (ICES) questionnaire from Fall 2017.

A rating of excellent or outstanding means that the interns placed among the top 10 percent of all teachers who participated in the ICES questionnaire. Of the LAS 102 interns, 100 percent received an excellent or outstanding rating.

“It really speaks to the ability of the interns/instructors to relate to the new students, to serve as resources, to make them feel welcome, and to create a sense of community,” said Murillo Soranso, director of first year experience for the College of LAS.

LAS 101, the freshman seminar, is a small-group class that meets weekly and is led by an LAS 101 intern. The intern—a successful junior or senior student mentor—aims to foster skills for academic success at the college level and teach students about valuable campus resources.

LAS 102, the transfer advantage seminar, includes lessons and workshops designed to meet the specific needs of students who transfer to Illinois midway through their college career.

LAS 399, the leadership and professional development seminar, is a 1-3 credit hour leadership and professional development seminar for student interns. Interns learn teaching, mentoring, leadership, and professional skills that will enable them to lead a section of an LAS transition course, such as LAS 101 or LAS 102.

The courses are one-credit, graded sessions that meet weekly.

Cullnan also worked to create lessons, teach, mentor, and monitor the progress of 25 students throughout the semester. She said the students make the experience worthwhile.

“It’s so fulfilling to see a student succeed and knowing that you helped make it happen is a great feeling,” she said.

While Cullnan certainly helped her fair share of students, she said teaching LAS 101 is fun and taught her many things.

“I learned a lot about leadership, communication, and professional development. And I understand that these all sound like skills I put on my LinkedIn page, which is also true, but it’s been so valuable,” Cullnan said. “I’ve really been able to apply what I’ve learned through teaching LAS 101 to a lot of other roles—in group projects, leading a study in my research lab, and any class presentations.”

Ryan Evans, senior in developmental psychology, also taught LAS 101 last fall. She said that in many way, she felt like a “big sister” to the freshmen in the seminar.

“I think it’s really important to have a home-base and an adjustment period—especially for international students and first-generation college students,” Evans said. “College can be overwhelming and students can at least say that they know their TA.”