PROCEEDINGS OF THE 20TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2017
San Diego, California
Graduate student instructors learning from peer observations
Page: 846
Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) professional development addresses an urgent need to improve STEM retention. This paper focuses on a semester-long professional learning community in which six mathematics GSIs engaged in regular cycles of peer observation, feedback, and reflection. In contrast to most GSI development work, this approach emphasized that GSIs give, not just receive, peer feedback. Analyses of post-semester interviews indicated that all GSIs enhanced their noticing of students. Moreover, insight into peer feedback was developed along three dimensions: (1) the importance of being an objective observer, (2) the impact of working with equal-status peers, and (3) the value of critical feedback.