Two SCOTAYS Share their Experience
Student Consultants on Teaching at York (SCOTAY) is an exciting new initiative offered by the Teaching Commons. Undergraduate students with a keen interest in teaching and learning are ready to observe a lecture and provide feedback to faculty based on a pre-observation meeting designed to jointly set goals and expectations for the classroom observation. This post is written from the perspective of two of our student consultants, Inderpreet Banwait & Esther Wanduku, who have been engaged with the program since Fall 2018.
SCOTAY, meaning Student Consultants on Teaching at York, is an instructor driven program where the voice of the student (consultant) is a resource and service to the instructor. The service is such that from classroom observation experience, SCOTAY actively contributes to the learning process by providing feedback to instructors. This type of program was piloted in the US and is now adopted by many academic institutions. At York, it is run by the Teaching Commons and co-ordinated by Geneviève Maheux-Pelletier (Interim Director) and Lisa Endersby (Educational Developer).
Each SCOTAY observation consists of four major stages: (1) The instructor requests an observation through the program coordinators, (2) The instructor and student consultant have a pre-observation meeting to engage in an in depth conversation of why the instructor would like to be observed, (3) The classroom observation, where the student consultant attends the instructor’s class like any other student to observe primarily what was agreed upon at the pre-observation meeting, and (4) The post observation meeting where the student consultant and the instructor have a conversation to provide feedback based on the pre-observation meeting and the students’ observations.
My name is Inderpreet and my experience as a consultant provided me with a lot of insight on teaching and how to give feedback. At first, I was very nervous going into this process because I wondered why an instructor, who has been teaching for so long wants an opinion on their teaching from a student? It really struck me how many professors value the student voice and care about what we think. Sitting in a classroom for the first time not having to come in with finished readings or to pay attention to the specific content was very interesting. I was able to not only observe the instructor, but the students and their engagement as well.
The type of feedback I provided was very specific to the professor and what they wanted me to observe. Many professors were looking for ways to engage their students and have them participate more. The type of feedback I provided to one of the instructors was; to have the students engage more by asking questions and giving time for responses. Having activities/icebreakers throughout lectures can be very helpful as students would feel more comfortable asking/answering question during the duration of lectures. Opening up lectures with review from last class may also be helpful to refresh the students’ minds so they have a better understanding on the focus of the lecture they are about to sit through. Another area instructors wanted me to focus on was on their teaching style, including, for example, if they talked a lot or too fast. As SCOTAYS we provide feedback on anything the instructor wants us to focus on and anything that we as students believe will enhance the learning experience of our peers in the classroom.
My name is Esther and my experience as SCOTAY is bi-faceted; diagnostic or reflective and prognostic. By diagnostic, I mean being SCOTAY pushed me to dig deep and extensively analyse what it is to be a student. One would refer to a student as someone who is being taught by a teacher and this is true of me as a York student who is taught by professors in respective courses. By observing and providing feedback to instructors, I have had to self reflect by asking personal questions like “Why am I a student?’’ “How do I learn?”, “What are the factors that contribute to my learning in a classroom at a particular time?” and “Why am I not possibly learning?” The responses to these questions are hidden in nothing less than the experience of my own learning, which has been endless thanks to SCOTAY.
The other facet of being SCOTAY to me has been prognostic. As experiential as being SCOTAY can be, it is not rested on self glorification. The experience incorporates and stretches way beyond the present. Watching and observing instructors engage in the process indicates the intentionality of positive learning outcomes. This speaks volumes to me as a future teacher. In their participation, I see humility and loyalty which I would refer to as a “How do I teach?” Instructors in this process have taken off the “know it all” coat to wearing a “How do I teach?” sort of coat. They demonstrate that, though they teach, they are not all knowing. Accepting a student perspective of their classroom experience is something “all knowing” teachers would not do and possibly see it as downgrading. A “How do I teach?” sort of coat from a student perspective lays a strong foundation for me in the future. It resonates and stays strong in my mind of the kind of teacher becoming thanks to SCOTAY.
Are you interested in inviting one of our students to observe your class? To enroll in the program and request a student consultant to visit your class, here is the link to register.
For questions about the SCOTAY program, please contact Lisa Endersby, Educational Developer, at lendersb@yorku.ca. More information about the program is available on the Teaching Commons website: here is the link to learn more.
Inderpreet Banwait is in her third year of the Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies program. She was assigned to the Teaching Commons for her practicum this year where she was introduced to the SCOTAY program. She is very proud to be a part of this program and cannot wait to see if flourish.
Esther Wanduku is a third-year student of the faculty of Education, working towards a B.A. in Educational Studies where she intends to be a liberating educator for young people. She currently is on placement at the Teaching Commons.