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Peer-Educator Dialogue Protocol
Date:Time:Instructor-Educator:Course Number:Course Title:Modality:# Students Enrolled:# Students Present:Peer-Educator:                                                                       
This dialogue protocol can be used independently or in conjunction with the Peer-Educator Dialogue Guide. It is important to note that the peer-educator dialogue should be an iterative process of lifelong learning and practice improvement. These are tools aimed at helping educators learn with and from one another. How an instructor-educator utilizes or shares the feedback provided in through this dialogue process is completely up to them.
Before class starts:
Short observations such as: when instructor-educator arrives, what happens (e.g. do they greet students?)? Does class start on time? How many students are present? Please note examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors.
Went well:
Consider for enhancement:
Introduction:
Does the instructor-educator give context for today’s lesson/learning experience? (What does this look like?) How does the instructor-educator motivate students? What is student response? Do students arrive late? Please note examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors.
Went well:
Consider for enhancement:
Core Learning Experience:
Is there variety and pacing in the planned learning experience(s)? Can/do students ask questions? Is the conversation 2-way/are the students part of the conversation or passive listeners? How are student questions addressed? Is it clear how this material relates to the course? (the field?) What percentage of class time is spent in lecture? What might you say about the instructor-educator’s presentation skills? Please note examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors.
Went well:
Consider for enhancement:
Group Activity/Participation:
Are students engaged? How are activities relevant? Are these activities intended to be evaluated? If so, how? What percentage of class time is spent in such activities? Please note examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors.
Went well:
Consider for enhancement:
Conclusion:
Did the session seem organized well? Did it end on time? Was there any recap or mention of course goals/objectives? Were diverse examples, resources, perspectives etc. included? Please note examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors.
Went well:
Consider for enhancement:
Additional comments/observations:
 
This document was adapted with permission from 2019 document "AAN Peer Observation Protocol" by Patricia Stewart.Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash

Thinking about how to improve your educator practice, tapping in to expertise on campus, or engaging with high-impact peers can feel intimidating. Here are a few etiquette tips to accompany Peer-Educator Dialogue Guide and Protocol.

Remember, peer-educator dialogues can be initiated for multiple reasons including: an instructor-educator looking for peer-educator feedback on a learning session observation, OR a peer-educator looking to observe a peer-educator employ a practice they'd like to incorporate/improve

Regardless, avoid engaging in a learning-expereince as a peer-educator during the first two or three weeks of a semester. 


Before going to observe the class, check with the instructor-educator to see if they would like to meet with you in advance. It helps to find out in advance about the class you will be engaging with— what the course is designed to do, what level the students are at, what the teacher is planning to do in the specific class to be observed and why. This could help you to make more sense of what it is that goes on in the learning-expereince. 

note: if you cannot meet to have this conversation due to the complex nature of schedules, it is recommended that you asynchronously ammend the Peer-Educator Dialogue Guide to ensure the engagement meets goals all around.


Double-check with the instructor-educator prior to the engagement on:

where you sit in the classroom. Many educators may not care where you sit, as long as it doesn’t interfere with instruction, but some may have preferences.

If you didn’t have a chance to meet prior to the observation, ask the instructor-educator when you arrive.


whether or not it’s all right to move around from group to group during group-work activities.
whether or not you are going to participate in activities or just observe. (Generally speaking, it’s  preferable not to participate while doing an observation. When the purpose is to observe instructor-educator, it makes more sense to focus your attention on that task.)


Arrive on time, or early — arriving late is always an interruption. And stay throughout the entire class period. Getting up and leaving early is also an interruption.
No matter how non-threatening and cooperative the peer-educator may be, learning-session observations are a necessary imposition (but an imposition nonetheless). As peer-educators, it’s good to keep this in mind when observing and let it guide your actions.

Also keep in mind that the observation should be a positive experience for both the peer-educator and the instructor-educator. Ideally, both educators will learn something as a result of the observation.


When the learning-experience ends, thank the instructor-educator (and, if possible, the learners) for inviting/allowing you to observe them.
Debriefing should be done as soon as is feasible after the class session, while the events are still fresh in mind.
In general, if you have concerns, you can ask questions to clarify some things that happened in the class

“I’m very interested in learning more about XXXX. Could you explain why you set up the XXXX activity the way you did?”
“How do you think it went?” 
The instructor-educator may have planned something that they thought was going to work marvelously, but didn’t... Or, if they noticed that it didn’t work, they may ask you for your ideas about how it could have been more effective. 


Keep in mind how you would feel if you were the one being observed, and what kinds of feedback would be most useful to you.
If you notice a number of areas where the learning-expereince could be enhanced, try not to overwhelm the instructor-educator with suggestions; limit your feedback to the areas where they are seeking feedback, or perhaps those points that seem most immediately important to address.
Share your notes and onservations from the Peer-Educator Dialogue Guide and Protocol with ONLY the instructor-educator. This practice is purely a itterative dialogue amongst peers, NOT an evaluative report to be shared with administratiors. What an instructor-educator chooses to do with your notes is up to them.

This list has been adapted from the University of Hawai'i, English Language Institute "Guidelines and Etiquette for Observers".Photo by Dom Fou on Unsplash 

Peer-Educator Dialogue Guide[*]
This is a "Checklist" guide, not a scaled rating or evaluation form. This guide is intended to be used as a tool to enable educators… “who teach, supervise and/or support students’ learning to gain feedback from one or more colleagues as part of the process of reflecting on their own practices” (University of Exeter). It asks peer-educators to indicate the presence of teaching activities/behaviors already established as indicative of high-quality teaching.  Individual educators, units, departments, etc. can determine which of the items in the categorized lists below reflect their priorities; a targeted set of items per list will make the guide easier for educators to use.
Date:Time:  Instructor-educator name:Course #:Course Title:Modality:No. Students:Peer-Educator name:                                                       
Peer-educator instructions:  Indicate with a check (√) the presence of the following actions and behaviors that indicate high quality teaching.  Leave blank items you do not observe.  Use N/A if an item is not relevant for this experience or the instructor’s teaching style. 
Variety and Pacing of Instruction
The instructor-educator:

uses more than one form of instruction
pauses after asking questions
accepts students’ responses
draws non-participating students into activities/discussions
prevents specific students from dominating activities/discussions
helps students extend their responses
guides the direction of discussion
mediates conflict or differences of opinion
demonstrates active listening
provides explicit directions for active learning tasks (e.g. rationale, duration, product)
allows sufficient time to complete tasks such as group work
specifies how learning tasks will be evaluated (if at all)
provides opportunities and time for students to practice

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):
 
 
Organization
The instructor-educator :

arrives on time
relates this and previous class(es), or provides students with an opportunity to do so
provides class goals or objectives for the class session
provides an outline or organization for the class session
knows how to use the educational technology needed for the class
locates class materials as needed
makes transitional statements between class segments
follows the stated structure
conveys the purpose of each class activity or assignment
completes the scheduled topics
summarizes periodically and at the end of class (or prompts students to do so)

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):
 
 
Presentation Skills
The instructor-educator:

is audible to all students
articulates words so that they are understandable to students, and/or visually represents words that might he difficult for students to hear
varies the tone and pitch of voice for emphasis and interest
speaks at a pace that permits students to understand and take notes
establishes and maintains eye contact
avoids over-reliance on reading content from notes, slides, or texts
avoids distracting mannerisms
uses visual aids effectively (e.g. when appropriate to reinforce a concept, legible handwriting, readable slides)
effectively uses the classroom space

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):

Clarity
The instructor-educator:

notes new terms or concepts
elaborates or repeats complex information
uses examples to explain content
makes explicit statements drawing student attention to certain ideas
pauses during explanations to ask and answer questions

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):
 
 
Content Knowledge
The instructor-educator:

makes statements that are accurate according to the standards of the field
incorporates current research in the field
identifies sources, perspectives, and authorities in the field
identifies diverse sources, perspectives, and authorities in the field
communicates the reasoning process behind operations and/or concepts

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):
 
 
Instructor-Student Rapport
The instructor-educator:

attends respectfully to student comprehension or puzzlement
invites students’ participation and comments
treats students as individuals (e.g. uses students’ names)
provides periodic feedback
incorporates student ideas into class
uses positive reinforcement (i.e. doesn’t punish or deliberately embarrass students in class)

Examples of instructor-educator actions or behaviors that support the above indications (√):

General Peer-Educator Reflection:
What did you observe that went well?
What suggestions for enhancement do you have?
Additional Comments:
 
[*]  Adapted 1/2006 from Chism, N.V.N. (1999) Chapter 6: Classroom Observation, Peer Review of Teaching: A Sourcebook.  Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing, by Angela R. Linse, Executive Director, Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, Penn State.  If you further adapt this form, please include this source citation.

What you need to know

All individuals are required to wear masks indoors in all campus buildings and other MSU facilities in East Lansing and throughout the state. This requirement will be in place for at least the first weeks of the fall semester.
All students, faculty and staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 with an FDA-authorized or WHO-approved vaccine (at least first dose) by Aug. 31. Limited exemptions for medical or religious reasons will be provided. If you are looking for a vaccine provider, start at Vaccines.gov.
All employees who have been working remotely should continue doing so until told otherwise by their supervisor.
Human Resources keeps an updated FAQ website for employees as well as resources for returning to work.


Use these links to jump to a specific section of the HR resources:

Health and Safety
Staffing
Student Employees
Compensation and Benefits
HR Processes
Faculty and Academic Staff Hiring Modifications
Support Staff Hiring Modifications
Professional Development - Remote Opportunities
Unemployment Information




With more students returning this fall, we expect that people who have student-, faculty- or public-facing roles will be returning to in-person positions in some capacity.  
Remember you can always visit MSU's Together We Will site for university-wide COVID-19 related information. The Together We Will FAQ has answers to the most commonly asked questions about our return to work and is updated daily. Together We Will - COVID Directives provides a high-level overview of the most up-to-date expectations around face coverings, vaccinations, personal hygiene, and self-monitoring. 

Support Resources for Employees
MSU staff, faculty, graduate student assistants and retirees (and the spouses and partners and benefits-eligible children of these people) have access to the MSU Employee Assistance Program, which at the moment is providing all of its counseling sessions over the phone or videoconferencing via Zoom. Please call 517-355-4506 to set up an appointment.
Employees also can still access MSU Health4U via videoconferencing. 
International faculty, staff and visiting scholars can contact the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) for assistance.
The WorkLife Office is working with return to campus committees to help us figure out how to know what work must be done on campus, and what work might be done remotely. That will help identify those employees who need to return to campus. Find resources related to flexible work arrangements here.  
The Wellbeing at Work guide provides evidence-based best practices to recruit and retain high-quality candidates and create healthier workplaces and teams, as we take care of our well-being and the well-being of each other. It is a tool to use from any position when thinking about strengthening a team or a unit.
Other resources for caregivers and parents include:

Care.com/msu: Find trusted care providers. MSU faculty and staff can get free access to search for childcare, special needs care, tutoring help, private lessons, housekeeping, pet care and more. Learn how to get free access
Dependent Care Support 40 hours or 5 days of childcare support during working hours per year July 1-June 30 either in-home or center-based. In-home services are covered throughout Michigan as available. In-home care is $7 per hour, center-based is free at Bailey Preschool and Childcare Center as available. Booking as far ahead of time as possible is best. This benefit is available while funds last. We currently have funds available.
Creating a Quaranteam guide will assist those families needing to or looking to create a pod of online learners.
The MSU WorkLife Office offers one on one consultations to brainstorm and consult on childcare-related issues. More information about supporting parents and caregivers can be found here.

TOGETHER AGAIN on CAMPUS
IPF has worked diligently to prepare campus workspaces and buildings as more faculty, staff and students return

This checklist will help staff returning to campus review their workspaces and request service if needed.
Please submit service requests online.  Urgent and time-sensitive matters can be handled by calling Contact IPF at 517-353-1760.

Workplace Cleaning Expectations: We're committed to providing a safe, healthy environment for research and education. Detailed cleaning levels are available at our Custodial service level page. Find details related to classrooms, restrooms, and more at our Custodial Services page.
Air Circulation Frequent Questions: We carefully monitor and follow guidance from the CDC, OSHA and other organizations regarding optimal building ventilation and air filtration. Learn more at our informational page about COVID and HVAC frequently asked questions.

As a member of the SEISMIC Collaboration, MSU employees have the opportunity join the conversation surrounding DEI in STEM. These conversations are open to all. Upcoming events include:
 
Using Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education (ReCCEE) to Create a More Inclusive and Effective Scientific Community
Wednesday, October 14, at 12 p.m.
Speaker: Elizabeth Barnes, Middle Tennessee State University
 
While the majority of people in the world are religious, the majority of scientists are not, and this difference can cause culturally based barriers to effective science education. For instance, despite decades of evolution education research in the United States, almost one-third of introductory college biology students still do not think life shares a common ancestor and this is often due to a perceived conflict with their religious beliefs. In my studies, I find that college science instructors report not knowing how to address religious beliefs when teaching evolution and religious students report that science instructors have negative attitudes towards religion which is a barrier for their learning of evolution. I will describe how we as science educators can use Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education (ReCCEE) to reduce students’ perceived conflict between religion and evolution and create more inclusive evolution education for religious students. Further, I will discuss how such efforts may disproportionately benefit students of color and women, who affiliate with religion at higher rates than white men.
Zoom Link: https://umich.zoom.us/j/93300696091
 
But is it really ‘just’ science? Engaging critical race theory to unpack racial oppression with implications for Black student science engagement
Wednesday, October 21, at 12 p.m.
Speakers: Terrell Morton, University of Missouri
 
Disseminated through the culture of science (i.e., norms, values, beliefs, and practices), is the underlying message that there is but one “universal truth” regarding what is or what counts as scientific knowledge, research, and general practice. This culture and subsequent message have implications for who is recognized as being a scientist, or a validated member of the scientific community, and the process by which one gains such recognition. In noting the distinct, racialized experiences of Black students in science, this seminar introduces Critical Race Theory as a framework for attending to the prevalence, permeance, and impact of structural racism embedded within and manifesting through the culture of science, while also detailing the implications of structural racism in and through science on Black student science engagement. 
Zoom Link: http://asu.zoom.us/j/92158713296
 
Are you interested in giving at talk related to DEI in STEM? If so, please reach out to Ryan Sweeder (sweeder@msu.edu) to be added to the potential speaker list.
 

One key takeaway of our workshop is the degree to which being aware of and thinking critically about the way that general education courses fit into a larger curriculum can set you apart as both a teacher and a job candidate.For the sake of comparison, then, we have gathered together an incomplete (by design) map of various schools in Michigan to faciliate a comparison between the ways each defines their liberal arts or general education curriculum. (Image description: Map of the lower peninsula of Michigan, with brown pins marking Kalamazoo, Alma, Albion, Hillsdale, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Detroit)Each of the schools marked above requires some version of a general education/liberal arts* curriculum, and you may find that it's easier to articulate your own experience of this type of teaching when you compare it to some sister institutions. To that end, use the links below to explore how these various schools in Michigan define general education, and the way they structure their curriculum as a result.* Alma College refers to this curriculum as "distributive requirements." At Kalamazoo College, it's the K-Plan.(Schools arranged alphabetically)

Albion College
Alma College
Hillsdale College
Kalamazoo College
Michigan State University
University of Michigan
Wayne State University
Western Michigan University

You may find it helpful to use the following to guide your thinking:

Albion and Alma are both small liberal arts colleges with religious affiliations. How do you see those shared characters influencing their approach to general education requirements?
In many ways, Hillsdale College is very similar to Albion and Alma, but it regularly appears on lists of the most conservative colleges in America. Do you see that political orientation influencing the school's approach to liberal arts anywhere?
Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University are both located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Does that shared setting promote any meaningful comparisons or contrasts between their curricula?
MSU and U of M are the two highest-rated public universities in the state (though college rankings are an inherently fraught subject). How would you differentiate between the way both programs describe their general education/humanities curricula?
Wayne State University includes a number of additional links and philosophy statements about their general education program, which makes its website fairly comparable to the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities at MSU. What similarities/differences do you notice about the way Wayne State and Michigan State talk about the mission and goals of general education?

Please feel free to share your response to these questions, or any of your own reflections, as comments on this article in the space provided below.

Cornell University's "Getting Started with Managing Classroom Conflict" guide is a rich resource detailing how to navigate contentious situations in a classroom. One tip on that guide is to practice SOAR: Stop, Observe, Assess, and React. That guide does not elaborate on what implementing the SOAR technique look like in a classroom; here are my thoughts on what an educator might to do practice SOAR during a contentious classroom moment at MSU.Stop - Before speaking, pause to consider your physical, emotional, and intellectual position in the classroom. Consider the diversity of viewpoints among the students. Rarely will any classroom situation require immediate action. Taking even a brief moment to slow down helps to convey a sense of calm and purpose in any actions you do take.Observe - Take in the entirety of the classroom environment, including the posture and attentiveness of all the students. Make a mental note of the physical environment, should you need to usher students aside or guide students out of the space. Quickly determine where the agitation is in the room; sometimes students not directly involved in a conflict might react in unexpected ways. Use this moment of observation to evaluate what students you need to address directly.Assess - Determine if a response is merited in the immediate classroom setting. If possible diffuse the situation and address it with individuals outside of the classroom at a later time. Your goal in moments of conflict should not be to win an argument. Seek to understand and to be calm, modeling for students what civil discourse looks like. React - If immediate action is needed, state clearly that threats, violence, and harmful actions will not be tolerated.

Contact MSU DPPS if there are signs of imminent harm, violent threats, or weapons, or ask a responsible bystander to do so:

Emergencies: Call or Text 9-1-1
Non-Emergencies: Call 517-355-2221


If students are in a physical altercation with each other, use a strong, loud voice to say STOP. Often that verbal cue can be enough to cause beligerents to realise they need to redirect their emotions. Do not enter into an altercation yourself. Work to keep the situation from escalating. Calm heated emotions with a respectful tone.
Consider these sentence starters from "The Art of Coaching Teams: Building Resilient Communities that Transform Schools." 
Ideally you will reach a point of control and calm when you can indicate that opinions around contentious topics matter, but that the class also must go on.
Consider giving students an opportunity to write about their opinions or feelings about a conflict. If you are comforatble doing so, provide students a platform to share with the class the contents of that writing, encouraging them to seek to understand each other without expecting that everyone will agree.
Also if you are comfortable doing so, offer your office hours as a time where civil conversation about the matter can continue later on. 

Sometimes when we hear the word "assessment," we think of students silently completing a multiple-choice exam during class. But, there are a variety of ways to assess learning, and how we assess it depends on which skills and ideas we are interested in finding out what students can do.
Assessment Triangle
The assessment triangle helps us think about how we should assess because it connects what we want students to know and do with how we plan to observe what they know and can do. There are three points on the assessment triangle: cognition, observation, and interpretation (National Research Council, 2001).
Cognition
Which concepts and skills do students need to know and do?There are likely some concepts that students need to memorize. There might, though, also be skills that we are interested in students being able to do. For instance, maybe students need to be able to create something, such as a research question for a study and applicable methods. Maybe they need to solve problems and interpret data. What are you looking to assess?
Observation
What types of tasks will illustrate student knowledge and skills?What you have students do for the assessment will be determined by what you want them to know and do. There are a variety of ways to assess, such as (and these are just a few examples):

Multiple choice exam
Essay exam
Group exam
Project
Research investigation
Case study (real life or fictitious)
Poster
Research paper
Infographic
Presentation

Interpretation
How will the tasks determine student knowledge and skills?Once students complete the assessment, how will understanding be identified? That is, how will the assessment be scored? Scoring or grading rubrics can be a helpful start in identifying your expectations of how a student might approach an assessment and how accurate each approach is (or how many points each one is). Rubrics can either have everything graded on a single scale or can be broken down into separate criteria, culminating into one grade for the task. There are many guides available online for creating rubrics, such as from UC Berkeley's Center for Teaching and Learning.
Try it for Yourself
Draw a triangle on a piece of paper. Label each corner: cognition, observation, and interpretation. Choose a few cognitive aspects that you teach together in a single lesson or unit, identify how you might observe understanding of those cognitive aspects, and how you might interpret your observations.
Reference
National Research Council. 2001. Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Educational Assessment. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10019.
Additional Resources

For assessment examples, view the Assessment Workshop videos, one on assessment options beyond the exam (which includes a description of the assessment triangle a few minutes into the video) and another on exam design.
Although designed for GTAs, this #iteachmsu article on assessment of student learning provides a nice overview, including formative and summative assessment.
This #iteachmsu article on experiential learning describes a more holistic approach to assessment.