Summary

During the fall semester of my fourth year, I had the job opportunity to become a Supplemental Instruction leader with the Learning Commons for the first-year biology class, BIOL 1081. As a Supplemental Instruction (SI) leader, I supported students academically by holding weekly review sessions to help them better understand the course material. I participated in a course though the College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies, where I exercised and developed my professional leadership skills. This course has allowed me to identify and reflect on the various professional goals and abilities that go into working in the learning commons as I work closely with faculty, students, and other SI leaders. 

 

Throughout my experience, one of the significant things I’ve learned is how important communication is to be successful in your job and an effective leader. With my position being a completely new experience, I was taken aback by how much communication is required to fulfill your expectations. I learned I lacked communication in keeping my Learning Commons team in the loop with various updates and changes, as juggling school and two jobs had my focus elsewhere. The course material made me realize that I wanted to become proactive and work on prioritizing communication to build this skill, as having good professional communication skills will help with the smooth flow of exchange of information as well as build a positive professional image, as that is something that I value greatly. My experience as an SI leader has provided personal growth for me as I gained more confidence in my abilities and knowledge, as I’ve always felt overlooked or underestimated in school settings. To be able to take charge of my fate and put myself in a completely new setting that requires responsibility to aid in the success of other students success has been a proud moment for me. One of the most rewarding experiences is having students come up to me explaining how much of a help I’ve been, which makes me feel accomplished and drives me to want to continue to grow and build my professional and leadership skills.