• Peer Mentor Program
• Resources and Contact Information

The Peer Mentor Program in the Statistics Department is run by Dr. Jackie Miller, Dr. Deb Rumsey, and a senior TA chosen by them to be a lead peer mentor. The purpose of this program is to provide counseling to new TAs by pairing them with experienced TAs. As of Spring 2007, only TAs who were involved in classroom-teaching were part of it. The basic structure is as follows:

• The lead peer mentor (LPM) asks experienced TAs to volunteer to be mentors.
• The LPM pairs the experienced TAs with new TAs so that the experienced TAs can serve as mentors to the new TAs.
• The LPM coordinates quarterly get-togethers for the mentors and mentees.
  • The first meeting, for all mentors and mentees, is held either before the quarter starts or at the very beginning of the quarter. There is a round of introductions, wherein people share views, suggestions, and ideas, to make classroom teaching a more pleasant experience.
  • The whole “peer mentoring team” meets as a group again towards the end of the quarter. The purpose of this meeting is to talk about success stories, things that worked in the class and things that didn’t, strategies that proved to be very useful, and other topics related to teaching. Most importantly, new TAs get to talk about whether or not having a peer mentor helped. What was good about having a mentor? And, what wasn’t? What aspects of the Peer Mentor Program need some work, so as to help new TAs in a better way?
  • If and when needed, more meetings may be scheduled during the quarter.
• The mentors and mentees meet at various times throughout the quarter, depending on the needs of the new TA.
• It is not binding on either the mentor or the mentee to consult only the person with whom one has been paired.
• Mentors are also to provide feedback on how well the GTA manual (GAMMA) is working, and suggestions for improvement.

Please contact the Department Education Specialists for more information. See “Main Resources” page.