Life as an SI Leader

It is the job of the Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader to plan and facilitate SI Sessions for challenging courses with historically high D/F/Withdraw rates. SI Leaders are responsible for creating peer-facilitated group study sessions for students to voluntarily attend. They are trained to utilize active learning strategies that emphasize student interactions and collaborative learning. Throughout this position, SI Leaders attain leadership skills, faculty relationships, and a deeper understanding of the course content they are covering.

Minimum Responsibilities Per Week:

• 3 hours attending course lecture (Please check the university schedule for lecture times.)
• 3 hours of preparation time for SI Sessions. For every SI Session, a Planning Form must be completed.
• 3 hours facilitating SI Sessions. SI Leaders facilitate two 1 hr. 15 min. sessions each week.
• 1 hour weekly meeting with fellow SI Leaders. These meeting rotate between large interdisciplinary meetings and small discipline-specific meetings.

SI Sessions*:

• Active use of lecture notes and slides
• Guidance through complex concepts
• Creating opportunities for student collaboration
• Encourage critical problem-solving skills
• And much more

Benefits of Being an SI Leader:

This is a paid position that develops many valuable relationships and skills, ranging from relationships with students to faculty and even administration. Although leaders are expected to show mastery in course content, their knowledge is further developed and deepened through leading sessions. SI Leaders get to exercise and perfect their leadership, public speaking, organizational, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

Testimonial from Current SI Leaders:

“Being an SI Leader is an incredible experience because it gave me an opportunity to connect with people I normally wouldn’t talk to.”

“I like how I get to guide the student through difficult problems without directly giving them the answer.”

“I chose to become an SI Leader to learn valuable communication and leadership skills. SI has helped me be more confident and prepared for the professional world.”

References:

*SI Leader’s Responsibilities and Requirement Document, Supplemental Instructions, Baylor University