Twenty undergraduate peer mentors and teaching assistants connected with the University of Delaware’s Interdisciplinary Science Learning Laboratories (ISLL) came together for a professional development workshop focused on building community in science classrooms.

Led by student coordinator Dylan McQuiston, the workshop brought together peer leaders from four departments across the natural sciences: Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Physics and Astronomy and Psychological and Brain Sciences. The goal was to give students an opportunity to connect with one another while developing strategies they could use to better support the students they mentor.

“Peer leaders are the hidden backbone of the student experience at this University,” McQuiston said. “When we recognize our impact and lift each other up as a team, we set up our students to thrive and hope to inspire the next generation of leaders.” 

The session, “Breaking Crust: The Secret Sauce of Building Community With Your Students,” encouraged participants to reflect on their own leadership styles and discuss ways to build stronger relationships with students. Peer mentors considered how to lead authentically, demonstrate empathy and create classroom environments where students feel connected and supported.

Stefanie DeVito, associate professor of biological sciences and interim director of ISLL, said she values the enthusiasm peer mentors bring to helping other students succeed.

“The way they get excited when they are working with a student and they see a concept ‘click’ is so special to me as an instructor,” DeVito said.

Bringing together peer mentors from foundational science courses to talk about strengthening connections with students and building classroom community was, she said, “a dream eight years in the making.”

Participants also explored the difference between equity and equality and discussed what equitable support can look like in the classroom. The workshop concluded by asking each peer leader to identify a new idea from the discussion that they could put into practice in their teaching.

The workshop was supported by a mini-grant from the UD Coalition on Character Development. DeVito, Lauren Genova, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Christopher Trimby, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, are members of the mini-grant team.