Sonoma State University

Roles & Responsibilities Specific to Supplemental Instruction

The following is an overview of the roles and responsibilities specific to Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leaders, and includes a start of semester to do list. Note too that there is some overlap between the SI program, and Embedded Tutors, which you can learn more about here. Please feel free to reach out to your program supervisor if you have specific questions about your role and responsibilities. 

Start of the Semester To Do List

These to-do lists are meant to keep both new and returning SI Leaders organized during the start of the semester.

Before LARC Training/Orientation
  • Email your instructor, introduce yourself and ask to be added to the Canvas as a “Student Mentor.” This will allow you to post announcements to the course Canvas page, and keep up with course content. Your faculty partner will be expecting this email and this request. If you aren’t sure if the course will be taught synchronously or asynchronously, be sure to ask that as well.
  • Attend class, but WAIT to introduce your role (including Returners)*
    • Most courses with SI Leaders and Embedded Tutors are currently listed as being in person, so please plan to attend at least one class in-person in the first week (embedded tutors, not including CS tutors, should plan to attend both). If the modality has changed, please alert us ASAP we will help you determine the best way to connect with the course.
    • New & returning SI Leaders: please wait to introduce yourself until the second week of class, after you've attended our required training. You can attend the live class as an observer, and let the students and instructor know that you'll tell them more about your role next week.
    • Synchronous Course: If you’re supporting a class that meets synchronously, try to attend the live lecture if you can.
  • Complete Hire Paperwork received from AdobeSign, and Academic Personnel/Faculty Affairs; complete an HR New Employee Sign-Up if you have NOT worked on campus before.
After Orientation
  • Finish revising your “1st day spiel” to be prepared to introduce yourself to the class.
  • Complete your Virtual SI Leader Google Slide, if you haven’t already done so
  • Submit your Bio & Photo to LARC Admin if you haven’t already done so
  • The second week of class: 
    • Introduce yourself, your role, & the program to the class. Be sure to communicate with the instructor beforehand so they can reserve 5-10 minutes of class time for your introduction.
    • Survey the students for session times. Send these session times to Molly (mandem@sonoma.edu). We will add your times to the Campus Community Reference List & either Molly or Gillian will schedule a room for you. If you have a room preference, please let them know.
Within The First Two Weeks
  • Make sure you complete all paperwork as listed above

General Responsibilities for SI Leaders

SI Leader Training

Attend the entirety of SI Leader orientation and training (staff meetings) held throughout the semester. Communicate with LARC Admin Staff and your faculty partner regularly.

Attend the Target Class
  • Introduce yourself to the course instructor before the semester begins.
  • Review the syllabus and course requirements before the semester begins.
  • Attend class at least once a week for your assigned lecture and act as a model student.
  • Introduce yourself and the SI program to the students during the second week of classes after you’ve attended training (we want you to feel comfortable explaining your role and answering students’ questions).
    • If you are paired with an in-person, hybrid, or synchronous course and you’re able to attend the live lectures or in-person class the first week, you can say something along the lines of, “Hi! I’m______and I’ll be your SI Leader. I’ll tell you more about my role & the program next week.”
    • If you are paired with an asynchronous course, please watch any recorded lectures and interact with the material on Canvas so you’re up-to-date with the curriculum.
    • Survey the class for 2-3 50-minute session times and then communicate these times with Molly so we can add it to our master list. Try to schedule sessions to accommodate as many students as possible.
Conduct Sessions
  • Prepare a written session plan for each session; you will be submitting your session plans to Canvas monthly.
  • You will be conducting 2-3 one-hour sessions per week. Plan an opening activity, main activity, and a closing activity based on difficult course content.
  • Notify Molly if you plan on holding extra or longer sessions for some weeks. If these sessions will be in person, please also contact Molly or Gillian so they can arrange for the room reservation.
  • Organize the session with built-in flexibility for the needs of attendees.
  • Utilize Wait-Time, Redirecting Questions, and Checking for Understanding consistently to ensure proper facilitation.
  • No-show sessions are recorded as 0.5 hours. You are expected to wait the full 30 minutes, and utilize this down-time to session plan, respond to correspondence or research best practices.
Host one “Office Hour” per week
  • These SI/ Office Hours are a chance for students to get additional assistance from the SI leader and receive further clarifications on topics, go over concepts which they are struggling with, or ask more specific questions which they may not have been addressed during the session. This provides students an opportunity to get more detail on a topic, ask about test preparation or study skills, and get individualized attention from their leader. If holding in-person sessions, students will usually be able to connect with you at the end of the session.
  • IF holding Zoom sessions, Host one Zoom “office hour” per week.

Supporting Students

Support Students’ Learning in the Course

SI Leaders support students in course by providing feedback to faculty about students’ difficulties, which may be areas in which students have a lot of questions, or seem confused or overwhelmed.

  • SI Leaders do not share individual student participants’ names. Instead, keep feedback anonymous and content-related: “I noticed the students are struggling with vocabulary in Chapter 4.”
  • Use the language of the discipline, and have students do the same.
  • Integrate how-to-learn with what-to-learn. Observe areas like reading, note taking, study skills, and more where you can tackle both the content and how to learn.
  • Get students organized and get them started, but don’t do the work for them.

Observations & Data Collection

Participate in Observations

Observations and debriefs are an important part of supporting you and your ongoing training and development.

  • SI Leaders will be observed 2-3 times per semester.
    • Two of these observations will be conducted by a professional staff member or SI advisor.
    • You may also have a fellow SI Leader observe your session during the semester.
    • After observations by professional staff or SI Advisors, you will meet for a debrief where you will get feedback on all the great things you are doing and any areas for growth.
    • Starting Fall 2022, all SI Leaders will be asked to observe another SI Leader’s session and fill out a self-reflection form. These observations will not include a debrief, but you will have the opportunity to pass on feedback to Molly that may be shared with the SI Leader.
Collect Data for Program Evaluation

Data collection is imperative to the LARC to help ensure funding and further program development. One of your responsibilities as an SI Leader is to participate in collecting data, as follows:

  • Collect attendance data at every session by assuring that students check themselves in with the new QR code system and fill out the back-up paper attendance sheet.
    • You are also responsible for submitting the paper sheets regularly and helping the admin team to clarify any attendance inconsistencies if they arise.
  • Administer mid/end-of-term questionnaires.
  • Work with Admin staff to provide information for the LARC annual report and final SI Program report.

Return to the main LARC Handbook Page.