Peer Teaching

Traditionally, the teacher has been thought of as the one who possesses the knowledge and the students are the vessels that need filling. When students are given the opportunity to teach their peers or younger students, several things happen. They behave more responsibility, they take more interest in their own learning and their confidence increases. Furthermore, students can sometimes relate experiences to each other more authentically than the teacher. Teachers who provide opportunities for students to teach each other find the experience rich and fulfilling provided that students are given adequate time to prepare, that they begin with small non-threatening groups and that they are able to learn from their mistakes. Here are some specific ways that students can teach each other.

Student Mentors

Develop a student mentor program between high school students and a class of younger students. Older students are paired with younger students to serve as their mentors and positive role models in teaching skills, to work together on projects and to celebrate their individual and mutual accomplishments. The high school students learn a great deal about being responsible and helping others. Student mentors and younger students provide special friendship and support to each other. Student mentors can learn how to model and reinforce safe and caring behaviours by participating in the adult workshops from the Toward a Safe and Caring Community program.

Cross Grade Peer Teaching

The same or similar concepts are found throughout all levels in most subject areas. For example, in social studies the theme of the diversity in Canadian regions is dealt with in both Grade 5 and Grade 10. Provide an opportunity for Grade 10 students to make games, posters, puzzles, word searches or crosswords for Grade 5 students. Invite Grade 5 students to your high school classroom and rotate the Grade 5s through stations that reflect each region of Canada. Your students will learn and remember more about the regions by designing curriculum materials for younger students than by memorizing information for a unit exam. Grade 5 students will feel less intimidated by older students and they will be excited and motivated by the prospect of taking a field trip. Borrow texts from the elementary teacher to help your students make materials and set up stations. Work out the glitches by first rotating the Grade 10 class through the stations. Talk to teachers in other grade levels to find the curriculum commonalities.

Classroom Meetings

A Classroom Meeting is a regularly scheduled gathering of the entire class to address problems and concerns that have arisen during the school day. It is a safe place to explore and discuss options. A SACSC booklet on Classroom Meetings is available to purchase from the Learning Resources Centre.