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Pedagogical Partnership

Smith College professors believe that there are many ways to teach well and that all teaching is improvable. As one pathway towards improvement, the Smith College Student-Faculty Pedagogical Partnership Program engages students as partners to work with faculty in the classroom over an entire semester. We imagine that there are various models that fall under this umbrella. Generally, the Sherrerd Center offers this program in the spring, along with generous support from the Wurtele Center.

Our Pedagogical Partnership Program

The Sherrerd Center for Teaching and Learning and the Wurtele Center for Leadership offer the Pedagogical Partnerships Program during the spring semesters. We support faculty and staff teachers who work in close collaboration with student partners to strengthen pedagogy and enhance the course experience. This is a great opportunity to harness student feedback and partnership to meaningfully address some of the challenges we’re experiencing in our classrooms and to think deeply about equitable and inclusive course design, explore new pedagogical approaches, or incorporate new course content.

Faculty and staff teachers interested in pursuing a student pedagogical partnership should identify an intellectual project (a specific driving question, problem, or experiment) they would like to pursue with the help of a student partner to strengthen pedagogy and enhance the course experience. We are particularly interested in projects that actively engage student partners with students in your course.

In the past, faculty have worked with student partners to: 

  • Tailor course content to needs of diverse learners
  • Make class discussions more equitable and engaged through mapping and observation of student-to-student and student-to-faculty interactions
  • Reimagine the framing and sequence of assignments to best prepare students for a final project
  • Scaffold and fine-tune collaborative learning techniques, including informal group work and longer-term group projects
  • Co-create feminist environments based in mutual trust, collaboration, collective care, and the ability to navigate conflict
  • Develop new teaching resources that introduce complex technical tools to students 

To apply, please fill out this form by December 13th. For additional details of the expectations for faculty/staff teachers and their student partners, see the more detailed information below. 

Faculty partner expectations

  • Mentor student partners and help facilitate their reflection as they explore pedagogical practices
  • Participate in the program kick-off lunch meeting TBD during the first week of classes from 12:15-1:15 pm
  • Meet with your student partner once a week and approve their time in Workday
  • Join an optional mid-semester faculty partner check-in lunch
  • Complete a final evaluation at the end of the semester and participate in a closing session during the last two week of spring classes (date and time TBD)

Student partner expectations

  • Attend Student Pedagogical Partner Orientation session on January 21 & 23 (details TBD)
  • Participate in the program kick-off lunch meeting TBD during the first week of classes from 12:15-1:15 pm
  • Meet with your faculty partner once a week
  • Attend class and/or work together with your faculty partner on your pedagogical partnership project
  • Attend four pedagogical leadership workshops with the Wurtele Center (lunch provided) from 12:15-1:30 pm on 2/17, 3/10, 4/7, and 4/28 (all Mondays).
  • Complete occasional readings or reflections to prepare for Wurtele Center workshops
  • Dedicate six hours a week to partnership work (this includes attending class sessions and workshops with the Wurtele Center) 
  • Complete a final evaluation at the end of the semester and participate in a closing session during the last two week of spring classes (date and time TBD)

 The Sherrerd Center pays the student partners an hourly wage for their time (up to 6 hours per week), which faculty partners will approve in Workday.

Questions?

Please reach out to sherrerdcenter@smith.edu with questions. Priority for partnerships will be given to those who apply by the deadline and to those who are new to the program and/or have greater need for support.

Spring 2024 Partnerships

Faculty Partner

Student Partner

Course

Shiya Cao, SDS

My My Tran, '24

SDS 410

Peter Sapira, Jacobson Center

Kylie Gregory, '26

WRT 118

Shinyoung Cho, CSC

Hamssatou Maiga, '24

CSC 251

Miranda McCarvel, Jacobson Center

Abby Botta, '24

WRT 119

Kathleen Pierce, ART

Elizabeth Rehwinkel, '25

ARH 289

Luce Ward, GEO

Brigitte Walla, '26

GEO 108

Denys Candy, Jandon Center

Diya Seth, '24

CCX 320

Megan Lyster, Collaborative Innovation Concentration

Marta Almazovaite, '24

CIX 101

Halie Rando, CSC

Tianah Gooden, '25

CSC 210

Lesley-Ann Giddings, CHM

Breanna Sprague, '25

CHM 224

Efadul Huq, ES&P

Olivia Petty, '26

ENV 327

Cristina Valencia Mazzanti, EDC

Tamarin Camp, '25

EDC 231

A Prime Example

Mapping Course Discussions to Inform Pedagogical Pivots

Efadul Huq, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Policy and Krystal Bagnaschi ’22

As they prepared to teach their Spring 2022 course, ENV 327 Environmental Justice in an Urbanizing World, Efadul Huq and their student partner, Krystal Bagnaschi ’22, were curious about the ways in which observations of student-to-student and student-to-instructor interactions during class meetings might offer insights that could help Efad constructively modify discussion and group activity strategies for deeper engagement with the class content.

Krystal attended every class and mapped interactions through diagrams and took notes about recurring patterns of questions, where the conversations were pausing, and where they were getting into frictions that needed further addressing.

Both partners then wrote up their reflections (sometimes a few words/phrases or sometimes paragraphs) to prepare for their weekly meeting.

In those meetings, they would read through each others’ reflections and also use the map to identify challenges and opportunities. This would lead to new ideas; for example, they changed the order of assignments, they moved the class to a different room, they modified the time length of activities, and they selected new readings or videos in response to emerging conversations.

This process continued throughout the semester, allowing Efad, Krystal, and the students to continually refine their process together.

At the end of the semester, they created a zine of these interactions to share their “backstage” process of designing and adjusting pedagogical elements with the students in the course, which helped them see the ways in which their experiences helped to shape the evolution of their learning environment.

A screenshot of the "zine" produced by Efadul Huq and Krystal Bagnaschi. Prominently displayed is the quote from Krystal: "As a pedagogical partner, I was challenged to take a new perspective in class."

Past Partners

Faculty Partner Student Partner Course
Melissa Parrish, ENG Vivian DeRosa, '24 ENG 219
Denys Candy, Jandon Center Fhrynee Lambert, '24 CCX 320
Jina Boyong Kim, SWG Yena Perice, '26J SWG 150
Yalin Chen Geiger, EALC Luna Wang, '24J CHI 302 
Lindsay Poirier, SDS Swaha Bhattacharya, '23 SDS 410
Lindsay Poirier, SDS Rose Evard, '23 SDS 237
Lesley-Ann Giddings, CHM Julie Sheridan, '24 CHM 224
Peter Sapira,  Jacobson Center Gladys Batista, '24 ENG 118
Magdalena Zapędowska, Jacobson Center Elinor Washington, '26 ENG 118
Roisin O'Sullivan, ECO Zoe Kruse, '23 ECO 375
Atsuko Takahashi, EALC Daphne Spencer, '25 JPN 221
Brianna McMillan, PSY Rachel Hong, '23 PSY 317
Lisa Armstrong, SWG Roxy Ruedas, '23 SWG 150
Nathan Derr, BIO Justine Wagaman,'24 BIO 132

Spring 2022 Partnerships

Faculty Partner Student Partner Course
Lindsay Poirier (SDS) Rose Evard, '23 SDS 237
Maren Buck (CHM) Margot Hearne, '24 CHM 222
Carrie N. Baker, SWG Ramona Flores, ‘22 SWG 150
Carrie N. Baker, SWG Robynne Lucas, ‘22 SWG 150
Carrie N. Baker, SWG Wyoming McGinn, ‘23 SWG 150
Sara Newland, GOV Yamilet (Yami) Velez, '22 GOV 291
Cristina Valencia Mazzanti, EDC  Cait Donahue, '23 EDC 231
Lesley-Ann Giddings, CHM Hana Hieshima, ‘23 CHM 224
Efadul Huq; ES&P Krystal Bagnaschi; ‘22 ENV 327
Reid Bertone-Johnson, Landscape Studies Naomi (Ebbi) Boehm, '22 ARS/LSS 389
David Gorin, CHM Akilah Willliams, '22 CHM 222
Yalin Chen Geiger (EALC) Luna Wang, ‘24J CHI 302
Katherine (Katie)  Kinnaird (CSC) Kathleen Hablutzel, ‘23 CSC 294
Kathleen Pierce, Art Sena Amuzu, ‘24 ARH 278
Kathleen Pierce, Art Alaina Economus, '22 ARH 278
Paulette Peckol, BIO Michaela Guy, ‘22 BIO 130

More Spring 2022 Partnerships not funded by the Sherrerd Center, but supported.
Marney Pratt (BIO); Lou Schlecker, grad fellow; BIO 131
Marney Pratt (BIO); Tess Goldmann, ‘22; BIO 131
Marney Pratt (BIO); Runpeng Hu, ‘23; BIO 131
Marney Pratt (BIO); Catherine Pepper, ‘22; BIO 131
Marney Pratt (BIO); Maggie Stoffer, ‘23j; BIO 131
Julianna Tymoczko (MTH); Wyoming McGinn, ‘23; MTH 333
Nate Derr (BIO); Rachel Pietrow, ‘22; BCH 252

J-term 2022 Partnerships:
Emily Lopez (ESS); Sophie Fennell, '23; ESS 175
Raj Malhotra (Conway Center); Saffron Hefta-Graub, '22; IDP 155/IDP 156 

Fall 2021 Partnerships:
Vanessa Adel (SOC); Hannah Fleischman, '22; SOC 233
Dave Gorin (CHM); Ashlyn Bohn, '23; CHM 223

Spring 2021 Partnerships

Faculty Partner Student Partner Course
Vanessa Adel Sadie Buerker SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
Maren Buck Jennifer Wise CHM 222: Organic Chemistry 
Leslie-Ann Giddings Ahlenne Abreu CHM 224: Introduction to Inorganic and Physical Chemistry
Mahnaz Mahdavi Amanda Beebe ECO 153: Introductory Macroeconomics
Mahnaz Mahdavi Elsa Schenck      ECO 296: International Finance
Narendra Pathak Jessica Odin NSC 230: Experimental Methods in Neuroscience
Jeff Ramsey Maddy Pfaff HSC 211: Perspectives in the History of Science and Technology: Pandemics
Kevin Shea Ama Boamah CHM 222: Organic Chemistry 
Faculty Partner Student Partner Course
Brian Katz Allison Quintana MTH 153: Introduction to Discrete Mathematics
Alicia Grubb Mariah White CSC 111: Introduction to Computer Science Through Programming
Jack Loveless Clara Brill-Carlat GEO 241: Structural Geology
Roisin O'Sullivan Yuqi (Iris) Wei ECO 375: Seminar: The Theory and Practice of Central Banking
Kevin Shea and Leslie Nickerson Marva Tariq and Ahlenne Abreu      CHM 222: Chemistry II: Organic Chemistry
Jon Caris and Tracy Tien Morgan Jones IDP 109: Aerial Imagery and Cinematography (fall 2020)
David Gorin Akilah Williams CHM 222: Chemistry II: Organic Chemistry
Faculty Partner Student Partner Course
Lily Gurton-Wachter Meaghan Haff English 237: Environmental Poetry and Ecological Thought
Dawn Fulton Shukang Liu FRN 230: Women Writers of Africa and the Caribbean
Yanlong Guo Gwen Jones ARH 200: China in Expansion
Susan Sayre Diana Umana ECO 150: Introductory Microeconomics
Tina Wildhagen Dionna Jenkins SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology

What Do Faculty Partners Say?

“I am seeing the dramatic impact that this program is having on students as well. . . To be turned to as pedagogical experts has greatly enhanced their sense of their own academic and intellectual capacities.”

“As faculty members discover how rewarding it is to have a pedagogical partner, soon every faculty member will want to have one.”

“Working with a pedagogical partner has pushed me to reflect deeply on my teaching in real time throughout the semester—not just once my course evaluations have been submitted at the end of the semester.”

What Do Student Partners Say?

“From discussing growth mindset to figuring out ways to get students more engaged, I’ve ended this semester feeling way more accomplished than I originally expected.”

“My ability as a student has grown and will continue to grow thanks to this partnership.

“As the program spreads at Smith, it will benefit both the individuals involved in the partnership and the community as a whole.”