The one-year, full-time (paid) Learning Commons Lead position supports BPI alumni interested in careers and/or further study in education to join the community of the Bard Microcollege at the Brooklyn Public Library from July 2021 to the end of June 2022. In this position, BPI alumni will work as a writing and/or math tutor along with taking on the role of Lead Tutor.
In addition to this work, the Learning Commons Lead will participate in a series of professional development workshops, gain administration experience specific to the Learning Commons, and do a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project centered on their questions and experiences as a Lead tutor in the Learning Commons. As a part of this BPI Learning Commons Fellowship Program, the BPI Learning Commons Lead will also work directly with BPI’s Associate Director of Teaching Programs on education-related initiatives.
The BPI Learning Commons Lead position will be structured across two academic semesters with time dedicated to onboarding in the summer before the start of the academic year. In the first semester, the BPI Learning Commons Lead’s work will be focused on tutoring microcollege students along with taking on the role of Lead Tutor. In the second semester, the BPI Learning Commons Lead will continue the tutoring work and will begin the PAR project, designed to be finished by the end of the Spring semester. (See below for more on PAR)
As tutors, a BPI Learning Commons Lead will:
- Support microcollege student learning through one-on-one or small group sessions.
- Submit a tutoring form after each session with a student.
- Gain additional technology-based skills, such as working with students on Zoom, using tools from Google Suite, and so on.
- Work with a team of tutors along with the Program Director/Associate Director of Teaching Programs to continue refining and growing the work of tutors in support of student learning.
- Attend monthly tutor workshops to further develop their competencies.
- Have one observation each semester followed by 1-1 conversations rooted in the tutoring practice.
- Complete reflections each semester rooted in their observations/end of the semester evaluations.
As a Lead Tutor, a BPI Learning Commons Lead will:
- Co-lead weekly meetings with the tutors and the Program Director/Associate Director of Teaching Programs.
- Lead weekly study hall sessions with other tutors for students.
- Manage and review the tutoring forms submitted by each tutor (to assess what services students use and the strategies tutors most frequently employ).
- Manage the tutoring calendar and student requests for tutoring.
- Co-lead at least one monthly tutoring workshop.
- Collaborate on leading at least one writing workshop for microcollege students.
Participatory Action Research (PAR)
Overview: At the start of the second semester, the BPI Learning Commons Lead will develop a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project, an approach to research that is centered on action, inquiry, and social justice. The PAR project will be centered in the BPI Learning Commons Lead’s particular questions and observations vis-a-vis tutoring pedagogy and practice in the Learning Commons. The BPI Fellow will submit a research proposal and, once approved, begin the PAR process. The project will be completed during the time of the fellowship and will culminate in a presentation with relevant stakeholders.
Objectives: The PAR project is designed to introduce the BPI Learning Commons Lead to a key framework for educational research and praxis, one that is used in both schools and classrooms, policy-facing social sciences research, and in organizations fostering community engagement and change. Through the process of defining and engaging in the PAR project, the BPI Learning Commons Leads will deepen their pedagogical practice, be introduced to relevant scholarship and practitioners, and gain research experience that can support future work in project development, teaching, and graduate school.
Applicant Criteria
Strong:
- BPI alumni has taken the Tutoring Pedagogy and Practice course.
- BPI alumni has tutored for at least one semester.
- In the application, BPI alum clearly articulates their work and points of inquiry specific to tutoring/pedagogical practice.
- In the application, the BPI alum clearly articulates their future interests in pursuing further study and/or a career in an education-related field; the relevance of this fellowship to their goals is explicitly and clearly stated.
- BPI alum has a strong recommendation letter that attests to their ability to grow and reflect academically, to both respond to challenges, and to make changes as needed.
Application Deadline: May 28th
To apply, click here
We will hold two information sessions via Zoom ahead of the application deadline on Thursday, May 13th at 6pm and on Wednesday, May 19th at 6pm.
Please sign up for either information session here.
Interviews will be held in late May/early June and the candidate will be notified of his/her/their acceptance by June 2021.
