ENGL 4390: Internship
Peer Mentoring Program
Fall 2019

Course Description and Purpose

For this internship course, students will serve as mentors for other English majors and minors, with the aim of contributing their skills in ways that help the English department community. While specific work tasks will vary, students will be expected to perform work that draws on their skills in critical thinking and analysis, communication and writing, and research. Students will take part in mentoring training and will offer various kinds of support to the English department community, especially English majors and minors. This support will include helping with things like practical questions (course recommendations, how to ask faculty for recommendation letters, etc), program requirements, and support (balancing work and life, time management, essay writing tips, etc). Student mentors will offer large workshops, small-group mentoring, and one-on-one meetings with the guidance of the faculty leader. This is a service learning course.

Learning Outcomes and Methods of Assessment

Students will write academically and analytically, supporting claims and interpretive positions with examples, explanations, and evidence, and using the field’s conventions of style and documentation. 
             Assessment: portfolio, weekly reflections
Students will show capabilities in using appropriate online databases and library resources, and in the methods of conducting discipline-appropriate research; will correctly integrate researched resources into their interpretative and analytical compositions.
             Assessment: portfolio
Students will be able to demonstrate connections between course content, their service experience, and community engagement.
             Assessment: weekly reflections, participation
Students will understand how the skills they’ve learned in English classes can be useful in the real world.
            Assessment: weekly reflections, portfolio

Required Work

Portfolio   

 30%
Weekly reflections     60%
Participation 10%
                                                               

Required Texts

Covey, Sean. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective College Students.
Cress, Christine M., et al. Learning through Serving. 2nd edition. Stylus, 2013.
Goleman, Daniel. “What Makes a Leader?”
 Mentor Handbook
Student Development Theory packet
 Slack app for team communication (englishmentoringttu.slack.com)
Author status on englishinternshipsttu.wordpress.com

Policies

Schedule of Readings and Assignments (subject to change)

At each meeting, be prepared to discuss any reading and to report on what you’ve done during the week. Weekly reflective writing is due by the time of each meeting.

Week 1  

Student Development Theory packet
Cress, chs. 1 and 7
Covey, pp. 1-20
Short bio & photo to introduce yourself to mentees
Weekly reflection topic: What elements of student development theory resonate with your experience? Did any of the material help you understand something you went through in the past?
Week 2

Welcome Back Mixer
Covey, “Foundations of Leadership”
Cress, ch. 6
Goleman, “What Makes a Leader”
Preparation: how to chat with potential mentees. What info to offer, what info to get
Weekly reflection topic: How did the mixer go? What did you learn by preparing for & participating in the event?
Week 3

Matching mentors & mentees
Covey, “Habit 1”
Cress, ch. 3
Assignment: set up a meeting with mentee(s) for next week
Mentor Training Manual
Weekly reflection topic: What are you most excited about offering to your mentee(s)? What do you expect to find the most difficult in mentoring?
Week 4

Begin meeting regularly with mentees
Covey, “Habit 2”
Weekly reflection topic: Develop a plan for how you expect to work with your mentee(s) for the rest of the semester. At this point, what do you think will work best? Formal or informal? One-on-one or small groups? Etc.

Week 5

Covey, “Habit 3”
Bring ideas for other large events (workshops, speakers, etc)
Weekly reflection topic: generated by this week’s mentoring experiences / reading
Week 6

Write-in event: plan & execute
Covey, “Habit 4”
Weekly reflection topic: generated by this week’s mentoring experiences / reading
Week 7

Begin planning & organizing “coffee with a professor” event
Covey, “Habit 5”
Weekly reflection topic: generated by this week’s mentoring experiences / reading
Week 8

Advertise “coffee with a professor” event
Covey, “Habit 6”
Weekly reflection topic: generated by this week’s mentoring experiences / reading
Week 9

Coffee with a professor event
Covey, “Habit 7”
Weekly reflection topic: generated by this week’s mentoring experiences / reading
Week 10

Write-in         
Covey, “Putting It All Together”
Weekly reflection topic: generated by this week’s mentoring experiences / reading

Week 11

How to do college; or, what your professors want you to know (event)
Weekly reflection topic: generated by this week’s mentoring experiences / reading
Week 12

Library tour & introduction with English Librarian (event)
 Weekly reflection topic: generated by this week’s mentoring experiences / reading

Week 12 Event planned from week 5 ideas
Weekly reflection topic: generated by this week’s mentoring experiences / reading
Week 13 Write-in event
Weekly reflection topic: generated by this week’s mentoring experiences / reading
Week 14

Write-in
Weekly reflection topic: Revisit weekly reflection #1 or #3. How has your perspective changed? What have you learned through your mentoring work this semester?
Portfolio due

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