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Learning/Innovation  

Peer Teaching

At ESG we believe that teaching and learning are symbiotic and that students learn in a more profound way through the process of teaching others.


Peer teaching has been woven into the fabric of ESG since its earliest days and is a critical component of the program. Whether solving problems together at the white board in class, working through problem sets in the ESG lounge, or learning from a teaching assistant (TA) during office hours, ESG first-year students benefit profoundly from learning from their peers.

How peer teaching benefits first-year students

Ask a first-year student about their ESG experience, and you will probably hear about p-setting (working on problem sets) in the lounge with their friends and TAs. ESG’s large pool of undergraduate TAs, who hold office hours and study sessions at all hours of the week, provides every student ample opportunity to ask questions and figure out concepts in a small-group setting.

Since TAs recently took the same classes they teach, they have firsthand knowledge of the difficulties presented by the course material and can give first-year students strategies and suggestions on approaching their subjects. And, because the students are all close in age, TAs provide not only academic but also social guidance to the first-year students, often developing close friendships.

How peer teaching benefits TAs

AT ESG we believe that teaching and learning are symbiotic and that students learn in a more profound way through the process of teaching others. Having mastery over material is one thing; being able to impart that understanding to someone else is quite another. Through the process of teaching, ESG TAs develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of the subjects they TA.

How ESG TAs learn to teach

Every first-time ESG TA takes the ESG Teaching Seminar, in which they learn the pedagogy behind good teaching, including how to inhabit a teaching role, setting appropriate boundaries, and navigating the expectations of both their students and supervisors. The seminar provides guidance, supervision, and a safe environment for TAs to share their teaching experiences and learn from one another. ESG TAs report that they gained confidence and skills from this process that served them throughout their academic careers and beyond.