Written by Natalie Tews and Andrew Faulkenberry, Class of 2021
Have you heard of the FIGS program at Rutgers? Did you know that Rutgers students have the opportunity to teach an accredited first-year student seminar? Did you know that music majors of any background can participate?
This blog post will answer questions you may have about this amazing opportunity. You will hear from two music majors who have represented the music department in this program in the fall of 2019 and fall of 2020 semesters.
What is the FIGS program?
Natalie Tews: FIGS stands for first-year interest group seminar. The program is run through Rutgers Career Exploration and Success.
Andrew Faulkenberry: The goal of the FIGS program is to introduce first-year students to concepts important for their success at Rutgers -- concepts we call the “FIGS elements”. These elements include Personal Wellness, Academic Success, Diversity and Inclusion, and so on. But FIGS wants to present this information in an exciting way: through the lens of a particular “topical area”. To do this, juniors and seniors selected as Peer Instructors develop a curriculum that connects these “FIGS elements” with concepts in their area of expertise (in my and Natatlie’s case, music).
What was your position in the FIGS program?
AF: I was a Peer Instructor for the fall of 2019, teaching in-person. I then served as a Senior Peer Instructor throughout the spring and fall of 2020, as the FIGS program gradually transitioned online.
NT: I was a Peer Instructor for the fall of 2020. I began my journey with FIGS last spring before the pandemic, transitioned to designing my course to be taught remotely, and taught over Zoom this fall.
What is it like to teach a FIGS?
AF: Teaching a FIGS was a formative experience for me. It is both exhilarating and frightening to facilitate an 80-minute lesson of your own creation, without any supervision. The experience developed my facility as a public speaker, making me think more critically about how I articulate my beliefs. It was also formative for me personally. Being responsible (at least in part) for setting twenty students on the right path at the onset of their college journey made me a more empathic person.
NT: I agree with Andrew that it was both exhilarating and frightening! Though I have written various lesson plans throughout my semesters at MGSA, designing my own curricular goals, balancing non-music content in the FIGS elements, and teaching for 80 whole minutes made the experience unique and incredibly helpful in my development as a teacher. The students in the “Exploring Music” FIGS sections are not music majors, so there is a wide range of musical interest and prior experiences. This made me think a lot about what I should teach and what my students should get out of the class. Though, this program is designed to allow Peer Instructors (PIs) to be both instructors and peer mentors. Being a peer mentor is challenging over Zoom but rewarding nonetheless.
What are the requirements and demands of being a PI?
AF: During the spring and summer prior to teaching, Peer Instructors are tasked with developing their curriculum. In this time, PIs learn pedagogical approaches to active learning and observe parts of previous PIs’ lessons. With the help of staff, PIs brainstorm creative connections between the FIGS elements and their topical area, and then develop ten 80-minute lessons around these connections. The last portion of summer is focused on learning how to facilitate a classroom. PIs run demonstrations of parts of their lessons, providing each other feedback; learn about creating a classroom community; and participate in workshops like “What Do I Do If…?”.
NT: In the fall, PIs take a 3-credit seminar class with other PIs to learn more about facilitating a course and keeping on track of all of the administrative tasks. Being a PI can be a lot of work- there are a lot of emails and preparation each week in the fall- but teaching each class makes it all worth it. In the winter, PIs are involved with the interview process for the next year’s PIs. So, keep your eye out for me if you apply this January!
What experience do I need to apply?
NT: The FIGS program looks for rising juniors and seniors that are passionate about Rutgers, enjoy working with other students, and are dedicated to taking on the task of creating their own course. I am a music education major and my past experiences leading sectional rehearsals, writing lesson plans, teaching lessons during my classes, and my already established passion for teaching allowed me to stand out during the interview process. I also felt that I was very well prepared during the training and lesson-writing time.
AF: But you don’t need to be a music education major to apply - I taught despite being a composition major. That said, an applicant ideally would have some prior leadership experience. They also should be willing to think deeply about music and how it connects to various aspects of our lives. Finally, designing your own curriculum requires a good deal of creativity and dedication. If this describes you, I’d strongly encourage you to apply!
This has been an introduction to the FIGS program. Visit this website for more specific application requirements: http://go.rutgers.edu/teachFIGS2021. Applications to teach in the fall of 2021 are due the first week of the spring semester.
If you have any questions about this opportunity, please don’t hesitate to contact either of us, or send an email to rutgers.nafme@gmail and we can contact you with more information. Always feel free to contact the FIGS program directly with any questions: figs@echo.rutgers.edu. We hope to see more music majors teach through FIGS in the future!
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