What do you do if you're struggling to learn new skills with only peer support?

1 Identify your learning goals

Before you seek peer support, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to learn and why. This will help you focus your efforts and communicate your needs to others. Start by defining your learning goals in SMART terms: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, instead of saying "I want to learn how to code", say "I want to learn how to create a basic website using HTML and CSS by the end of the month".

2 Find suitable peers

Once you have your learning goals, you need to find peers who can support you in achieving them. Ideally, you want to find people who have similar or complementary skills, interests, and objectives. You also want to find people who are willing and able to provide constructive feedback, encouragement, and advice. You can look for peers within your existing network, online communities, or learning platforms. For example, if you want to learn how to code, you can join a coding forum, a online course, or a local meetup group.

3 Establish a learning agreement

When you find peers who can support you, you need to establish a learning agreement with them. A learning agreement is a mutual understanding of how you will work together, what you expect from each other, and how you will measure your progress. A learning agreement can include things like: how often you will communicate, what tools or methods you will use, what feedback or assistance you will offer or request, and how you will celebrate your achievements. A learning agreement can help you create a sense of accountability, trust, and respect among your peers.

6 Reflect and appreciate

The final tip on how to leverage peer support is to reflect and appreciate. Reflection can help you evaluate your learning process, outcomes, and experiences, and identify what worked and what didn't. Appreciation can help you acknowledge your efforts, achievements, and contributions, and express gratitude to your peers for their support. You can reflect and appreciate by doing things like: writing a journal or a blog post, creating a portfolio or a showcase, or giving a presentation or a testimonial. You can also use different methods, such as: self-assessment, peer assessment, or feedback surveys.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?