When it comes to teaching, we use various methods to answer the question, “Am I a good teacher?”  Of course we all use the end-of-course evaluations completed by students. Student comments, in particular, can be useful, but may not prompt much reflection about one’s own teaching.  We often react to these comments and may even go on the defensive. Another way to get feedback on teaching is to have an outside observer come into your classroom. Your department may already have a policy where one of your peers periodically visits and reviews your teaching. This process can be helpful especially if this visit isn’t just done to fulfill an annual evaluation and/or tenure requirement. If these observations have a shared mission of teaching improvement, they can do more than just document a classroom visit.

Another option is to have the FIC’s educational specialist, Dr. Kathy Schmidt, meet with you and talk about your teaching. Many of you may consider teaching and the improvement of it, a solo venture. Yet much is to be said about the benefits of discussing teaching, self-reflection, and observations. Given that teaching involves intellectually challenging your students, it also involves supporting their learning. What is that you do when you teach that prompts your students to think like an engineer?  When you meet with Kathy and take a holistic look at your teaching (approaches, the syllabus, students, and any concerns), you have the opportunity to analyze what is going on in your classroom.

Any discussion before an observation helps highlight for Kathy areas to especially observe. Since engineering isn’t her background, she doesn’t come into your class ready to review your content knowledge. Instead she will critique these areas:

• Organization – how is the class taught? Do students have a sense of where the class will go and what was important? Were needed materials available? Was there a summary?
• Instructional strategies – were there a variety of instructional strategies? Did the use of technology enhance or detract from the teaching? How w as the pacing? Was the professor’s thinking “visible” so that it modeled for students how to learn?
• Interactions – were students involved? Were questions asked (by the instructor and by students)? How did the professor respond to students?
• Classroom climate – were students engaged? Did the professor have rapport with students?
• Clarity – were visuals used? Were examples provided? How clear were explanations?

After an observation, Kathy meets with you to go over what she saw and the two of you will think about any changes you may want to implement. Often you will want to have her visit more than once so that she can provide ongoing insights about your teaching. If you are willing to make a time commitment, so is Kathy. Teaching involves growth and as simply put by the noted psychologist and educator, Carl Rogers, "The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change."