According to Adkins and Brown (2002, p.1), effective teaching involves being able to “think and problem-solve, to analyse (sic) a topic, to reflect upon what is an appropriate approach, to select key strategies and materials, and to organize and structure ideas, information and tasks for students.” While these characteristics are general and standard across the board, it is also important to consider best practices specific to your discipline. Once those methods are defined, then deans, department heads, and faculty can draft a set of standards for effective teaching in a program. The following is an excerpt of the teaching standards for tenure and promotion from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences:

Exceptional performance as determined by the Department Head may be indicated by recognition of exceptional teaching quality by peer reviews, awards, or other means, by development of new courses, by development of innovative pedagogy, or by effective participation in programs for improvement of pedagogy beyond the normal expectations associated with an evolving teaching program. Exceptional success in student research mentoring can also be recognized as contributing to exceptional teaching performance. Unsatisfactory performance may be indicated by content that is out of date, by disrespect of students, or by ineffective teaching methods as determined through peer and student teaching evaluations.

As you think about what effective teaching looks like in your discpline, consider the following:

1.What are the expectations in your discipline?

2. What are the expectations outlined in the literature?

3. Does your discipline have signature pedagogies (standard methods of teaching) and are there new approaches being adopted?

Observation Process

Classroom observations are often most effective when conducted as part of a formative assessment of teaching rather than a summative one. This gives the faculty member the opportunity to review the results of the observation(s), set pertinent improvement goals, and, if necessary, implement new teaching strategies. When used for summative assessment, we recommend having at least one formative observation first. Then, this same procedure is followed for a summative assessment of teaching. At many universities, there is no clear distinction between formative and summative evaluations, which are used for both.

1. Set up observation time with the faculty member.
2. Review syllabi and other pertinent documentation.
3. Observe the class and take notes
4. Write up the results of the observation and send/communicate the information to the faculty member.
5. Meet with the faculty member if necessary to discuss concerns.

Before the Observation

It is important for the evaluator to first review all pertinent documentation before visiting the classroom. This allows the reviewer to get a more holistic view of the instructor’s perception of students and their learning, teaching philosophy, range of teaching experience, professional development, and level of engagement with students. At a research institution like UT, the systematic asking and answering of research questions is a basic function of the professoriate. It stands to reason that faculty who are proficient in asking and answering research questions could apply that acumen to their teaching for their own benefit and that of others. Thus, evidence of course revision, syllabi creation, review of learning outcomes, and faculty development activities could all indicate points at which faculty asked questions and took action.

The following is a list of documents that can be useful to review before the observation. Keep in mind that some documents may be used for tenure/tenure-track faculty reviews rather than lecturer reviews, and vice versa.

• Curriculum Vitae
• Teaching Philosophy
• Lists of courses taught with descriptions
• Sample Syllabi
• Graded student work (with student names redacted)
• Sample assignment descriptions and rubrics
• Course handouts
• Student evaluations of teaching effectiveness
• Documentation of observations and peer evaluations
• Letters from the department head and/or peers regarding teaching effectiveness

Additionally, it is also helpful to allow the instructor to reflect upon the class before the observation. Give the instructor the opportunity to share with you any pertinent information about the class (e.g., concerns about student behavior, issues with technology, learning outcomes for the class session, handouts) that might impact the observation results. It may also be helpful for the instructor to identify their strengths and weaknesses in teaching.

During the Observation

When conducting an observation, faculty are strongly advised to keep some form of observational notes during their visit to facilitate reporting of the results.

Some campus departments have created their own observation forms for use in this process. Some departments use an observation protocol. An observation protocol is a document that defines what elements of the instruction and student behavior will be identified during the classroom visit. It is not evaluative; it is a tool that helps the observer document how frequently certain teaching and learning behaviors occur during a given class period. There are many available protocols, often developed in-house, but several are well-known nationally. TLI is currently using an adaptation of the Teaching Direct Observation Protocol (TDOP).

Others include the RTOP (primarily STEM) and PORTAAL for evidence-based teaching. Users should be aware that training in protocol use is needed. On the other hand, by consulting a protocol, faculty observers can educate themselves about the types of teacher and student behaviors to look for during a visit. The Tickle College of Engineering at UT has a classroom observation form that is also useful.

Set up an observation time with a faculty member. Review syllabi and other pertinent documentation. Observe class and take notes. Write up the results of the observation and communicate the information to the faculty member. Meet with the faculty member if necessary to discuss concerns. Evaluators can also visit online courses; the teaching observation can occur in a synchronous course. In asynchronous courses, the “observation” is more of an evaluation of the online course structure and interactions. 

The Write Up…

Once you have completed the observation(s), it is now time to write up the feedback. This process is carried out in various ways. For some departments, the results of the observation are documented in a letter from the department head. Another option is to send an email and/or a feedback form directly to the faculty member. Irrespective of the method utilized to communicate the results, it is important that the process is standardized to promote fairness. As you prepare the feedback, consider the following:

CONSOLIDATE THE FEEDBACK

• Gather all the comments from each reviewer. If there are disagreements among committee members, these should be addressed before consolidating the feedback. Discuss together what happened in the classes and decide whether the expectations outlined in the faculty handbook/bylaws/etc have been met. If the expectations have not been met, determine what the instructor needs to do (or not do) to improve.

COMMUNICATE THE FEEDBACK USING THE “SANDWICH METHOD

1. Mention first what “worked” in the class. What did the instructor do well? In what ways did the students positively respond? Observers may wish to address the content delivered. Teaching behaviors and content should be addressed in different sections. When conveying teaching feedback, be specific in describing the behaviors you’re addressing. For instance, you, as the observer, may write, “the instructor greeted students by name, asked for questions, then gave a quick overview of the goals of the class session.
2. Next, you may address a few areas in which the instructor can improve. Be specific about any concerns and, whenever possible, highlight evidence in the observation notes. Avoid statements such as: “The class was not engaging.” Instead, you might say something like: “Some students were using their cellphones during the class, and were not focused on the instruction.
3. Finally, provide suggestions for improvement. For instance, if the instructor’s class is not engaging, provide recommendations – and whenever possible, resources – to help him or her with student engagement. It might also be helpful for the instructor to visit another colleague’s class to learn from someone who is successful at student engagement. If there are multiple issues, focus on the most concerning ones. Ideally, the observation process should be formative so that major concerns can be vetted before the summative evaluation
4. Provide the observational notes/protocol along with your notes. The observational notes should follow the flow of the class session and help both the observer and the instructor remember what happened.

COLLABORATE WITH THE REVIEWEE ON HIS/HER DEVELOPMENT

Provide opportunities for the reviewee to respond to the feedback and discuss how he or she should do so. Is there a time when the instructor can meet with you to discuss the feedback? With whom should he or she address any questions or concerns? If necessary, assist the reviewee in developing a growth plan for ongoing improvement/sustaining teaching

Preparing for the Observation

1. Identify the learning objectives for the class your reviewer will be visiting. 
2. Inform the reviewer(s) of any concerns you have about the observation (e.g., certain student behaviors, technology issues, etc.) beforehand.
3. Organize all required documentation
4. Talk to peers who have already undergone the process. 
5. Reflect upon any feedback that you have received from students. Consider your own knowledge of your strengths.

Self-Assessment and Reflection

In the next part of this guide, we will discuss how reflection can be a useful tool when considering your growth as an instructor. Effective teaching not only positively impacts student success and retention rates, but it is also integral to the growth and longevity of disciplinary programs. Teaching observations and regular reflection about instruction should be encouraged and integrated into departmental cultures. When faculty reflect on their teaching, they are better able to identify their strengths and areas for growth.

What is “good” self-reflection in the context of a peer evaluation? One benefit of the self-reflection process is that it gives you the opportunity to think about any information that you feel might not be evident during the observation or that might explain what the evaluator may see. Some important questions to consider BEFORE and AFTER the observation(s) might include:

• Pre-Observation
  • As it pertains to teaching, what do you feel are your areas of strength?
  • What are some areas in which you would like to grow? How will you actively pursue this growth in the next three years?
  • What are the learning outcomes of the session, and how will you assess whether students have met those outcomes?
  • What aspects of the session do you think will be most successful? What parts of the class session will be most challenging? How will you address these challenges?
  • In a sentence or two, describe your classroom “culture.”
  • What would you like the evaluator to know about the class before the observation?
• Post-Observation
  • What, in your opinion, were the strengths of the session? What did not work well during the session?
  • If you could change any of the teaching strategies utilized during the session, what would you do differently?
  • Were the students able to meet the learning outcomes? How did you determine this?
  • Given your assessment of the students’ learning during the session, what concerns (if any) will you need to address?
  • Did you feel that students were engaged during the session?
  • What questions did your students have, and how will you address them?

At times, departments might provide a teaching rubric to assess faculty members’ teaching ability. Part of the post-observation reflection process might involve you conducting a self-evaluation by assessing your performance using the rubric. That said, providing the rubric to all faculty in the department communicates clear expectations for good teaching in the content area and provides an additional tool to help faculty engage their own teaching practices. Once observations have taken place and you have had an opportunity to get feedback about your teaching, it is important for both you and the evaluator to identify areas of strength, define opportunities for growth, and collaborate on a long-term plan for improvement.

Goal-Setting and Developing a Growth Plan

Once you have done some reflection on the class session, as well as on the feedback from the reviewers, you can now begin the process of setting goals and establishing a growth plan. Although many departments do not require a written growth plan, it can help educators ensure ongoing improvement by fostering accountability. A good growth plan consists of three main components:

• a set of reasonable goals,
• examples of development opportunities you will pursue to achieve those goals
• names of people or organizations that can help me
• a timeline for completion of the activities listed.

The first step of the process is identifying opportunities for growth. In looking at your feedback from both the reviewers and student evaluations, and your own self-assessment, what are some areas in which you would like to improve in your teaching? Once you have identified these areas, look for professional development opportunities, peers, and/or professional conferences that can help you meet these goals.

Finally, decide on a reasonable timeframe to complete these activities. This is where prioritizing can be useful. For instance, you might identify some opportunities for growth that are more “urgent” than others. These goals would need to be addressed in the first year rather than during year two. The process of prioritizing can be completed with a peer, your department head, or a TLI staff member. Working with a “partner” can reinforce a sense of accountability and may provide additional insight about available resources to help you meet your goals. The next page contains a sample form that you can use to draft your growth plan.