Use the Classroom Observation Form to engage the Tenure Track Candidate in a conversation about reflective teaching. The form is designed to facilitate a conversation with a colleague that considers the craft of teaching. The primary audience is your colleague. Consider, as you fill out the form, will your comments improve teaching?

The Assignment Ratings Create Context for your Reactions Consider a recommendation for a spicy new cuisine. Is that a positive or negative characterization of the fare? The assignment ratings help your colleague to distinguish commendations from recommendations. The “Needs Improvement” and “Significant Concern” indicators describe the gravity and immediacy of the issue.

The bulleted “list of elements” is only designed to help. You may not identify anything noteworthy about the syllabus in relationship to the following indicators. You might, however, observe something that is not captured by these suggested elements. These listed elements are designed, only, to offer some observations you might make. You are not limited to or by these suggestions, but they should prove helpful.

Use the Description of Class Session Observed to Provide an Outline of Events. If you choose to set your inner Charles Dickens free, you might provide a lengthy and detailed play-by-play of the class, but you do not have to. A two or three sentence summary is perfectly sufficient.

Remember the Audience for the form is your colleague not the administration. The Learning Environment is, absolutely, affected by factors beyond the instructor’s control. If a projector malfunctions, or water leaks from the ceiling, students will respond. If the teacher is effective despite such obstacles, perhaps it evidences that the teacher is sensitive responsive to the learning environment.

Observe both the students and the instructor. It may be difficult for the instructor to hear the students at the rearmost lab bench cursing amongst others that they’ll “never pass Micro!” You can, and maybe you can, also, see that given just a few moments more wait time, they could keep pace with the students sitting in the “Teaching T” (student seating arrangement style). Such comments could prove, particularly insightful to your colleague as evidence of your comment rating.

A rating of “strong” warrants an accordingly strong commendation. If the instructor you observed had the charm of Betty White, the wit of Bill Cosby, the wisdom of Confucius, and the teaching technology skills to shame Bill Gates, say so! “Strong” is one indicator that really deserves a powerful justification.

The evaluation form may obligate you to clarify your understanding of a criterion. The term “Critical Thinking” means different things to different instructors, even if we share a general consensus about the characteristics of it. As you comment or respond, you will reveal your own judgment of the term. Though other criteria on the evaluation form seem more straightforward, all of your evaluations are based on your own values as a teacher. Sometimes, a comment obligates you to be transparent about your own biases or beliefs.

A “Significant Concern” is a teaching habit that hurts students. Perhaps the instructor could write clearer or speak louder. If the instructor is, however, demeaning students or making offensive comments, then an immediate intervention is required. It may take the teacher a great deal of time to recognize and self regulate bullying behaviors, but the “significant concern” indicates that the instructor must make an action plan and begin working towards change, immediately. If the colleague is truly oblivious to this behavior, pointing this out could prove invaluable.

Any Action Plan should be listed under Additional Comments. For any criteria where you have indicated “Significant concern”, and for some comments where you have indicated “Needs Improvement,” you and the candidate will create an action plan. The Action Plan does not need to be long, but it must identify measurable next steps, a date for completion and follow up. If the colleague does not agree that an aspect of teaching is a problem or “significant concern,” still list your recommendations for next steps. Your colleague has a right to disagree, and this evaluation form affords you the right to offer your advice.