last updated: Jul 09 2009
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The University of Texas at Austin
Executive Vice President and Provost

GSI
TA Talk Highlight

Ted Hipple and Tricia McClam summarize their &Tips for Better Teaching", in the March 11, 2002 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education. According to the authors, "Our suggestions are not couched in scholarly prose, nor are they supported by data. Many of them are informed more by common sense than by academic accoutrements." (This may mean, in my experience, that you're now more likely to read the article!) Since this is a time of the semester when "Tips" might be all we can handle, the bullet points are listed below. To read the complete article click here.

The question that the authors, both professors in the College of Education at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, seek to answer is simple:

"What are some of the things that good college teachers seem to do?"

Here are their answers.

1. They go to class 5 or 10 minutes early.
2. They not only have a syllabus, they have a visible plan for the day.

3. But they get off the syllabus and the daily plan now and then.

4. They vary their routines.

5. They sometimes give collaborative assignments.

6. They allow different modes of intelligence to operate.

7. Good college teachers help students get to know each other.

8. They expect good work from their students.

9. They expect good work from themselves.

10. They consider how they grade.

11. They talk to their students about teaching.

12. They talk with their colleagues about teaching.

13. They reflect on their teaching.

Guidelines for Peer Observation

• Share ideas with your partner on how to provide feedback. Share this article.
• Meet prior to the class to let her know if there is something you'd like specific feedback on. Do you want her to spend most time watching you or watching students? Do you want to know if you're intelligible or if you ask good questions? The more specific guidelines you provide, the more useful the feedback will be.
• Share your lesson plan and objectives. Discuss the observation form that you'd like to use.
• Provide your observer with a "context" for the feedback. What's generally gone well in the class? Where are some specific areas where you feel "stuck"? Is there a particular student who presents a challenge?
• Tell your students that you have an observer coming and tell them the reason why - that you are trying to improve your teaching. Students are frequently impressed and more sympathetic to an instructor who acknowledges the need to improve. The Feedback Session
• Arrange a time to meet at your earliest mutual convenience in order to process the observation. The observer should plan to bring the completed observation form.
• If you're giving the feedback: Avoid the tendency to to be a "cheerleader" for this person - pointing out only his positive attributes. Think of what would benefit you - and for most of us it's a combination of some honest constructive criticism, some affirmation that we're doing some things well, and if possible, some concrete suggestions for how to be even more effective. Offer supportive comments first. I sometimes like to ask the instructor questions like: "How typical was this of your classes?" What do you think went well? What do you wish you'd done differently? " This gives them a chance to say some of the things that you may have said anyway. Make your comments as specific and behavioral as possible. It's more helpful to say, "You posed questions to three students and you knew their names and were patient in waiting for them to reply", than "You had great student rapport." Be honest, but kind. If there are a number of problem areas, focus on discussing the two or three that would make the biggest difference in student learning. Keep in mind that everyone has a different style of teaching, and chooses different activities. Keep the focus on how effective the class was in facilitating student learning.
• If you're receiving the feedback: Again, be honest with yourself and with your observer. The goal is improvement, not "saving face". If you had a terrible day, say so! If it was the best class you'd taught all semester, again, say so. Listen with an open mind and try not to be defensive. At DIIA we call these the "Yes, buts" - the instructors who consistently have a reason to offer for why they can't do something we suggest, or why things were really better than you might think. These folks don't typically learn much from our observations.
• Compare teaching experiences. The peer observation is an excellent opportunity to share approaches, and collaborate to solve similar instructional problems.

The Classroom Observation Form (pdf) highlights the major behaviors shown to be important to effective teaching. For those of you who aren't accustomed to giving feedback, a form can provide an invaluable starting point in structuring a conversation about teaching. You can modify this form to suit your purposes or you can develop your own. Some people prefer an open-ended questionnaire, while others prefer the structure of a checklist or rating sheet. Finally, combine these observations with student feedback from either formal or informal assessment to further "flesh out" the picture of your teaching. In addition, consider other ways that you and your peers can support one another's teaching. Some departments have informal weekly get-togethers or brown bags to discuss teaching, others organize teaching materials in one location where TAs can go and browse for ideas. Others form mentor-mentee relationships from the beginning of the academic year. If you'd like more suggestions on improving the graduate student teaching in your department, please let me know. I'll be happy to meet with you and a group of TAs or faculty to explore what might work for your department.