Reflective Teaching

Yale University’s Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning provided the following examples of both self and external teaching assessments:

1. Reflection Journal: A reflection journal allows instructors to record details of their teaching directly after class and create an ongoing narrative of their teaching. Taking 5 or so minutes after class, the instructor writes thoughts on the day’s lesson. Instructors might reflect on the following questions: What went well? What could I have done differently? How will I modify my instruction in the future?
2. Teaching Philosophy: Writing a teaching philosophy can be a helpful exercise. In reflecting about teaching. Teaching philosophies ask instructors to articulate their knowledge of teaching and learning with details from the classroom. Philosophies can include teaching habits, best practices, asperations, and pedagogical goals.
3. Teaching Inventories: A number of inventories have been developed to help instructors assess their teaching approaches. These inventories are often designed to assess use of particular pedagogies and consist of multiple choice questions on a Likert-scale and typically take less than 10 – 15 minutes to complete.
4. Video-Recorded Teaching Practices: Instructors can video-record themselves while teaching and then watch the video, using an classroom observation protocol  or teaching inventory. Observing oneself can be effective for revealing assumptions about one’s teaching.
5. Peer or Departmental Observation and Feedback: Instructors can ask a colleague or administrator to observe their classroom using an observation protocol and then give them feedback on their teaching. They can also use one of the teaching inventories available online. These observations are meant to be non-evaluative and promote reflection. They begin with a discussion in which the instructor describes course goals and format as well as any issues or teaching practices that are of primary concern in order to provide a context for the observation and the post-observation conversation. (The CTE is available to conduct such observations.)
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6. Student Evaluations (Midterm and End-of-Term):  Instructors can obtain feedback from students in the form of midterm feedback and/or end-of-term student evaluations. Because of potential bias, instructors should consider student evaluations as one data source in their instruction and take note of any prevailing themes rather than dwelling on individual items. (See Developing and Implementing Midterm Feedback and Interpreting End of Semester Course Evaluations.)

They also made the following recommendations:

• Use multiple data sources: Considering teaching from at least two different perspectives can provide a more holistic view of instruction. It is best to compare and review outcome data carefully and reflect on it with a colleague before making changes.
• Don’t Rush: To keep a teaching log, schedule dedicated time to write entries, ideally soon after class ends, rather than hoping to find a moment throughout the day. Changes in teaching are best made slowly – the usual recommendation is one core change per term.
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• Find a friend: Find a colleague or two to meet with to discuss teaching techniques. This may include a faculty member who teaches the same or similar course or any trusted colleague or administrator. It may also include more than one colleague to form a group that meets regularly to discuss teaching-related issues.

Once an instructor had gathered some information about what goes on in a class, the next step involves reflecting on the data.  According to the University of Manitoba Centre for Advancement of Teaching and Learning, these are some options for what to do next:

• Think: Through your observation and consultation, you may have noticed patterns occurring in your teaching or things about your teaching that you were previously unaware of. Your students’ feedback may surprise you or confirm what you have already suspected. Ideas for changes to try out may begin to form as you study the data you have collected from various sources.
• Talk: By talking about what you have discovered – to a supportive colleague or even a friend – you may be able to come up with some ideas for how to do things differently.
  You can meet to discuss issues of concern with colleagues who also wish to develop their teaching.
• Read: You may decide that you need to find out more about a certain area. There is an extensive literature on developments in pedagogy. The CTE has information on selected topics, with lists of resources.

The Temple University Center for the Advancement of Teaching suggests that a faculty member  ask themselves these questions to guide their reflection on their teaching:
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• Design of instruction: Have you clearly defined the learning goals you have for your course? Do the assessments in your course measure the goals you have for student learning outcomes? Do the activities you facilitate (lectures, discussions, readings) create experiences for students to reach those goals?
• Course management: Did your schedule of readings, activities, and assignments work well? For instance, do all of your assignments fall at the same time, or are they evenly spaced out? How do you organize assignment deadlines and manage grading?
• Knowledge of subject matter: Is there new scholarship in your field that you would like to explore and perhaps address in future iterations of your course?
• Teacher–Student interactions: What are the different ways you interact with students? Are you “the sage on the stage,” a facilitator of learning, or something else…? How do you relate to students during office hours and via email?