Evaluation of Teaching

1. Ask your department what criteria will be utilized to evaluate your teaching (i.e. a specific  rubric).
2. Determine what course/class period is more appropriate for a class evaluation (for example, avoid days when students take an in-class exam, or work on group projects that do not allow the instructor to fully showcase their skills).
3. Clarify the objectives of the lesson observed (this is a good practice to include in all lessons, not only when you are being observed) and consider sharing your lesson plan and/or syllabus  with the evaluator.
4. Make sure to implement examples of student engagement and interaction, even during a lecture.

Sample class evaluation template (Google Doc)

Sample online class peer evaluation (Google Slide) (MADT 344)

1. Communicate with the instructor you are going to evaluate at least 5 days prior to scheduling the evaluation.
2. Be specific in your feedback: share specific examples from the class observed, clarify what worked well and why, and/or provide recommendations for improving specific teaching practices.
3. Review standards for online course evaluation (PDF) (if applicable).

1. Refer to your department standards to determine what counts as evidence of excellence in teaching.
2. Provide evidence from your course, including: syllabi, sample assignment or activity descriptions, sample presentations, assessment data, sample student work, examples of active/experiential learning, opportunities for civic engagement, evidence of inclusive pedagogy, etc.
3. Write a narrative that explains the impact of your pedagogy on student learning and success (avoid simply listing evidence without commenting about the impact of your practices).
4. Refer to FPPP  Section 8.1.4 for criteria about teaching effectiveness for probationary faculty and Section 10.2.5 for criteria about teaching effectiveness for lecturer faculty (refer to the latest version of the FPPP document).

Sample 1: Addressing Sustainability Challenges in the Classroom(opens in new window)  
Sample 2: Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness in Computer Science (Google Slide)   
Sample 3: Sample Dossier Narrative (English) (Google Doc)   
Sample 4: Sample Dossier Narrative - Teaching Effectiveness (Media Arts/Design)(opens in new window)   
Sample 5: College of Communication and Education Resources
Tenured-Tenure Track Faculty Dossier Exemplars  
Temporary Faculty Supplemental Evidence Exemplars

1. Identify recurrent trends in the student feedback, and address broad themes, as opposed to focusing on individual comments.
2. Identify both areas of success and areas for potential improvement.
3. Respond to the student feedback providing evidence of changes you made (or plan to make) in your course to address potential concerns.
4. Engage in a critical discussion of the student feedback as opposed to simply summarizing it.
5. Refer to FPPP Section 8.1.4.a.1 for criteria about Student Feedback on Teaching and Learning (SFOT) for probationary faculty and Section 9.1.2.c.1 for criteria about Student Feedback on Teaching and Learning (SFOT) for lecturer faculty (refer to the latest version of the FPPP document).

1. Avoid summarizing the evaluation and instead respond to strengths and/or recommendations addressed in the peer evaluation.
2. Offer concrete ideas on how to modify teaching practices that might need improvement.
3. Provide clarification if the peer evaluation needs additional context.