The CTE offers a variety of confidential consultations about teaching. These allow you to reflect on your work in the classroom with the support of a trained teaching consultant. If you would like…
- to find out your students’ perceptions on how the course is affecting their learning, try an Engaging Students’ Perspectives (ESP) survey.
- feedback from an outside, nonjudgmental observer on some aspect of the course or your teaching strategies, try an in-class observation.
- to discuss a teaching issue, such as designing courses and assignments, difficult classroom situations, teaching with technology, engaging learners, and making sense of end-of-semester evaluations, try a one-on-one consultation.
We also offer support for instructors engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and curriculum (re)design efforts. If you are engaged in research on your own teaching effectiveness and want advice about designing and carrying out your project or if you are involved in your department’s curriculum design work, request a one-on-one consultation to meet with a CTE faculty member who has expertise in that area.
Here is a short video describing these services.
Do you wish you could read your students’ minds? While not exactly a mind-reading tool, ESP focus groups will tell you what your students are thinking about your course and how to make it better. Conducted at the mid-semester point, ESPs ask your students to reflect on what helps and hinders their learning and solicits their suggestions for improvement. ESPs are facilitated by a trained CTE teaching consultant who will also help you interpret the feedback and brainstorm strategies for addressing it. Instead of individual student opinions provided through end-of-semester evaluations, ESPs give you a majority feedback that you can use right away—not next semester. And another benefit: Students highly value your interest in their ideas about the course!
ESPs are conducted between the fourth and ninth weeks of the semester.
Would you like a fresh perspective on your teaching as it unfolds in the classroom? An in-class observation offers you valuable information and a space to reflect on your work as a teacher. Prior to the observation, you can tell the consultant what aspect of your course and teaching you would like to receive feedback on and we will tailor the observation accordingly.
