TE+250+Student+comments

It has been challenging to articulate my ongoing evaluation of my teaching. I know I am a good teacher—passionate and reflective. However, most days I find myself asking, “What didn’t I do today that should have been done? What was helpful? How can I take what I learned about my students today and use that in determining the pedagogy and content of our next class?” (In other words, I don’t walk around thinking, “What makes me an excellent teacher?”). After each class, I spend time reflecting on what occurred during class, and what needs to happen next. Regardless of what happens in class, I attempt to model good teaching every single class period. One aspect of teaching about which I am very deliberate is modeling what it looks like to get to know, and care for my students. I encourage students to communicate with me—I know life happens, and sometimes, life needs a little more attention than a paper or assignment. I do my best to notice my students each class period—are they engaged as usual? If not, what’s going on? I will ask how they are or send an email letting them I noticed they didn’t seem like their “usual self” in class…I hope they’re okay. I hope that they will take this concern with them into their teaching. I asked a number of former students from sections prior to this semester to comment on 1) their learning, and/or 2) my teaching behavior. I know that these comments do not clearly demonstrate student learning, but rather, what the students think about their learning, what was helpful for them, and what they have taken away from TE 250. As a teacher educator, I find this information helpful in preparing to ask students to reflect on their own learning through out the semester, as well as what is meaningful for them. The Works Home