Currently the Sheridan Center is not offering teaching observations for graduate students. Faculty seeking observations should contact [email protected] for options.
Looking for constructive feedback on your teaching? Interested in improving student learning? Request a free and confidential Teaching Observation. Teaching Observations provide the opportunity for collaborative discussion and cross-disciplinary feedback that can lead to reflective changes in your teaching.
Faculty members may request teaching observations, consultations, and early student feedback with Sheridan staff by submitting an online request.
Graduate students may request teaching observations with Sheridan peer Teaching Consultants by following the process below.
A Teaching Observation is composed of three “touchpoints”: an initial consultation, a teaching observation, and a follow-up consultation. For graduate students requesting a Teaching Observation, two of the Sheridan Center’s trained Teaching Consultants will arrange an initial consultation meeting to discuss your teaching goals and areas of interest or concern. Consultants will then visit and observe your course and provide feedback related to your goals in a follow-up consultation meeting. The Teaching Observation process is deliberately interdisciplinary. Your Consultants will be from different disciplines in order to provide feedback from multiple perspectives.
What to Expect
1. Request an Observation
To arrange a Teaching Observation, fill out an online request form at least two weeks prior to the date when you would like to be observed. This form asks you to describe the context and your goals for the observation. The Sheridan Center will notify you via email once your Teaching Observation has been successfully scheduled.
2. Initial Consultation
Your Teaching Consultants will contact you to arrange for a brief, initial consultation meeting to discuss your goals for the observation, the context for your course or teaching opportunity, and answer any questions you may have about the observation process. Some suggestions for discussing goals.
3. Observation
Two Teaching Consultants will observe your course or session for 50 minutes. Please advise your students in advance that the class will be observed for your benefit, not for evaluating student performance. If you chose to have your course video recorded, you will receive a copy of your video to review before your follow-up consultation meeting.
4. Follow-up Consultation
You will meet with your Teaching Consultants within two weeks of the observation to discuss their observations and feedback. You will receive written documentation of their observations intended for use in your professional development.
5. Follow-up Feedback
After completing your observation and follow-up consultation, the Sheridan Center will send you a survey to help us gauge the effectiveness of our work. This feedback is valuable to us (and required for all Certificate I participants), and we ask that you please take a few moments to complete the form.