How to Evaluate Teaching Strategies

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Using a variety of methods to evaluate your teaching strategies will give you better feedback about how to improve your teaching and the course. In addition, students will appreciate the effort you take to include their ideas in the teaching process and to individualize your classroom approach to a particular group of students.

 Instructions

Preparing and Teaching
  • Evaluate the goals you want to impart and the skills you want students to take away from a particular class session as you are developing your lesson plan.
  • Write the goals for the class period on the board at the start of class. This will help you and the students know what to expect and may help you keep the timing of events under control.
  • Check in with yourself every now and then during the class to see if a particular mode of imparting information is working. If it isn't, make a mental note. If you feel comfortable switching gears, try that. If not, make sure to write down your evaluation of the session after class.
Reflection
  • Jot down some notes after class about what worked well or what could be improved about the class plan.
  • Think about the class members and whether they are a talkative class, a quiet class or if the students seemed bored. Depending on your answers to those questions, you may have to adjust your teaching strategy to make sure it gels with the particular group of students.
  • Adjust as necessary to compensate for anything you think is not working well in the class.
  • Review a videotape or audiotape of your class once or twice a semester. That will help you more objectively evaluate your teaching.
Feedback from Colleagues
  • Ask colleagues if you can sit in on their classes to get ideas about how to improve your own teaching effectiveness.
  • Request that colleagues sit in on your class to get some feedback from them about things you're doing well or things that can be improved in class.
  • Talk to your director or supervisor after she watches your class to learn more teaching strategies and to gain a better idea of your teaching effectiveness.
Feedback from Students
  • Read student evaluations. Although all teachers dread them, reading student evaluations is very important. Often you can see some common themes in the evaluations that will help you improve your teaching for the next semester or year.
  • Solicit student feedback at various points during the semester. You can do this by having students fill out questionnaires anonymously during the semester. You can ask students questions in the last class to find out what strategies worked for them and what didn't. You can also ask students in class after you've tried something for the first time what they thought of it.
  • Use a discussion board for your class. Sometimes, particularly if students can post anonymously, you can receive some valuable information about whether students understood a particular point in class or were confused about a lesson.
  • Make yourself accessible so that students feel like they can contact you to ask questions. This is vital to making students feel heard. If they are intimidated by you or feel you're not interested in hearing from them, they will not get in touch. As a result, you won't know if they are confused by material covered.

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