Over the years I spent in the program at TCU, one of the requirements was that we obtain letters from other students and faculty of our teaching. I dreaded this aspect of the program, as I have always felt that teaching is a form of performance, but with the inclusion of a faculty member to watch me, the footlights felt even hotter to me.
Fortunately, there are some great faculty members at TCU, and it was less a grading opportunity and more of an opportunity to hear from a “seasoned pro” some good tips and suggestions for how I might improve my classroom approach.
I was lucky at UNCC as well to have a great observation opportunity with Cat Mahaffey, and as is the case with so many of us who are educators, we spent a great deal of pleasurable time talking about our pedagogies and our approaches to the challenges unique to writing instructors. I miss having the chance to “talk shop” with other instructors, and this observation was just plain fun.
Below are some of the letters I have accumulated over the years.
Central Piedmont Community College (Cato Campus) 2019 Observation