Faculty-to-Faculty Observation

Pre-Observation Guide

Before you observe each other’s classrooms, hold a short meeting (half an hour or so) to discuss teaching styles, strengths, challenges and interests.  This conversation will give each participating faculty member a sense of what to focus on while observing class and during the post-observation reflection.  Your discussion can be extremely informal.  You may want to use these questions to start discussion but you do not need to limit yourselves to them.  

1.  Describe your course.  What are the students like (majors/non-majors; first year or senior)?  Is it required or elective?  Where does it fit in the curriculum of your department?

2. Would you like the observer to focus on a certain aspect of your teaching?

3.  How do you teach the course?  [lecture, discussion, a combination, labs, small group activities, other course activities]  Have you made any recent changes?  Are there any special constraints or issues that someone from outside the class should know about?

4.  What goals do you have for students in this course?  What do you do to help students reach these goals?

5.  How does this class fit into the larger scheme of the course?  Is this class typical or unusual?

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