During the past couple of weeks, I have observed two of my colleagues teach. I observed Rob Como in an English 111 (College Composition I) and Laura Casal in an English 111/009 (College Composition I with Individualized Instruction). My experienced colleagues, both of whom have been teaching for over 20 years, demonstrated certain strategies and techniques that echo both some of what I do in my classroom and also some of what we have been reading about. I found some of the demonstrated activities to be useful for my classes as well.
In Rob’s class, his students were reviewing and practicing MLA in-text citation format for their upcoming research paper assignment. He began the class with a brief pop quiz on the material they were supposed to read the night before. They then briefly reviewed the answers to the quiz, and he discussed any questions the students had. After that, he briefly reviewed what they had been previously discussing in class last time, asking students to respond to his questions and prompts about the rules and purposes of in-text citations—to both engage them in the discussion and to check for their comprehension of what they had been doing. When students got stuck or seemed confused, rather than correcting the student, he would ask other students what they thought to engage the class at all times. After a few minutes of this discussion, he passed out an in-class assignment sheet for an activity in which students would use example sentences and sources to complete them with the correct in-text citation format. He had students begin the activity on their own for a few minutes, and when most students had finished, he had them get into small groups to discuss their answers. After this, he reviewed the activity with the whole class and responded to student questions. At the end of class, he asked the students to explain the top five most important things they should know about in-text citations, and he wrote their answers on the white board. This last activity helped to summarize and reinforce what the students had been learning that day in class.
Throughout the class, I noticed that Rob had a comfortable and friendly rapport with his students. The class had about 25 students in it, and he knew all of their names and called on students frequently throughout the class in a way that was non-intimidating. He didn’t show judgment of students but rather encouraged them and joked around with them at times. His students seemed to like him, and they seemed to be comfortable speaking in class and presenting their ideas.
On another day, I observed Laura Casal’s English 111/009 class. Laura’s students were also working on the research paper unit, but that day they were working on developing and supporting arguments and positions. Laura had described to me ahead of time what they would be doing that day to give me some background to the assignment. She had divided the class up into groups and each group had taken a position on an issue so that different groups had opposing viewpoints on the same issue. The two groups who presented that day were arguing for and against the legalization of medical marijuana. Each group had previously met to discuss the issue, develop main points to support their position and then do some research to help support those points. Each group also had to prepare to refute the strongest arguments of the opposing view. The groups went in turn, with each member discussing one of the main points or refutation of opposing views. If the student didn’t provide enough clear or specific explanation or support for the point, Laura prompted them to clarify and elaborate with help from their group members if necessary. So, it was a somewhat laid back and interactive presentation rather than a high-stakes, high-pressure one. After each group presented their arguments, she also asked the rest of the class for their thoughts, responses, and feedback.
As in Rob’s class, Laura also had clearly established a comfortable rapport and relationship with her students. She called on them by name and addressed them with respect, but also pushed them to think through and support their responses specifically and thoroughly, yet she was not judgmental or discouraging regarding their answers, even when they fell short or needed improvement. Rather than telling them they were wrong, she encouraged them to elaborate more and explain it more specifically. The class was also very interactive, and she was sitting with the students in a student desk for much of it.
In both classes, Laura and Rob did not stand at the front of the class and lecture for the majority of the class. In fact, there wasn’t much in the way of lecturing in either case. They acted less as the “sage on the stage” and more as “guides on the side.” Neither of them relied on the “banking model” of education but rather acted as facilitators for student learning. In both cases they also used activities that were highly interactive and collaborative rather than having students sit passively or work solely on their own. They also made a point to summarize and recap what they had been discussing and to also check for student understanding toward the end of the class.
Because I teach the same courses that I observed, and because each of them employed useful activities to teach material that I also teach, I will seriously consider trying out at least one activity that each of them used that day, and, of course, they both gave me hard copies of assignments and welcomed me to use them if I wanted. In the case of Laura’s debate activity, as I discussed with her afterward, it is a good way to get students to actively think through the process of developing solid arguments and support that considers the audiences and what views others may hold that they may need to refute. A collaborative activity like this not only encourages students to work together, but in the group process some students will end up helping and teaching others—which can benefit both the teacher and learner.
One thing that Rob did that I use to some extent but that I have wanted to use more is the short wrap-up/informal assessment activity at the end of class when he informally quizzes the class on what they have learned. Not only does this offer feedback on ones teaching, but it is also short, informal, and not a high-pressure, graded quiz. I try to do something like this, but I would like to be able to do at least a couple of minutes of informal assessment and review at the end of every class. I will need to be sure to save time at the end for a short activity like this each time—which is can be a challenge when there is so much to do and so little time.
In both cases, Rob and Laura are good models for a teacher’s interaction with and respect for students that creates a positive and comfortable learning environment. One thing that I plan to do more of is calling on students. In the past, I have usually avoided putting students on the spot because I have thought that it can be intimidating for many students and make them uncomfortable, but these examples show that it is more about how one calls on students, and it can be done in a non-intimidating way. Overall, I found the observations to be very beneficial, and I intend to observe a couple of other colleagues teach at least once a semester.
Observing one’s colleagues teach is a wonderful way to learn, and very energizing, too. Also, I think it’s also useful to solicit observations of one’s own teaching, to gain regular feedback that isn’t just from students, to make sure one isn’t slipping into bad habits, and to build a file of letters to support one’s analyses of one’s own teaching.