The self-evaluation process
The self-evaluation process is a crucial aspect of our professional development as faculty. It is designed to foster a culture of continuous improvement and responsiveness to the unique educational, cultural, and historical perspectives on our campus. It is important to note that the approach is intentionally not prescriptive. We recognize the diversity in teaching methodologies, subject matter expertise, and personal teaching philosophies of our faculty. The process is designed to honor this diversity and provide a flexible framework where you can identify areas for growth and chart a course for your own development by setting goals that align with your vision for continuous improvement. The intent is not just self-improvement but the collective advancement and innovation of our teaching standards and, consequently, the quality of education we provide with the mission of our students at the center.
In addition to reflecting on the course from the perspective of student experiences and peer feedback, a comprehensive self-evaluation of teaching includes reflection and reflexivity. The purpose is to examine your thoughts and experiences to encourage creativity and innovation, and to clarify and set goals based on new understandings of yourself as an educator in the broader system of our campus. The idea of reflecting on one’s own practice is evident in mindful introspection, dialogues with peers about relevant and critical issues, as well as more systematic and rigorous evaluation of one’s teaching towards identifying and adapting as needed. However, reflection on its own does not necessarily guarantee practice that is informed by evidence and context.
Being reflexive means examining our own attitudes, thought processes, and assumptions toward greater awareness of what we bring to our teaching and interactions with students. Being open to these aspects that shape who we are in the learning space allows for increased awareness and understanding to help identify our own biases and blind spots. Awareness about who we are and how that influences our teaching practice allows us to avoid unintentionally creating roadblocks for students and engage in equity-minded teaching.
Self-evaluation and reflexive feedback should demonstrate continued evidence of growth toward one or more Dimensions of Effective Teaching. Reflexive teaching asks instructors to think critically about their teaching, looking for evidence of effective teaching, and areas for improvement. This critical analysis draws on a variety of sources, such as the following. The evidence you include should be explicitly linked to your teaching goal.
For a reflexive teaching approach to be successful, reflexivity must be linked to action, especially toward a specific goal. Reflexive teaching may leverage self-assessment, classroom observations, consideration of student evaluations, or exploration of educational research in the advancement and improvement of an instructor's teaching practice. Because each semester’s students and their needs are different, reflexive teaching is a continual practice that supports effective and student-centered teaching. There are multiple ways to gather data and insight on one’s own teaching practice to engage in reflection and reflexivity:
Examining your teaching practices inventory as well as an equity-focused strategy list can raise your awareness of teaching strategies that you are using and support exploration of new strategies to help meet your teaching goal. (Wieman and Gilbert, 2014)
Commit to writing a 5-10 minute reflection periodically throughout a term capturing a few details about your teaching. What went well today? What could I have done differently? How will I modify my instruction next time?
Video record a lesson and use the classroom observation protocol to self-assess your own practice, looking for evidence toward your teaching goal or areas for growth.
The purpose of creating a positionality statement is to examine how our own identities and assumptions can play a role in your teaching. In our position as educators, our reflexivity teaching statement refers to the layers of complexity that make up our social identity and create the lens for how we see and interact with the world around us (Jacob & Mustafa, 2019). A teaching statement is a short summary of your individual identity and what influences your approach to teaching. It helps us to consider the impact that our experiences, beliefs, and potential biases may have on our students. While some feel that sharing a teaching statement has lost meaning, others argue that this helps connect to students in ways that support their academic success. Whether you ultimately decide to share your statement with your students is up to you. Use the guiding questions in Harrington's (2022) article – Reflect on Your Positionality to Ensure Student Success – to draft your own teaching statement.
As you begin to write your 2-page reflexive narrative (self-evaluation of teaching), consider using the guiding questions below. These questions will help you engage in reflexive evaluation, specifically related to your identified teaching goal.