Guidelines for teaching observation

Here are a few questions to guide your writing / give you a better idea of what I am looking for:

• Does the paper discuss the pedagogical goals/outcomes that the instructor is trying to achieve?
• Does the paper discuss the teaching techniques used to achieve these goals/outcomes?
• Does the paper assess whether or not the instructor met his or her goals (and consider why/why not)?

• Is the paper sufficiently critical (i.e., discusses both what worked and what could be improved)?
• Is the assessment of teaching based on course theory?
• Does the paper make sufficient and specific reference to the readings?
• Does the paper discuss what can be learned from this observation for one's own teaching?
• Does the paper include a comparison/contrast of the two instructors? [second paper only]

• Is the paper well organized (through clearly defined paragraphs or use of headings)?
• Is the paper free from typos, grammatical errors, and other writing problems?
• Does the paper adhere to the mechanics of the assignment (as outlined in the syllabus)?

In terms of length, I recommend 3 to 5 double-spaced pages. Generally, solid observations are characterized by lots of detail.