 Faculty
Working with GSIs
|
|
Observe Your GSIs in the Classroom
Faculty are sometimes reluctant
to observe GSIs in the classroom because they fear this will change the
tone of the section, make the GSI inordinately nervous, or be misunderstood
as "checking up on" the GSI. We encourage you to rethink what
observations are all about and to see the observation as a way for you to
collaborate with the GSI in the spirit of improving teaching rather than
as a means of evaluation. When conducting an observation, faculty should
meet with the GSI on the day prior to the observation and discuss how the
course is going, what the GSI would like feedback on and what s/he will
be teaching on that day and how. After the observation, the faculty members
should meet with the GSIs to discuss how the class went. Together, they
should formulate 2 or 3 areas of teaching that the GSI would like to work
on to improve and devise specific ways to accomplish those goals. Most graduate
students need to have a letter in their dossiers that addresses their ability
to teach. If you observe classes you will be in a position to write such
a letter for a candidate. For guidelines on how to conduct a classroom observation,
contact the GSI Teaching and Resource Center.
|
[