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Classroom Observation Form (Open-Ended)

Instructor: Mr. David Turnbloom Course:

Observer: Dr. Richard Gaillardetz Number of students present: approx.. 30 Location: Gasson 309

Exploring Catholicism I

Date/time of observation: Sept. 20, 2012, 9-10:15 am

NOTE:
This form provides 5 areas for observation, and may be used by the observer to record feedback during the classroom visit. The observer is encouraged to provide feedback for each area of the instructors teaching practices which was observed. Observer Feedback 1. Knowledge Of topic David demonstrated an excellent mastery of the material. He was able to speak with only occasional reference to notes. More importantly he controlled the material effectively and had a good sense of when terms required explanation. Understandably, he does not yet know all the students names but he does have a very good sense of the level of the students own background. He did a very nice job of pitching the class material at the appropriate level.

Of students

2. Organization Before class David and I met before class on several occasions to discuss what was expected of him. The task he was given was really quite difficult; I was asking him to cover an extraordinary amount of material in three class sessions. He demonstrated a remarkable ability to synthesize the material to be covered in a very accessible way. It was obvious from his lecture notes and performance in class that he had done ample preparation for the classes. David nicely began the class with a brief review of the previous class material and used Power Point slides effectively to jog the

Introduction

memory of the students. Topic progression David developed the topic quite well. My only suggestion on this score was that he might have used numbered headings and subheadings on his Power Point Slides to help the students follow the larger flow of the course material. He used the last few minutes to nicely draw the material together and made some helpful connections with the material covered in the previous class. Again, David was given a very difficult assignment in terms of the amount of material he was asked to cover. Given that, I thought he paced himself extraordinarily well.

Summary

Use of time

3. Skills and Techniques Enforces class rules Use of room Use of active learning strategies Method of teaching Checks for understanding Visual/class aids Addresses questions N/A N/A There was minimal use of more active learning strategies, but again, that was largely a result of the amount of material he was charged with covering. David, relied largely on lecture, but his style was informal and quite engaging. He did a very good job of periodically checking to see if the students were following the material. The Power Point slides were very well done. I particularly liked the use of art and humor in the slides. David was very effective in responding to students questions. He received several questions that addressed issues of significant complexity. He succeeded in giving a solid answer that didnt overload the students with more scholarly detail than they could manage.

4. Communication Listens to students The format of the class did not call for a lot of extended listening to student feedback but he did respond well to the students answers to his periodic queries.

Rapport with students

David interacted informally with a number of the students before class begana nice strategy for developing rapport with students. I was particularly pleased with the way in which David responded to students who offered incorrect answers to questions he posed. He showed great respect for the students while gently suggesting a more adequate response. David was teaching in a difficult classroom environment but he could be heard clearly from the back of the class. I was most happy with his ability to explain the class material without excessive reliance on theological jargon. His gestures and movements while speaking were relaxed and natural. Generally pretty good but he might try on occasion to fix on particular students in different parts of the room. At times he seemed to be gazing out in space.

Heard/understood

Gestures/movements Eye contact

5. Student Performance Preparation The students seemed reasonably well prepared though it was not easy to tell how many had in fact read the assigned reading. That of course is not on him. The interaction with the students was generally solid. I did think that there might have been ways to ask questions that were not so specifically directed to the material but invited broader reflection on key themes. As a simple example, in his discussion of the Agony in the Garden, it might have been good to invite a broader question like: How might this scene challenge some peoples pre-conceived ideas about who Jesus was? I suspect that David was prevented from offering these kinds of discussion questions because of the time constraints imposed upon him. A couple of minor suggestions. First, I am a believer in trying to avoid, as much as possible, the use of the masculine pronoun for God. Also, I am not sure that every student in the class is Catholic so on occasion you might want to make comparative references. For example, near the end of the class when the mass/Eucharist was being discussed, it might have been good to make a simple statement that of course many Protestant traditions share a similar ritual in their worship, often referred to as Holy Communion or the Lords Supper.

Interaction

Other Feedback

In conclusion, I was very impressed with Davids gifts and abilities as a teacher. He has a confident grasp of the material and the ability to make important ideas intelligible to the students. His presentation was informative and engaging and very well constructed. He seemed quite relaxed and at ease in front of the class and engaged naturally and effectively with his students. He has a very promising future as a theology teacher.

Instrument adapted from Seldin, P. and Associates. (2006). Evaluating faculty performance: A practical guide to assessing teaching, service, and research. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

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