Conclusion
In this process, I aimed to get a sense of where my strengths and weaknesses lie in different types of teaching. I think that the three observations have given me some excellent areas to focus on, while the workshops I attended and the reading I did helped guide me in evaluating and in planning improvements in those areas.
Observing a peer reminded me of the importance of interactivity in lectures, and I have resolved to develop more, and more varied, ways to make lectures interactive. I improved one of my slides for the portfolio, and I aim to apply this to my other teaching resources as well.
I learned from my peer observation that I could allow students in my sessions to influence the learning outcomes more and to add to them informally; I plan to trial this, and the collaborative Prezi exercise I outlined, in the September 2017 (A18) run of Module ADP7101. After the module, I will ask tutors to give students a questionnaire in the sessions which asks about the module in general but also these specific aspects.
I learned from my mentor observation that I need to make sure I maintain focus in my classes; I am going to set this as a goal in my teaching this semester and reflect after each session on whether we kept focus or went off topic. I also learned that I could improve the resources I provide for students; I will enhance these and then ask students how relevant and useful they felt. I will also reflect on student participation in the session and ask a peer to observe my teaching with this as the focus. They will be able to tell me whether the improvements I outlined in the portfolio have led to increased student participation.
Overall I feel well-equipped to continue on the path of my professional development. The observation feedback has helped me target specific areas, and in a year's time I will be able to bring all my evaluations together and see how successful I have been. This further evaluation will then help me to decide where to focus my improvements to practice, continuing to work on some areas or selecting new aspects of my work to develop.
List of References
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