Informal Classroom Visits

Classroom visits support your professional development by providing an opportunity for conversation about a particular day of teaching as well as larger classroom issues. You can arrange an informal visit by a colleague or member of the E100 admin team any time you would like another perspective on your teaching, classroom dynamics, or an activity or lesson.

Visits For New Instructors

Instructors new to teaching E100 typically receive two visits during their first semester of teaching. Usually, an assistant director will conduct one of the visits, and the director or associate director will conduct the other. The purpose of these visits is to give new instructors an opportunity to discuss classroom concerns with an experienced writing teacher who also has a view of the program as a whole. Unless otherwise requested, the notes from first semester observations will not be formalized or included in your departmental TA file.

Formal Classroom Observations

Annual formal classroom visits can be arranged for any E100 instructor. Observations help to create a record of your teaching effectiveness, which is often required in job applications. Teaching observations are also used for program assessment purposes.

Experienced instructors may choose to be observed in either semester, but usually in the spring. Be sure to make arrangements before the end of the sixth week of the semester. The visit should typically occur before the end of the tenth week. You may request an observation from a member of the English department faculty, academic staff, or the E100 director or associate director.

Besides providing an opportunity for conversation about your teaching, any written memos that result from formal classroom observations serve as a source of program assessment data, allowing us to review how curriculum is being worked out between instructors and students. The primary purpose of an observation memo is to provide a written record of the visit and the subsequent conversation. These documents are for your own reflection and for the English department file. A written response to the memo is not required, but you have a right to provide one. Teaching observation letters or memos become part of your personnel file, and they provide a record of your development as a teacher. They are useful when you apply for awards, fellowships, and jobs.

If you are requesting a letter of recommendation for the job market from the director or associate director of English 100, we recommend requesting an observation during the spring semester prior to going on the job market.