course evaluation what should i say regarding the instructor

All professor course evaluations should be guided by the five points of teacher effectiveness. This outlines what professors should do to be effective instructors, including the following: Hold their students to high expectations and help students achieve high measures on test-based and alternative measures of growth

Full Answer

How do you evaluate an instructor?

Evaluate the instructor’s attendance promptness, quality of critiques, time it took for assignments to be returned, etc. Showed up on time, the paper comments were great & assignments were typically returned at a good rate. He was on time every class. Quality of critiques were rich & helpful.

Why don’t students evaluate course instructors?

If the expectations of the instructor are made clear at the outset of a course, and students understand what is expected of them, they won’t necessarily evaluate the instructor harshly. UA: I get the impression that many professors aren’t that keen on course evaluations. Dr. Gravestock: I would agree with you.

Are course evaluations a good measure of teaching quality?

Done well, they can be both a useful and effective measure of teaching quality, she says. Dr. Gravestock, whose dissertation focused on how teaching is evaluated for tenure at Canadian universities, is one of the leading experts in Canada on course evaluations.

Are students uneducated about course evaluations?

Dr. Gravestock: What we know from the research, and what we’ve found at our own institution, is that students are woefully uneducated about course evaluations. They don’t know how they’re used and they don’t know where their feedback goes.

What do you say in an instructor evaluation?

Examples of Instructor Evaluation QuestionsKnowledge and Enthusiasm for Subject Matter. ... Experience, Skill, and Creativity in the Classroom. ... Clear Student Expectations and Testing Practices. ... Professionalism in the Classroom and Beyond. ... Overall Teaching Effectiveness. ... Open Feedback Section.

How do I provide feedback to my instructor?

Be specific and provide examples when commenting on the course or the instructor. Speak based on your own experiences, not on behalf of your classmates. Focus on observable behaviours of the instructor or on specific aspects of the course. Describe the situation you are commenting on.

What do you say in a course evaluation?

Comment on what you feel was good about the course and why you feel this way. Be honest, be direct and be concise. Don't spend too much time describing what aspects you considered good because it is more important that you communicate your reasons for feeling that way.

How do you write an evaluation for a teacher?

Explain your relationship to the teacher, including details as to how long you have known the teacher in this capacity as well as outlining your history with the teacher if you have one. If, for example, you are a student writing an evaluation of a teacher who has instructed you in several courses, explain this.

How do you write feedback for a course?

Providing constructive feedbackBe specific and provide examples when commenting on the course or the instructor.Focus on observable behaviors of the instructor or particular aspects of the course. ... Ensure that your comments are respectful. ... Avoid personalization or emotional comments; instead, describe actual incidents.More items...

How do you comment on a teacher?

Behind every successful person is a good teacher (or five)....Best Things to Say to Your Child's TeacherThank you. ... We appreciate you. ... Your sacrifices don't go unnoticed. ... You made this easy to understand. ... My child wants to learn more about this. ... You truly care about your students. ... You're making a huge impact.

How do you comment on a teacher lecture?

Students commentsThank you very much Professor Shoniregun. ... I wish you the best of the best with your career and your life. ... Thank you so much Professor Shoniregun. ... God Almighty will continue to favour you and crown all your efforts with success...! ... With many thanks Sir. ... Professor, Thank you very much for your help...!More items...

How would you describe a good teacher?

A great teacher is warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring. This person is approachable, not only to students, but to everyone on campus. This is the teacher to whom students know they can go with any problems or concerns or even to share a funny story.

How to interpret course evaluations

Since you now have secured good data through well-designed forms and navigated away from the paper size, the time has come to interpret the data you have collected.

Course evaluations: Not the only source of information

With well-designed forms, effective solutions for gathering course evaluations, good analytics, and great presentation of your data, it may feel like you have a good foundation for making decisions.

Get more out of your course evaluations today

Have you already picked up a bunch of course evaluations? Then you have a gold mine in front of you that you should start analyzing today.

Can a first year undergraduate comment on their learning experience?

A first-year undergraduate wouldn ’t know whether the instructor is knowledgeable or not. That’s a question that is better suited to a peer evaluation. However, students can certainly comment on their learning experience within the context of a course.

Can students provide feedback on a course?

Dr. Gravestock: Yes and no. There are definitely certain things that students can provide feedback on, but there are also things that students are not necessarily in a position to provide feedback on. An example of the latter is a question that appears on most course evaluations, asking students to comment on the instructor’s knowledge ...

Is it helpful to teach faculty about research?

Educating faculty about the research as well is really helpful. There have been 40 years of study on course evaluations and the research shows that students can provide effective feedback on course evaluations and that it is a useful measure of teaching effectiveness when they are well-developed and validated.

101 Guide to Evaluating a Professor

Teaching is an art that's difficult to master, which means that feedback is essential to help professors grow. Professor performance evaluations give instructors insight directly from students to improve your professors' teaching ability and reach students more effectively.

Examples of Instructor Evaluation Questions

To evaluate a professor's teaching thoroughly, you must approach their classroom from many angles. Student evaluations of professors are one aspect of a holistic evaluation process and your administration should use them in conjunction with observations, grades, student success, and more.

1. Knowledge and Enthusiasm for Subject Matter

The most important element to instructor success is a wide base of knowledge and a healthy enthusiasm for the subject matter they teach. Consider asking students to rank the following statements regarding their professor's knowledge and enthusiasm for subject matter by acknowledging that the professor is or does the following things:

2. Experience, Skill, and Creativity in the Classroom

Effective instructors elevate their teaching abilities and experiential knowledge with skills and creativity in the classroom. A good professor should:

3. Clear Student Expectations and Testing Practices

Just as evaluating instructors is crucial to success, so is understanding how to best evaluate students. We recommend using the following metrics to gauge how well a professor lays out their student expectations and tests:

4. Professionalism in the Classroom and Beyond

Whether meeting for office hours, labs, or research, professionalism extends outside of the classroom. It's essential instructors respect students as individuals and do the following things:

5. Overall Teaching Effectiveness

There are several criteria all instructors must embody to be overall effective teachers: