Observation and Evaluation
For the Graduate Teacher Certificate, TAs and GPTIs must undergo one faculty classroom observation and one faculty evaluation. It is up to the individual to decide if these are two separate operations or not. One is sufficient for the purposes of the Graduate Teacher Program.
Acceptance for the Graduate Teacher Certificate rests on a departmental faculty member’s evaluation of the graduate student’s classroom teaching. The graduate student must be teaching a lab, recitation, or course for which they have responsibility over the course of a full semester. The graduate student may choose the faculty member who will provide the evaluation or simply ask the faculty member who is in charge of TAs and GPTIs in the department. The faculty member has the right and responsibility either to recommend or not to recommend the graduate teacher for certification based on departmental standards for excellence in teaching. If the faculty member does not recommend the student based on classroom performance, the student may reapply and be re-evaluated the following year.
The faculty member who is evaluating a graduate student for Graduate Teacher Certificate, may either print the evaluation on departmental letterhead and mail it to the GTP at 362 UCB, or email it to gtpCERT@colorado.edu , cc: Laura.Border@colorado.edu, Subject: Certification Evaluation. A copy should also be kept in the graduate teacher’s departmental file.
The evaluation should include the date, time, course title, and name of the graduate teacher observed and/or evaluated. Faculty may observe and evaluate graduate teachers in their discipline according to any format and any standards they choose. Faculty may use the department’s own departmental evaluation form, write an original evaluation, or use the questions below. The following questions are provided simply as guides; faculty may write additional comments.
Guide for Faculty Observation and Evaluation for the Graduate Teacher Certificate
- According to the standards of your department and your discipline, does this graduate teacher (TA or GPTI) rate highly on excellence in teaching (i.e., would you recommend this graduate teacher for an academic position in your discipline)?
- How does this graduate teacher demonstrate excellence in teaching in your discipline?
- How does the graduate teacher compare to other graduate teachers' performances in similar classes in your department?
- What did you like best about the graduate teacher's instruction in your discipline?
- What did you like least about the graduate teacher's instruction in your discipline?
- How would you recommend that the graduate teacher improve his/her instruction in your discipline?
- Do you or do you not recommend this graduate teacher for certification?Why or why not? If you do not recommend the teacher for certification at this time, please encourage the person to continue to work on his/her teaching through departmental activities, Graduate Teacher Program workshops, faculty assistance, and videotape consultation. The student may reapply during the next academic year.
