Online Observations

It’s that time of the semester again. Observations. For adjuncts and instructors across CUNY (and I imagine elsewhere as well), this is a time that brings out different reactions in different people. Some people get really anxious at the thought of someone observing their teaching. Others are annoyed that, after years of teaching, they still need to complete these observations. Me? I generally enjoy them. I look forward to the possibility of constructive feedback and ideas on how I can improve my teaching.

My personal experience in this area has varied quite a bit over the last 10 years. I have had colleagues come early in the semester; I have had them come late in the semester. I have had some stay from beginning to end, and others who only stuck around for half the class. I always receive the written feedback. But I only sometimes get that conversation after the fact. And, as I mentioned, I know that not everyone cares for that portion of the observation – observer and observee alike – but I do. I feel like this is when I get the most constructive feedback. It also allows me the time to expand on what we are doing on a big picture scale as well. It allows for dialogue.

Fast forward to Fall 2020. I have just had two observations (perk of teaching in two different departments I suppose?). Both of these observations took place via Zoom, the platform I use for the synchronous components of my class. The observers remained off camera and off mic for the duration of the session, truly just observing. And they provided feedback (either in conversation after the class session ended, or via email) that allowed for a dialogue about the sessions. This was helpful. But what, for me, was less helpful, is that the way I run my online synchronous courses is DRASTICALLY different from how I run my face-to-face classes. Many of the group/discussion/reflective elements of my online course take place asynchronously on the Blackboard platform. And my observers were not able to see that. I use the synchronous sessions to recap the asynchronous work that students had throughout the week. It is a time for them to ask questions about what I have asked them to do on their own or with their peers.

I guess what I’m getting at here is that observations in the time of COVID are a tricky thing. It’s a lot harder to see the whole picture than it is when I am face to face with my students. I am lucky that my observers both recognized this and have taken it into consideration as part of their feedback. But I worry that not all observees will be that lucky. If you’re an observer, be sure to follow up with your observee about what goes on beyond the synchronous components of their course. And if you’re an observee, don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself when reflecting on your observation feedback. Remember, we’re all new at this. Let’s be patient and kind with one another.

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