CELL Blog | Center for Engaged Learning in the Law

I’ve offered to work on teaching with four colleagues who are in their first or second year at Gonzaga. After getting to know them Fall semester (I’ve been gone from Gonzaga for three years), visiting each of their classes, and debriefing those visits, I sent each of them this invitation:

Would you like to engage in any of the following development activities?

1.Your assessment of strengths, weaknesses, new approaches you would like to try
2.Complete the student evaluation form for your own courses
3.Locate teaching and learning resources (Books, Videos, Articles)
4.Review of Fall 2007 student evaluations
5.Class visits
a.Others view your class
b.You view others’ classes
6.Gathering formative feedback from students in Spring semester
7.Consulting with peers
8.Teaching journal
9.Videotape of your class
10. Other development activities that appeal to you…

Their reactions were interesting. Two thanked me for the offer and set up meetings with me to engage in teaching development activities during Spring semester. (We have met several times since and are pursuing several types of development activities.) One expressed interest but worried about how we would find the time to do this. (Subsequently, we decided to gather feedback from students next week.) One sent an email message within five minutes of receiving the invitation – “Did you hear bad things about my courses?” (I had not, which that teacher was very relieved to hear. I have not heard from the teacher since then. Should I follow up?)