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Mid-Semester Self Evaluation?

October 5, 2011, 11:00 am

Last week we asked about mid-semester course evaluations, As Amy has written, “[s]uch evaluations can provide an opportunity to step back, take a deep breath, and reflect on how things are going.”

Such evaluation does not have to be restricted to our courses, however. You could also evaluate your own performance so far this semester.

Are you prepping for class appropriately? (Remember that it’s easy to over-prepare!) Returning student assignments before too long? If your research is important this semester, are you regularly setting aside time to get it done? Are you getting enough exercise? Eating right? Getting enough sleep (when you can)?

Ask yourself these questions:

  1. What’s going well?
  2. What needs improvement?
  3. What can I do to improve my semester?

By identifying the positives, acknowledging the negatives, and focusing on those things that are within your power to change, you can devote your energy to those areas that need your attention.

How about you? How are you doing this semester? Have you ever tried to take stock with a mid-semester self evaluation?

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[Creative Commons-licensed flickr photo by Newtown Graffiti]

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  • kfoxt11

    I’ve done the mid-semester evaluations in the past though not last semester. I like that I can tailor the mid-semester evals to suit my needs (unlike the university wide end of the semester evals). So I’m considering doing the mid-semester. As for the self-evaluation, thanks for the short check list; I’ll get right on it.

  • anna_smith

    This was a timely reminder. Thanks. I’ve been thinking about this since you posted. Here’s what I’ve been thinking:

    I didn’t use mid-semester evals last year, and really missed it. I have found that two questions I like for those are: 1) What have you found is contributing to your learning? 2) What support would you benefit from moving forward? I have found this moves people away from commenting on particular readings they liked/disliked and focuses them on learning, which is my concern when we’re right in the mix of it.You’ve also given me another idea for my own mid-semester eval, which I am definitely going to do. I have never tried it. So, here’s what I am thinking: In the past, I have done the following with public school faculty, and it really turns the negative tone that often accompanies self-eval. I have them pair up and share their biggest gripe. Their partners listen for the passions and priorities that cause this particular thing (deadline, student behavior, colleague communication, etc.) to be the number one gripe. Then the partner shares that back (e.g., “Sounds like you really care about the…organization of your projects…quality of the relationship…etc.”). Then the two brainstorm how to improve the item that was recognized is of importance to the speaker (e.g., organization, relationships). This refocuses attention on things we can control and the real things we care about. So, I am going to find a colleague who wants to do mid-semester self-eval, and then wants to process it and refocus attention to what we really care about…and we’re going to coffee!

  • raza_khan

    I believe in informal responses as I really do not have time to have done this formally.  So rather than  even wait for mid-semester, you can have students write on a post-it note (as they leave the class) once a month as to what is working and what is not working.   But I agree, teaching is an evolving profession that needs to be adjusted constantly.

    Raza

    ________________________

    Dr. Raza Khan

    Chemistry Faculty

    Dr.Raza.Khan@Gmail.com

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