Confidential Consultations & Observations

Consultations

The Center for Teaching and Learning’s team of Educational Developers offer confidential consultations on teaching-related topics to all faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdocs affiliated with Washington University in St. Louis. We are happy to do individual and group consultations on any topic related to teaching.

In-person or virtual consultations routinely cover topics such as:

• Troubleshooting classroom challenges
• Designing courses and course materials (e.g. syllabi, assignments, grading criteria, Canvas course pages, etc.)
• Strategies for engaging students and promoting classroom participation
• Using technology effectively in your teaching
• Developing accessible course content and materials aligned with the principles of Universal Design for Learning
• Teaching-related job market materials
• The Center for Teaching and Learning Professional Development in Teaching Program

Observations and Feedback on Teaching

We believe that good teaching is reflective teaching. A teaching observation can help facilitate this critical process of reflection. The Center for Teaching and Learning’s Educational Development staff conducts observations of teaching via video-recording, in-class, or live Zoom observations for instructors looking for a confidential, outside perspective on the teaching and learning in their classroom.

Generally, staff discusses the class with the instructor prior to the observation to gain understanding about how feedback might be tailored and to understand the unique challenges and opportunities related to teaching and learning in that particular instance. Frequent areas of focus for observations include but are not limited to: Classroom Management, Clarity and Organization of Content, Presentation Skills, Use of Technology, Teaching Methods, and Inclusive Teaching.

Following the observation, the instructor meets again with our staff to follow up and consider strengths and areas for growth visible during the session. A confidential observation document is written up after these meetings and shared directly with the instructor. If the CTL has recorded the session for the instructor, an MP4 recording of the class session will be made available to the instructor via WUSTLBox after the observation is completed.

Note that all observations are conducted only at the behest of the instructor themselves.