Ann Boyce
(1) Have them do a portfolio containing an early piece of work from the
class and the work they are most proud of accompanied by a discussion of
why they chose the work they are proudest of (grade cannot be a criteria)
and what, if anything, they learned from the class. I tell them this is NOT
an evaluation of me because it is a graded assignment and were they to
evaluate me, it would be asking them to brown-nose. Instead I ask them to
discuss what they learned.
(2) The last day of class they write their final. I ask them each to write
2- 3 questions that fairly assess what we have covered during the class.
They work in groups to pool and refine questions and then we work as a
class. In the 2 years I have done this, I've found their questions are
sometimes better than the ones I'd ask, but virtually always on what I
consider key points. I'd say that's good.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Daryl Stephens
In a similar vein to Ted's self-evaluation, I give the following to
my developmental math classes near the end of the semester. They get
10 points out of a possible 10 as a quiz grade just by turning it in
and showing some thought:
-------------------------
Think back over how you studied for this math class this semester.
Describe some things you did that you found helped you and allowed you
to succeed. If you found you did some things that were not helpful to
you, describe those. If another student were to ask you what kinds of
study habits would be helpful for this class, what would you say?
This doesn't need to be a long paper, but please do write at least a
good paragraph. You may write it here, or on notebook paper, or type
it, or do it on a computer, or e-mail it to me.
-------------------------
I got some interesting responses. One student said that he learned
he should not take classes that start at 8:15 A.M. because he can't
regularly get out of bed to be in class on time. (If I remember
correctly, he's in the same class again this semester!)
This time around I'll ask students permission to quote (anonymously)
from their papers to compile a list of things to do or not to do to
help students in future classes.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jody Fernandez
At the beginning of the semester I have my students write a short
autobiography focusing on their reading experiences. I hand it back at the
end of the semester and ask them to write again, reflectingon if and how
they have changed as readers. I also request that they add three suggestions for success for the next class - which I share. I teach developmental
reading.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Julie Bradby
Hi All as a tutor in Languages and Literacies to undergrad 1st year
teachers. I have them to my place for coffee, show them what a professional library consists of and take them to the local school [ 40 pupils] for a chat to the principal and time to read their favourite books to
students..it is in the country so it has a lovely...warm fuzzy feeling
to the end.. I am a real teacher too on leave from school and studying too so I know what these students need NOW! More ideas please.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nancy J. Melucci
I end my course by requesting written feedback on the course (this is
optional and strives to be anonymous.) I also provide food for the last
class. Bagels/muffins in the morning, pizza in the evening. I feel it's important to share a meal of some kind in celebration of a successful learning experience. I ask them to complete a feedback sheet of my own design featuring questions on whether or not they liked different activities, topics, etc.
I don't really like to wait for the college's numerically-based teacher
evaluations. Students are usually pretty up front about the feedback. I
tell them that criticism should be constructive - not just "it sucks" but why
they did not enjoy a particular activity or topic and what can be done to
improve it (in their estimation.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Ellie McKinnon"
Got an ending for a tutor training course that might interest you.
We're planning on creating a training video. We have done this before but the video we created is becoming dated . We anticipate creating a 30 minute tape to replace it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hilary Rosenthal
I haven't done it yet, but I am planning to end my course by having
current students write letters to next year's students with advice on how
to do well in the course. This is for a freshman class that is part of a
school-within-a-school specialized program, so I don't know how applicable it would be across the board, but it should give kids a chance to reflect back on their experience in a positive way.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jessica Genco
I write a letter or create a card for the students and mail it
approximately one week after the class ends. I basically say that it
was a good class and I wish them well and then give them ways to contact
me. They have expressed that they like it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ken Weatherbie
At the end of several semesters now, I have been asking my students to
pretend that they have just been approached by their best friend, whose
welfare they take seriously, and told that he/she must take Dr. Weatherbie's history course next semester. No way out, can't postpone it, can't take it somewhere else, can't take it from someone else, etc., the only thing that fits his/her schedule is Dr. Weatherbie's course.
Then I pose the question to these hardened (and surviving) veterans of a
semester's work in my course: What advise are you going to give your best friend that will help him/her do well in my course?
I invite my students to write out their advice for five or more minutes as I
leave the room for awhile. If you're interested in the kinds of responses I
get you can get to some from the web page address contained in my signature to this post. It will take you to my homepage where you can click on the "Former Student Advice" link in the matrix. BTW the "PIG" students refer to is a special study guide I prepare and they use. You can read more about the PIG in an article I wrote for the newletter _Cooperative Learning and College Teaching_, Vol. 6 No.1, Fall 1995, pp. 11-13. Student responses provide me useful information about my CL-based course.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lawrence Gilligan
I do two things on the last day of the quarter:
1. I give students a sheet of paper with their grades so far. (Hourly exam grades and quiz/homework grades) This serves two purposes: 1. it is a record-keeping check (in the event I recorded a grade incorrectly, etc) and 2. it clearly lays out what is needed on the final for a particular grade in the course. This is a cinch to do since all grades are in a spreadsheet and generating a mail merge is a snap.
2. From an inspirational talk I once heard Howard Eves give, I hand out the following to my students so they might get the bigger picture:
The Scholar's Creed
I believe the knowledge I have received or may receive from teacher and book, does not belong to me; that it is committed to me only in trust; that it still belongs and always will belong to the humanity which produced it through all the generations. I believe I have no right to administer this trust in any manner whatsoever that may result in injury to mankind, its beneficiary, on the contrary -- I believe it is my duty to administer it singly for the good of this beneficiary, to the end that the world may become a kindlier, a happier, a better place in which to live.
from The Scholar's Creed
by Dr. John J. Seelman
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Linda Houston
One of the techniques I have used in my developmental writing classes to
begin the quarter involves brown bags ( the kind we use to pack our
lunches...if we don't have a lunch box). I ask students to put "things" in
the brown bag that they have brought to class. The objects could be keys, a
license, a pen, pictures, money...anything they have with them that doesn't
prove embarrassing to them. They exchange bags and then each of the
students empties the partner's bag and writes the impression he/she has ofthe partner based on the contents of the bag. No grade. Once that is done,
they share with each other...reading to each other, the impressions they
had. The partner agrees or disagrees and they share with one another who
they really are. Then each person writes about "the new" partner. For
homework, I ask each student to go home and write a description of the
partner...looks and personality (so far). I do collect those. It breaks the
ice, begins writing, and starts description and revision.
I did get the original idea from a development writing text, but I extended
the assignment.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lynn Meyers
At the conclusion of the semester I have students do a ten minute
portfolio presentation. This consists of students discussing their
portfolio but it is not a mere laundry list of what's in it.
Students must demonstrate and discuss what they've learned and how
they were able to represent it through their portfolio and how they
can apply it to other classes or a job. Students can do the
presentation any way they choose. I've had students do video
presentations, dress up like they were going on a job interview, and
I've even had someone do a portfolio rap. This technique allows for
self reflection as well as further practice of oral communication
skills. Students answer for themselves the question of why they must
compile a portfolio.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Maurine Harrison
I always ask the students the following question (I teach psychology &
education courses):
How are you changed as a person from taking this course? What will you take with you that will influence the way you live the rest of your life? How are you going to use what you learned "to make a difference" in the world? How has this course helped you develop as an emerging professional?
What strategies, activities, assignments, etc. best fit your learning style
and helped you learn the most?
What strategies, activities, assignemtns, etc. were the most ineffective for
you?
How could this course be changed to make it better for the students that will take it after you?
If students vote to do it, for evening classes we go out to dinner together
on the last class. I spend a lot of time developing "community" and has been very much appreciated and enjoyed by the classes who voted to do it.
The best professor I ever had was approaching retirement. Her class was a
graduate class in Developmental Teaching of Reading. She has studied with
Carl Rogers at the University of Chicago (If my memory serves me correctly). She said after her orals for her Ph.D. she want out and threw up for the next 24 hours and decided something that could do that to a person was not a valuable means of assessing competence. Long before graduate students learned through creating professional files, portfolios, teaching sections of the class creatively becoming the expert on some topic and sharing it to others this lady was doing it. Some weeks we would come in and the room would look like a Mexican Fiesta with EVERYTHING you could imagine to teach a kid to read centered around the central theme which was FUN!! (but very hard work to put together). Each week it would be something exciting--she created that with a rather large class. A final exam was scheduled and she even did a review but told us not to "stress out" over it. We had produced SYNERGISTICALLY so much wonderful work and learned so much but still that anxiety about the final was there. About 30 of us arrived at the 8 a.m. class. When we all arrived she gave us walking directions to her house where she served us an "examination breakfast." Quiche, fruit, coffee--the works! It was wonderful except I was too uptight about the psychology exam I
had next with a complete jerk who had read from the same notes for years
testing on stuff only people who had noted from other years actually got to
study. He informed us on the first class that the purpose of graduate school was to "harass the graduate students." No wonder he was a miserable alcoholic, as I found out later. Also, I learned very little from his class except this anecdote of how NOT to teach.
What a juxtapositon, these two professors! The best and the worst!
The professor with the "examination breakfast" has influenced me in my own teaching (NK-12 and now college for many years--what she did too) to this day. I honor her. It was the summer of 1972 and she still influences
students through me and many others who were fortunate enough to have had her as a teacher.
One of the best things I ever got from the last class when I ALWAYS query my students as to how the class can be better for the next students to take the class was in the form of a suggestion that was a true winner.
My students worked in a campus lab school with 4 & 5 year olds and each week they met with me for a one hour seminar. The student suggestion was in order for the children to get to know them sooner so that they could establish rapport was for them to do a "Personal Show & Tell" where they would bring in a picture of their family, or the hockey stick they used in their team sports, or their favorite stuffed animal, or their favorite treat to
share--whatever--but about 15 minutes of "connecting" with the kids they
would spend the semester working with. I encorporated it into my seminar and had them share it with us. I have also used this in other classes. It has proved to be an excellent way to begin establishing community, connections with other students, etc. so that students work together unafraid to be themselves far sooner.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Patricia WIlliams
One of our faculty members has her students pretend that the class was a
movie. She has them title the movie and write a review.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++