Hello poodles!

I was just wondering if those of you who are demonstrating/teaching and/or lecturing ever get any kind of feedback from supervisors?

Its just I have been taking seminars for a year and have even more as I'm going into my second year (including lectures), yet I've never been watched in-class or had any training on how to teach - well I had a one-day thing but this was an optional course I found on the Internet.

I am starting to freak out. If I get a grumpy, tired or confused looks off one of my students I think to myself "I must be the worst teacher in the world" and to be honest, I have had nothing said, or down on paper that suggests otherwise.

Any thoughts? :-/

Students evaluate our TAs as part of the overall unit evaluation - if your department does anyting like this you can see your score on different aspects of teaching

Thanks Kitten.

I remember handing out some feedback forms at the end of the last academic year so I guess this may be the kind of assessment that takes place in your department. I'm gonna have to have an ask around for my own peace of mind.

Has anyone ever monitored any of your classes?
Thanks again.

I had a seminar observed by a lecturer last year, and he was very good with his feedback. I did get the impression, though, that there was absolutely no procedure for supporting TAs and that I was only being observed because I'd asked to be. It seems to be very inconsistent, depending on the course leader.

I think the answer is to be proactive: ask to be observed, for your questionnaire scores etc. Even simply ask the students. Half-way through the last semester, I gave my students an informal feedback sheet to ask them what they thought was good/what I could do better. This way, I got lots of helpful feedback and ideas I could act upon, alongside reassurance that I wasn't totally crap.

I do wish departments would give more guidance and support to new teachers.

I guess it depends on the university - mine (Aston) encourages all postgrads who are teaching to get Aston Certificate in HE or something similar, working on it but never remember the name;) Anyway, when you do the certificate there is a one-week intensive teaching course, then you get your own personal tutor, scheduled observations of the classes you teach, plenty of feedback etc. The certificate can later be used towards PGCert.