Here are four topics I chose to talk about in depth when evaluating myself:
Processing time- I would give myself a 2 on processing time because I feel like there are a lot of times when I should have waited longer for the student to find the answer and I feel that I too quickly want to give them a hint. This is difficult because sometimes I feel like it is taking them so long to find the answer because I didn’t phrase the question in a way that was easy to understand so I feel like I need to clarify the question. It can also be frustrating because I am usually able to quickly locate the information in my own book and then have to fight the urge to point them in the right direction. One way I try to deal with this is by not looking the information up myself, but sometimes this makes it seem like I’m not paying attention or not actively involved in helping the student. Another way I try to address the situation is to maybe point out where to find the information the first time, when I realize that they’re having a problem locating information, and then we discuss more efficient methods of using the textbook so that they can find the information more quickly next time and I don’t feel like I have to jump in. Still, I think I need to work staying patient and giving the student enough time, no matter how awkward it may seem.
Active learning- I would give myself a 3 for active learning because I do try to encourage students to find the information on their own. Also, I will often ask them to describe a figure illustrating a concept they are unsure of, which helps them realize what they do know, while illuminating gaps or misconceptions. As review, I try to get them to relate to concepts already covered. I may also use figures as review by asking them to draw their own pictures showing the same ideas we had just discussed. Still, I sometimes do tend to lecture instead of letting them find the information, simply because there isn’t always enough time to let them search through the entire chapter to find the answer. Often in these instances, though, I have already had them look up several answers on their own and so the idea of finding the information on their own is already established.
Verifies knowledge- I would give myself a 4 for verifying knowledge. I frequently ask questions related to material that we just covered, and if they are unsure, then I know we need to go over it again. I will also ask students to repeat information or concepts, whether it be asking them to explain the concept to me or asking them to draw a picture. I find this to be especially important in instances where I explained the material, rather than letting them look it up in the text. At the end of the session, I also ask students to summarize the ideas covered, and will ask them a few more review questions. I try to leave enough time so that if we do encounter a misunderstanding during this review, we can still look at the material one more time to correct any problems.
Scaffolding- I would give myself a 3 for scaffolding because I do try to show students how broad concepts break down into increasingly specific ideas. I find that usually a student’s specific question stems from a lack of broad understanding of the main concept, and so I will take them back to the more general level from which we then work down until we eventually get to the student’s original question and they are able to answer it based on what we just covered. I only rated myself with a 3, however, because I don’t always remember to break information down in this way, especially if the student seems to have a good understanding of most of the topics.
I scored myself on the other areas as follows:
Attendance- 4
Attitude- 3
Approachability- 3
Fosters independence- 3
Encourages/supports- 4
Modeling- 4
Learning skills- 4
