Self-Evaluation

In order to evaluate my teaching skills, I think of the best instructors I had when I was in

college and evaluate my teaching methods by their standards. First, I think of how engaged I felt

in the classroom. Did the teacher actually seem to care about students and the content? Second, I

thought of the assignments they gave and whether the instructions were understandable, was the

assignment relevant to the course and relevant to my life. Finally, I thought about how they

evaluated student work. Did they give everyone the same grade just for turning something in or

did they give individual feedback for improvement? Overall, I think the best teachers got to

know me, took the time to meet with me or respond to emails or questions I had.

Engagement in the classroom is very important and I believe it happens on the very first

day of class. The first think I do in each of the courses I teach, is provide a syllabus which

includes course objectives, learning objectives, assignments and activities that are scaffolded to

fit student growth and development. Rather than reading everything in the syllabus out loud, I

make a quiz of important questions that I feel are the most important thing for them to know.

Sometimes I let them find the answers in partners or individually. At the end of the designated

time, we grade the quiz aloud, so I can explain that section. Those that get the highest grades get

extra credit on the first exam. This makes the class assignment much more fun and interactive.

I also think it is important not just to make the class engaging, I need to design

assignments that are relevant to students lives. The college readiness course that I developed is

designed to help students not only refresh their learning to pass college placement exams, it gives

them opportunities to develop cognitive skills related to gaining an understanding of college

admissions. Since it will be offered to seniors in high school, I feel like this is “just in time”

teaching that is relevant to students who want to go to college but are not academically prepared.
Through my research and participation in college readiness programs in and around Texas, I feel

I am aware of the current issues that affect students such as college access especially for first

generation Hispanic students. I also am aware of the current policies Texas has instituted to meet

student needs. I strive to create programs and curriculum to meet the needs of both individual

students and state and local policies.

When making assignments and activities, I always explain to students how they will be

evaluated. For some assignments, I use rubrics, which I share with students so they know exactly

what they need to do in order to get certain grades. I also break bigger projects up into smaller

parts so that they can revise and resubmit for a final product. Along the way I give feedback on

how to improve. In this way, I can see a student’s progress over the course of the semester and

give individualized feedback for improvement. This takes up a lot more time especially for

online classes, but I feel this important for students to know that I am reading their assignments

and not just recording grades.

The learning outcomes that I create in any course attempt to address the cognitive,

behavioral, and affective domains. For every course, especially the course I created, activities

and assignments that engage students intellectually. I also try to make these activities fun and

engaging so that they look forward to coming to class and feel confident that they can achieve

their goals. Finally, I try to create assignments that engage student’s physical skills. These

include making presentations about what they are learning and creating opportunities to teach

their peers information. Throughout the semester I give students the opportunity to provide

feedback on how and what they are learning. For example, the online classes I teach, I ask

questions regarding the amount of communication they are receiving from me. I ask if my videos

help them understand my expectations and if the assignments they are completing are aiding
their understanding. I also ask them if they have any ideas on what can be done to improve

communication or assignment to enhance their learning.

In my evaluations, students also express how much they appreciate the videos and how I

lay out the syllabus and assignments in an easy to use calendar. They are able to plan out their

entire semester and take the necessary actions to manage their time. They have also mentioned

how much they appreciate the prompt individual feedback that I give them. From their

comments, I revise the syllabus, assignments, and exams for future semesters, so long as it fits

with the objectives of the course. For my online classes, I have had to make additional videos

explaining how to use certain technologies such as google drive, YouTube, or uploading

documents. For online classes, I would normally expect students to know many of those

technologies, but I find that some students do not. While I give them guidance, they are still

expected to create those assignments on their own.

Over time I have intentionally found ways of integrating technological tools into student

activities and assignments. I realize that students must be proficient in navigating online tools in

order to be competitive in any career they encounter. I have also created opportunities for

developing research skills in order to decipher quality sources in order to make informed

decisions. I feel it is necessary to teach students the difference between primary and secondary

sources and not rely on Google for everything. At least two time during the semester, I ask

students what they think about the assignments given, whether or not it is helping their learning

and what can be done to improve their learning. Through their responses, I have modified

instructions and added or amended activities. For example, on my online classes, students have

mentioned how much more engaged they feel when I post videos explaining assignments or

activities. I did not realize the impact the videos were having making them feel more comfortable
engaging in online discussions or sending me individual emails asking questions. They have

mentioned that videos make them feel like I am a real person, not just a computer checking off

assignments they submit.

When I worked full time as an instructor at the community college, I served on several

committees such as the curriculum committee, online learning committee, common core

committee, accreditation committee, and disciplinary committee. I was the secretary for the

Friends and Alumni Network (FAN) for two years which awarded scholarships to students of

SWTJC. Nationally, I served as an onsite and offsite committee member for the Southern

Association of Colleges and Schools-Commission on Colleges. I continued to promote research

and curriculum for the Speech Communication Department by presenting at both state and

national conferences. Through my work at the community college and high school I became

interested in dual credit and college readiness. I’m trying to dedicate my doctoral work to

creating curriculum and research about college readiness. I continue to adjunct teach online for

the community college which keeps me abreast of issues with dual credit students and Hispanic

serving institutions. I continue to explore new ways to design online content to engage students

in the communication not only to meet the objectives of the course but to become more engaged

with their peers and internalize how communication can help them improve their lives.

I think the most important things I can do to improve my teaching is to continue to learn

about technology and how I can integrate those tools into the classroom. I know technology is a

constant in the workforce and students need to be comfortable engaging online and face to face. I

also think it is important to stay up do date on the content that I am teaching. Continuing my

education has taught me the importance of research. Through research I can better understand the

trends in my field and I can also share my knowledge and activities to improve student learning.