Procedure for Individual Teaching Consultation

*CTL is committed to accommodating every request we receive, but our ability to fulfill requests depends, in any quarter, on the number of requests and the teaching consultants’ schedules during that quarter. Please submit your request as early in the quarter as possible to ensure teaching consultant availability. Late requests are possible but we cannot guarantee they can be fulfilled.
1. Before the fifth week of the quarter, submit a request through the web form using the link "Sign Up for an ITC". Please contact the Center for Teaching and Learning via email (teaching@college.uchicago.edu) for any questions.


2. Graduate Teaching Form and Your Syllabus: Once the date for your ITC has been established, you will be required to fill in and submit the Graduate Teaching Form. This form and a copy of the syllabus are due two weeks before the desired class observation date. An essential part of the ITC process is communicating to the consultants what you wish to accomplish in the session they will observe. This is an opportunity for you to explicitly elaborate the goals for the session and how they relate to the broader aims of the course. Since the consultants are not experts in your specific field, the emphasis will be on how (pedagogically) you plan to teach in relation to what topic you will help the students to engage. PLEASE fill in the form fully and if you have any questions, contact the Center. We are happy to walk you through it and to suggest resources for thinking through the articulation of your intentions for this class.


3. Observation: Consultants will observe and videotape the class session. Please advise your students in advance that the class will be observed for your benefit, not to evaluate them. After your class is observed, the Center will notify you when the DVD of your taped class is available to pick up. You will need to view this in order to see what your students-- and the Teaching Consultants-- see.


4. Meeting: Within two weeks of your observation, you and the consultants will arrange a meeting to discuss their observations and recommendations, as well as to exchange practical advice on teaching. The consultants can also help you think of ways to clarify and communicate the goals of a course to the students. This exchange is not intended to be a critique of your teaching but to give you feedback about your classroom performance in relation to the intended outcomes you have articulated. This process will help you develop standards for self-assessment and make progress in accomplishing your pedagogical goals.


5. Final Report: An official copy of the Final Report will be sent to you by the Center. This Final Report is for your own records and your own use, (e.g., in your Teaching Portfolio). It will not be sent to your department. A confidential copy will be kept on file at the Center.


6. Follow-up Questionnaire: We will send a follow-up questionnaire to you via email to help us assess your experience. Please return it to the Center as soon as possible. This response helps us gather feedback on the ITC process so we can continue to develop ways to assist graduate student teachers.