The CCTL provides graduate students classroom observations & student feedback through Graduate Teaching Observations, Midcourse Student Feedback sessions, and advice and guidance through one-on-one advising appointments.
GRADUATE TEACHING OBSERVATIONS
Graduate Teaching Observations (GTOs) are a confidential, individualized way to get feedback on your teaching. They are conducted by CCTL Teaching Consultants, who are trained graduate students who have been trained as peer mentors in evidence-informed methods. The GTO consists of a pre-observation meeting, a classroom observation, a post-observation consultation, and a written report. The process is designed to give graduate instructors formative feedback in a confidential and low-pressure setting. The GTO is a requirement of the College Teaching Certificate, and the resulting report can form part of a teaching portfolio. Requests are due by the end of Week 2, and the observation must take place between Weeks 4 and 7.
Request and Observation Timeline
- ~3 weeks before the Quarter: Requests open. When open, the request form can be found on this webpage.
- Friday of Week 2: Requests are due.
- Friday of Week 3: Requesters are notified of the date and time scheduled for their observation. NOTE: due to staffing constraints, we may not be able to fulfill all requests for GTOs.
- Week 4 to Week 7: Pre-observation meeting and classroom observation take place.
- Week 4 to End of Finals Week: The classroom observation is followed by a post-observation consultation and a written report.
MIDCOURSE STUDENT FEEDBACK
Midcourse Student Feedback (MSF) sessions are an opportunity to get student perspectives on and make any desired adjustments to your course in progress.
In the Midcourse Student Feedback (MSF) process, a trained Graduate Teaching Consultant will conduct a 20-minute focus group with your students to learn how they are experiencing your course midway through the quarter. After conducting the MSF, the Consultant will have a follow-up meeting with you to discuss the results and how you can follow up on student feedback. This service is confidential and is meant to provide constructive, in-depth feedback on your teaching. The student feedback received can be a valuable part of a teaching portfolio.
MSFs must be requested in the first two weeks of the quarter and must take place between weeks three and six. Note that, due to staffing constraints, we may not be able to fulfill all requests for MSFs. For questions, please contact the CCTL at teaching@uchicago.edu.
Request and Observation Timeline
- ~3 weeks before the Quarter: Requests open. When open, the request form can be found on this webpage.
- Friday of Week 2: Requests are due.
- Monday of Week 3: Requesters are notified of the date and time scheduled for their observation. NOTE: due to staffing constraints, we may not be able to fulfill all requests for MSFs.
- Week 3 to Week 6: Midcourse Student Feedback session takes place.
- Week 4 to Week 7: Within a week of the feedback session, the post-session meeting takes place.
For questions, please contact the CCTL at teaching@uchicago.edu.
For information on becoming a CCTL Teaching Consultant, visit the Teaching Consultants Program page here.