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 Electronic Teaching Portfolio

Community College of Allegheny County, Fall 2005

You can visit the website for the courses here.
Math 195
1. Defines new or unfamiliar terms. 4.4
2. Answers students' questions thoroughly. 4.1
3. Explains important concepts by using techniques like the chalkboard, over-head screen, demonstration, handouts, or other methods. 4.6
4. Explains subject matter and assignments in familiar understandable language. 4.4
5. Teaches without reading too much from the book or other notes. 4.8
6. Encourages students' questions and comments during class. 4.4
7. Responds to student errors constructively. 4.0
8. Recognizes students for good ideas. 3.8
9. Presents questions to stimulate discussion. 3.9
10. Presents challenging ideas and assignments. 4.4
11. Uses a variety of activities in class. 3.6
12. Indicates transition from one topic to the next. 4.4
13. Gives an overview of the material to be covered. 4.4
14. Explains how topics taught fit into the class. 4.2
15. Stays on the major point or points of the lecture topic to be discussed. 4.5
16. Asks if students understand before proceeding to the next topic. 3.9
17. States the objectives of each unit and of the course. 4.2
18.Tells students what areas will be covered on tests. 4.8
19. Tells students what is expected of them on assignments. 4.6
20. Informs students of test dates or assignment deadlines. 5
21. Speaks clearly. 4.8
22. Shows respect for students. 4.8
23. Available outside of class for individual discussion with students. 4.9
24. Offers to help students solve academic problems or suggest possible ways students may get necessary assistance. 4.4
25. Examinations and assignments are returned in a reasonable period of time. 5
Key: 1=almost never, 5=almost always

Overall:  4.435
 

Comments from the surveys:

  • "She did a great job."
  • "Good teaching.  Easy to understand and follow."
  • "Because I struggle with math... she teaches in a relaxed atmosphere where there isn't any pressure.  I enjoy her class."
  • "Explained topics extremely well.  Really enjoyed instructor."

Wrap-up: This was the first time I'd ever taught this course at CCAC, and some of the material I was unfamiliar with beforehand, such as the Rule of 78s.  This material I had to teach myself before I could teach it to my students.  I think I did 'okay' in this regard, but the next time I have to teach the material, I'm sure I'll feel more comfortable with the material and will do better.  The prerequisites for this course are only basic arithmetic, rather than basic algebra, so that made some of the sections, especially the later ones, a little more difficult, and required the use of pre-prepared tables in the text rather than formulae.  I also found the text a mixed blessing.  I thought it did a really good job of showing all the detail of a calculation in their examples, but rather than expecting the students to do even simple manipulation of formulae, it had a new formula for every possible type of problem, rather than deriving them (even for very simple cases, like simple interest).  Most of my students found this frustrating as well, at least until the formulae became more challenging, because it meant there was more for them to memorize.  By the end of the course, it was clear to me that the next time I teach this course there are some things that I would have to change in my approach.  For instance, present them with a list of vocabulary for each section at the beginning of each section, rather than summarize it at the end; break up the exams a little more; use more of the formulae even though the text avoids them; make sure that mark-up problems are broken up over two days rather than doing all the variations in a single three-hour lecture; etc.  But I think the course was really instructive for me and my students.
(c) 2005 by Betsy McCall, all rights reserved
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last updated: 2005 December 22