All of us who seek to teach well would welcome a simple way to enhance our classroom skills. Here’s a suggestion.
When we write a paper, we typically show a draft to at least one of our colleagues. We find someone whose philosophical judgment we trust and who offers criticism in a constructive spirit. Then we share our work and almost always benefit.
Why not follow the same procedure with teaching? Find a sympathetic colleague who takes teaching seriously and show that person a draft of your syllabus. Then adjust it in accord with any reaction you find helpful.
Once the course begins, invite that colleague to attend a session and share thoughts on the proceedings. The observer should sit in the back of the room and not take any role (participation impedes disinterested evaluation). Afterwards, the onlooker should discuss with you all aspects of the session: how well a question was put, how discussion may have gone off the track, whether you were audible, whether your writing on the chalkboard was legible, how a difficult concept might have been presented more clearly, or how an idea explained in one context might have been applied in another. The aim is not to interfere with your distinctive teaching style but to enhance it.
Three major pitfalls should always be of concern:
- Did you neglect to interest students in the subject by not making apparent the connections between seemingly esoteric material and the students’ own experience?
- Did you confuse students by either assuming background knowledge they lacked or proceeding too quickly for them to follow?
- Did you caricature your intellectual opponents, failing to explain as clearly as possible why they disagree with you?
Of course, if you believe for any reason that a colleague does not possess the know-how or willingness to offer constructive criticism, don’t invite that person. Just as you would not ask help on a paper from someone ill-suited to the task, avoid requesting feedback on teaching from someone who lacks the understanding or interest to assist you.
Yet why would someone agree to spend time and effort to attend your class, then sit with you afterwards to provide a review? Because you are willing to do the same for them.
Such exchange visits are not formal observations intended to serve as part of a promotion or tenure review. Rather, they are informal arrangements meant to benefit both you and your colleague. Admittedly, you may not agree with every suggestion offered, but you will almost surely learn something of value from the reactions of an informed observer who brings a different perspective to your efforts.
I recognize that many instructors object to the presence in their classes of professional colleagues, but almost all instructors welcome as guests auditors, friends or relatives of students, and even faculty members from other departments. Why, then, be reluctant to invite a knowledgeable and sympathetic commentator who can offer useful advice?
Granted, this practice is not a panacea. More often than not, however, it will be productive and may on occasion prove revelatory.
Steven M. Cahn
Steven M. Cahn is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. The most recent books he has authored are Religion Within Reason (Columbia University Press, 2017); Teaching Philosophy: A Guide (Routledge, 2018); Inside Academia: Professors, Politics, and Policies (Rutgers University Press, 2019); The Road Traveled and Other Essays (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2019); Philosophical Adventures (Broadview Press, 2019); A Philosopher’s Journey: Essays from Six Decades (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2020), and Navigating Academic Life (Routledge, 2021).
