Self-Evaluation: Insights from Student Evaluations

Student feedback is a cornerstone of growth as an educator, providing valuable perspectives on what works well and where I can refine my approach. Reviewing the evaluations from my students, I am heartened by the positive impact my teaching methods have had on their learning experiences and engagement. These reflections offer both affirmation and opportunities for growth as I strive to become an even more effective educator.

Strengths in My Teaching Approach

Several themes emerge from the feedback that highlight my strengths as an instructor:

Clarity in Course Design
Students appreciate the clarity of my course structure, indicating that I succeed in creating a well-organized and understandable learning environment. This reinforces my commitment to ensuring that my students know what is expected of them and feel confident navigating course materials.

Flexibility and Adaptability
The acknowledgment of my flexibility in accommodating different learning styles is especially gratifying. As someone who values holistic education, I strive to meet students where they are, adapting my approach to suit diverse needs. This flexibility not only makes learning more accessible but also empowers students to take ownership of their educational journey.

Engagement Through Weekly Videos
For online courses, I post weekly videos. The positive response to the videos I post at the end of each week reflects the value of personal connection in online learning. These videos provide a space for me to synthesize the week’s lessons, offer additional insights, and engage with students in a format that feels personal and supportive. I will provide more in-depth context attention to these videos.

Student-Centered Learning
Feedback about the ability to choose topics of interest within overarching weekly content underscores my efforts to foster autonomy and engagement. Society is evolving and the curriculum should reflect an ever progressing culture. By allowing students to explore topics that resonate with them, I aim to make learning more meaningful and relevant to their personal and professional goals.

Low-Pressure, High-Support Learning Environment
The observation that there was “no pressure in learning the material” and that the course maintained a good pace affirms my intention to create a supportive environment as evidenced by my teaching philosophy. I strive to balance academic rigor with an approachable and manageable pace, ensuring that students can absorb and reflect on the material without feeling overwhelmed.

Opportunities for Growth

While the feedback is overwhelmingly positive, it also offers subtle cues on how I can further refine my teaching:

Enhancing Interactivity in Online Learning
I can explore opportunities to make the virtual classroom even more interactive. This could include incorporating more interactive discussions, peer-to-peer activities, or collaborative projects to complement the flexibility of asynchronous learning.

Expanding Personalized Support
Although my weekly videos are appreciated, I can consider adding more personalized elements, such as individualized feedback or optional one-on-one check-ins, to further strengthen connections with students.

Encouraging Deeper Reflection
While students enjoyed choosing topics and found the course content interesting, I can introduce structured reflection prompts or assignments that encourage them to connect course concepts with their real-world experiences or career aspirations.

Provide Alternative  Assessment Methods
To complement the flexible and low-pressure environment, I can explore diverse assessment strategies, such as project-based assignments or creative submissions, to give students more ways to demonstrate their understanding and skills.

Using Feedback to Become a Better Educator

The evaluations affirm that I am on the right track in creating a clear, engaging, and supportive learning experience. To build on this foundation, I plan to:

Personalized Feedback: Continue to provide meaningful, individualized feedback to students to further support their growth and connection to the material.

Encourage Reflection: Design assignments that prompt students to reflect deeply on their learning, helping them integrate course content with their personal and professional goals.

Expand Flexibility: Explore additional ways to offer flexible options for students, such as alternative assessments or self-paced modules, ensuring that my courses remain inclusive and accessible.

Moving Forward

I am grateful for the thoughtful feedback from my students, which reinforces the importance of clarity, flexibility, and connection in my teaching. By continuing to listen to their voices and adapt my methods, I am committed to fostering an even richer and more impactful learning experience at Edmonds College. These insights will guide my ongoing journey as an educator dedicated to empowering my students and enhancing their academic and personal growth.

I am always deeply appreciative of the feedback shared by my students. The feedback affirms my commitment to creating a supportive, engaging, and flexible learning environment that meets the diverse needs of my students. It brings me great joy to know that many of my students acknowledge my investment in their success and appreciate my approach to teaching.

Strengths and Affirmations

Support and Availability
Many of the evaluations highlighted my responsiveness and availability, and many students expressed feeling supported throughout the course. This connection is a vital part of my teaching philosophy, and I will continue to prioritize being accessible to all my students.

Knowledge and Insight
Synthesizing my professional experience has been a valuable way to showcase my expertise in the social and human services field. The student evaluations highlight recognition of my knowledge and indicate that students greatly value the insights I bring from my professional background. This feedback inspires me to continue leveraging my experiences to enrich the learning environment and provide students with practical, real-world perspectives that enhance their understanding and engagement. 

Flexibility and Freedom
The soft due dates/hard due date policy provides flexibility and is a cornerstone of my approach. I aim to maintain and refine it in future courses and I am pleased that the feedback from the students indicates that the course structure has allowed students to learn at their own pace, particularly given the demands of busy lives. 

Positive Impact
Several students indicated they found the material enjoyable and meaningful. This is encouraging and the feedback motivates me to continue developing content that resonates with students.

Areas for Growth

Increased Engagement in Online Learning
While I am delighted that my stories and professional perspective have had a positive impact on student learning, I recognize that online courses may not fully capture the richness of in-person interaction. I will continue to work to find solutions to bring the engagement experienced in the in-person class to the online class setting.

Enhanced Personal Connections
Online learning can sometimes create a sense of distance. While I make every effort to be available and responsive, I want to explore new ways to foster deeper connections and bring a more personal touch to virtual environments.

Next Steps as an Educator

Integrating Live Elements in Online Courses
I will explore adding optional live Zoom sessions to my online courses. These sessions will allow me to share insights, answer questions in real-time, and engage in discussions that replicate the interactive nature of in-person learning.

Expanding Opportunities for Interaction
I will introduce more collaborative elements in online courses, such as peer discussions or group activities, to foster a sense of community and shared learning among students.

Providing Personalized Feedback
To bridge the gap in online learning, I will increase opportunities for personalized feedback and one-on-one check-ins. I have implemented extra credit "drop-ins". This will ensure that every student feels seen, valued, and supported.

Leveraging Technology for Engagement
I will continue to explore innovative ways to use technology, such as video updates, interactive tools, social media trends, and discussion forums, to make online learning more dynamic and engaging.

Soliciting Mid-Course Feedback
To ensure I am meeting students' needs in real-time, I will implement mid-course surveys (Dr. Burdick currently implements this practice) to gather feedback on what is working well and what could be improved. This will allow me to adjust my approach during the course, rather than waiting until the end.

Moving Forward

Student feedback is invaluable. I am committed to using feedback to grow as an educator. It is an honor to be part of my students' academic journeys, and I will continue to strive to create learning experiences that are impactful, inclusive, and meaningful. 

I have not received a full set of student evaluations for the entirety of my third year of teaching at Edmonds. However, from the evaluations I have reviewed, I have gained valuable insights to guide my development moving forward.For my online courses, I often break videos into segments of no more than 10 minutes. This approach works well for many students, as it aligns with the shorter, more digestible formats they are accustomed to on social media.

During my Winter 2025 SHS 126 course, a student expressed their excitement about learning about Adler, a theorist. To support this enthusiasm, I created an extra credit assignment allowing students to give a short presentation on a theory or theorist that resonated with them. Learning should be enjoyable, and my goal is to provide opportunities for students to explore and share the knowledge they are passionate about.

I find that the inverted classroom approach adds depth and texture to my lectures. Students read the material before class, engage with the lecture, watch videos, and then apply their knowledge. This method aligns with the cognitive hierarchy of learning, where students assimilate familiar material, accommodate new concepts, and apply what they’ve learned. This process is essential for fostering true comprehension and mastery of the material.

I also make it a priority to take advantage of the learning opportunities available on campus. Recently, I completed the OSCQR review, which I found incredibly helpful in strengthening my ability to support student learning.

Looking ahead, I am considering adding a question to the introduction posts, asking students what interests them most about the topic. This feedback could be incorporated into the course structure to better align with their interests and create a more engaging learning experience.