Teaching Evaluations

GTA Evaluation of Teaching, Spring 2022, conducted by Sociology department, OSU

Comments/evaluations from a class observer (professor):

1. Outstanding features of the graduate instructor’s teaching:

• Used a really novel approach (belief vs. science definitions) to set up discussion of race and ethnicity. Displays advanced thinking/planning on the matter and the lesson overall.

• Encourages students to learn different approaches to/views of material and then to decide about the issue on their own (i.e., does not build bias into the lecture, which is a mark of solid scientific approach).

• Had excellent responses to some arguably tough questions that I asked with regard to race. Especially telling is that the instructor was not flustered by these questions. In fact, the instructor seemed to gain confidence afterwards. The instructor not only referenced research to back up his response, but also tied the response/conversation to the current lecture (e.g., in relation to pollution exposure and race).

• Utilized the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday to discuss ethnicity and the Irish (i.e., a timely example).