Student Evaluations
Summary of Student Evaluations
Please note that for the Syracuse University Department of Mathematics we use an reversed point system where 1= Excellent and 5= Terrible. That is, the closer a score is to 1 the better it is.
It is incredibly important to use student feedback to help grow as an instructor. Evaluations can be helpful in this pursuit, though it should be noted that the technique of gathering data tends to produce very skewed results that can easily reflect implicit gender and racial biases. That said, on the whole, I am generally very well received by my students. Numerically, my average score is a 1.345 with a standard deviation of 0.116, which was computed by compiling all of my evaluation responses and averaging across all pertinent categories. (See Course Evaluation Summary for details)
Students gave me feedback in two main categories: the effectiveness of my communication and my assignment structure. Especially when I began leading recitations, I was working with subjects that I had to learn as I was teaching them. As such, I did not always have the clearest perspective and consequently was not able to teach ideas in a clear and efficient manner. In general, I have a tendency to over explain. As such, I continue to work hard on making my responses to questions more direct, succinct, and clear. My progress to this end can be seen in my evaluations, but I certainly have more work to do in this area.
Regarding assignments, I have put a lot of thought and effort into how I structure my courses and am constantly trying to find what works best for me and my student. It has been a challenge trying to find a balance between giving students credit for the work they are doing, making the work feel meaningful, and not taking on immense amounts of work. To address the first and last concerns, I have moved my classes homework online to WebWork. In an attempt to make the assignments less frustrating, I changed how I grade homework by allowing students to email in solutions they were having difficulty inputting. I plan to continue addressing the second concern by orienting my lectures and WebWork to work better with one another.
To see a detailed analysis of each semester’s evaluations please look at my Course Reflections page.