Baker College New Faculty Observation Guide

Administrative Information

Faculty Name

Faculty Email

Date of Observation

Observer Name

Observer Email

Director / Supervisor Email

Campus

Semester Term

Course Observed

Evidence of Plan

Reviewing materials, planning approaches, and communicating module expectations/SLOs.

Planning Instructional Strategies

Planning delivery of activities to maximize class time and engage students.

Formative Assessment Methods

Planning how to check for understanding and share progress.

Section Evidence — Planning and Preparation

Professional Experiences

Connecting content to real-world applications and sharing professional examples.

Evidence of Content Knowledge

Including existing and original content to support and enhance curriculum.

Professional Communication

Communicate frequently and professionally using content-area language.

Section Evidence — Professional Expertise

Classroom Environment

Creating positive environment and effective student engagement activities.

Instructor Presence and Engagement

Regular presence and monitoring of engagement activities.

Supporting Diverse Ways of Knowing

Consider various learners' needs and adapt instruction as needed.

Section Evidence — Learning Environment

Implementing Instructional Strategies

Maximize class time, promote critical thinking, integrate technology.

Formative Assessment & Feedback

Implement checks for understanding and adjustment of instruction.

Grades and Feedback

Utilize grading tools for evaluation and individualized feedback.

Section Evidence — Learning Facilitation

Holistic Data Review

Summarize student feedback and self-evaluation data for the biennial review.

Student Feedback Summary

Summarize key themes, strengths, and areas for improvement from student evaluations.

Self-Evaluation Summary

Summarize the faculty member's self-evaluation, including identified strengths and growth areas.

Professional Development Tracks

Targeted professional development pathways aligned to evaluation domains. Tracks are automatically recommended based on indicator ratings.

Track 1

Planning & Preparation

SLO-Aligned Design & Assessment

Build clear modules tied to SLOs, with aligned activities and assessments.

Assign when: Planning & Preparation is No Evidence or Partially Meets.

Track 2

Professional Expertise

Career-Relevant Instruction & Professional Practice

Strengthen subject mastery, real-world examples, and discipline-specific communication/behaviors.

Assign when: Professional Expertise is No Evidence or Partially Meets.

Track 3

Learning Environment

Course Structure, Respectful Culture, Collaboration

Improve course organization, expectations, and routines that foster respect, teamwork, and curiosity.

Assign when: Learning Environment is No Evidence or Partially Meets.

Track 4

Canvas Fundamentals + Tips & Tricks

Setup, Presence, Grading

Canvas course setup (modules/homepage/navigation), presence routines, and SpeedGrader/rubrics/feedback tools.

Assign when: Learning Environment or Learning Facilitation is No Evidence or Partially Meets.

Complete indicator ratings above to see personalized PD track recommendations.