By Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING staff –
At the Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING, we encourage our fellows to provide us with constructive feedback regarding their perception of the work we do at the ART of TEACHING.
Since 2008, we have captured fellows’ feedback via our annual survey, aimed at assessing their perception of the program and the likelihood that they will utilize what they have learned at the ART of TEACHING to continue to enhance their teaching practice even after their two-year fellowship has come to an end.
Last December, we reported the results of our 2011 survey of fellows, which revealed a collective belief among fellows that the ART of TEACHING enhanced their skills, increased their passion for teaching, and strengthened their ability to inspire students. Our fellows were adamant that the skills acquired as part of their ART of TEACHING fellowship would likely continue to enhance their practice well into the future.
We could not have been more pleased with those results, until this year, when we received the results of our 2012 survey. Once again, we asked fellows to candidly share their perception of the fellowship. And once again, their responses demonstrated an overwhelmingly positive perception of the fellowship and a strong belief that the ART of TEACHING has:
- Improved their ability to instruct
- Deepened their content knowledge pertaining to their area of focus
- Increased their passion for teaching and ability to inspire students
- Expanded their repertoire of teaching methods
- Encouraged collaboration among students and joint work among teachers
- Increased expectations of students’ learning
- Encouraged fellows to take on leadership roles at their schools
- Taught fellows skills that will continue to enhance their teaching practice even after completion of their fellowship
The positive feedback of our fellows, while a validation of our program, is really a testament to their hard work and the commitment of their mentors over the course of their fellowship.
At the ART of TEACHING, we believe an openness and a willingness to learn is one of many steps towards achieving “excellence in teaching”. Through our surveys, we hope to demonstrate that we too are open and willing to learn, to improve, and to enhance the impact of our fellowship. We invite you to view the full results of our 2012 survey here.