Language of the TEF
Elevate the conversation about teaching in your unit
The TEF provides language to foster meaningful dialogue about teaching. Just like any discipline, teaching has its own language. The following questions can guide discussions about strengths, goals, evidence-based practices, and measuring impact of chosen teaching practices. You can use these questions during goal setting, annual review of teaching, staff meetings, or any time faculty might need support in their teaching:
Setting a Teaching Goal
- What is your teaching goal?
- Why did you choose this goal?
- How does your goal align with departmental priorities and/or disciplinary needs?
- Which domain from the Teaching Effectiveness Framework (TEF) does your goal best align with?
- Which evidence-based practices from that domain will you integrate into your teaching?
- Which domains from the Teaching Effectiveness Framework are your strengths? What goal can you set to build on your strength?
- Looking ahead, which domain from the TEF do you plan to focus on next year?
Implementing Evidence-Based Practices
- Which evidence-based practices from that domain do you use most frequently? Why?
- Which evidence-based practices from the TEF or another source did you integrate this year?
- What did your professional development look like this year?
- What evidence-based practices would you like to implement in the future? What professional development can you engage with to help you add to these practices?
Measuring Impact
- How do you assess yourself on the rubric for the TEF domain that aligns with your goal?
- What kind of growth have you seen?
- What went well this semester? Which evidence-based practices will you keep? Which will you continue to revise?
- How did students respond to the changes you made to your teaching?
- Can you tell me about the evidence you collected to demonstrate growth in your teaching?
Departmental Support
- Which domains from the Teaching Effectiveness Framework are your strengths? How can I help you build on this strength?
- How can I support your teaching efforts?
- What support do you need from your department to achieve your teaching goal?
“... we have been able to move away from a kind of a defensive conversation about whether you got the right score to a formative conversation about how do you become the faculty member you want to be and how can I help you do that? ...now I find the conversations far more pleasant, and they’re more interesting conversations about how do we become what we want to be.”
Greg Dickenson
Director, Joe Blake Center for Engaged Humanities and Former Chair, Communication Studies