OFE Observation Service
The Office for Faculty Excellence offers formative, low-stakes classroom observations for adjunct faculty, teaching faculty, and tenure-line faculty. Unlike required departmental or contractual peer reviews, our observation service is entirely unofficial, collaborative, and tailored directly to your self-identified teaching goals.
Because these observations are strictly formative, all notes, data, and discussions remain entirely confidential between you and the OFE consultant. No reports or records are sent to department chairs, deans, or personnel committees. You maintain total agency over how you use this feedback, including whether you choose to voluntarily write about the experience in your reflective teaching narratives or personnel packets.
How the Observation Service Works
Our observation process utilizes a structured, three-step development cycle designed to provide meaningful, actionable insights into your course’s dynamics, whether delivered in-person, synchronously online, or asynchronously online.
Email faculty@montclair.edu to begin the process.
Step 1. Pre-Observation Consultation
Prior to the classroom, Zoom, or async course visit, you will meet briefly with an OFE consultant to discuss the specific context of your course and define areas you would like the consultant to focus on (e.g., student participation patterns, clarity of instructions, transitions between lecturing and active learning, or remote engagement strategies). You will also share your syllabus and specific session/module details.
For Face-to-Face (F2F) / Synchronous Courses: Share the specific lesson plan, learning objectives, and agenda for the observed class period.
For Asynchronous Courses: Identify a specific 1- to 2-week module, unit, or learning pathway for review, including the relevant announcements, discussion boards, recorded lectures, and assignment instructions.
Step 2. The Classroom or Course Visit
The OFE consultant will review your course as an unobtrusive observer, gathering objective, evidence-based data. Rather than judging performance, the consultant collects objective, timestamped descriptive data on what both you and your students are doing throughout the designated module or live meeting. This "data-focused" approach provides a clear mirror of classroom interactions without the pressure of an administrative evaluation.
For Live Sessions (F2F / Synchronous): The consultant attends your live class session and collects objective, timestamped descriptive logs tracking both instructor actions and student interactions throughout the period.
For Asynchronous Courses: The consultant is enrolled with observer access to your Learning Management System (LMS) site. They systematically evaluate the designated module through the lens of a student, capturing descriptive evidence on:
Navigational Clarity & Structure: How intuitive it is for students to locate tasks, deadlines, and learning materials.
Instructor Presence & Engagement: The visibility and tone of your feedback, discussion facilitation, announcements, and instructional media.
Active Learning & Interaction Design: How effectively discussion prompts, peer interactions, and self-assessment activities foster student engagement.
Step 3. Post-Observation Reflection Session
Within a week of the visit, you and the consultant will meet to review the collected data. Together, you will reflect on what went well and discuss concrete, evidence-based pedagogical strategies to address any challenges or student confusion noticed during the session or course review.