📘 TLC Guide Available
This topic includes a full-length TLC Guide for deeper exploration.
► Peer Observation of Teaching
Reflecting on Teaching Through Peer Observation
Peer Observation of Teaching is an instructional support practice in which you invite a colleague to observe your teaching, or you observe theirs. It provides both the observer and the observed instructor with the opportunity to reflect on teaching and to consider the impact of specific instructional choices on student learning.
Making Peer Observation Effective
- Ensure that peer review methods are consistent across the department.
- Use a clear protocol (see resources below for samples).
- Decide who will conduct class visits — ideally the same person or pair for all visits.
- Schedule pre- and post-observation meetings to set expectations and discuss feedback.
- Provide guidance on how to talk with students about the observation.
TLC Guide
The TLC Peer Observation of Teaching Guide offers sample protocols, practical tools, and recommendations to support effective peer observation across disciplines.
Additional Resources
The University of Colorado Peer Observation Protocols provide an example of how to build structure and consistency into peer classroom observations. The
University of Calgary’s “Teaching Squares” Peer Observation Model invites participants to reflect on what can be learned about their own teaching by observing their colleagues, and provides a plan and template for observation.
The University of Toronto’s Guide to Peer Observation of Teaching provides concrete strategies for choosing observers, tools for engaging in peer observation, ideas for both pre- and post-observation discussions, and resources for self-assessment.