Teaching Triangles

Would you like to get to know other colleagues and observe how they teach? Would you like to get personalized feedback on your own teaching? Join a Teaching Triangle this fall.

What is a Teaching Triangle?

A group of three instructors who provide reciprocal observations of each other’s teaching. The purpose is to provide a supportive environment and learning experience by watching peers teach and by receiving feedback from peers on your own teaching. Most instructors are only observed when the stakes are high (promotion, reappointment, tenure, post tenure). The Teaching Triangles program is about growing as an educator and not about evaluation.

Who is eligible?

Instructors of record (grad students/faculty) in the College of Arts and Sciences.

How will the Teaching Triangles be designed?

You will be assigned to a group such that none of you are in the same department or teaching at the same time. We do this to ensure it feels lower stakes for being observed or giving feedback. Being outside your discipline also gives you an opportunity to focus on the pedagogy rather than content on which you may have expertise.

Once you are part of the program, we suggest the following to get started:

1. Work together by email to set up an initial meeting.
2. Meet for the first time.
   1. Get to know each other and enter class visit dates on your calendars for when you will visit each other’s classes.
   2. Discuss your own experiences as teachers.
   3. Choose a date to meet after all the observations are completed.
3. Conduct your class visits. See this link for tips on visiting a colleague’s class. You may want to go with an observation tool in hand—or look at it for reference before you go.
4. Reflect. After each visit, reflect on what you learned about your own teaching by observing both the instructor and the students. Formulate any questions or feedback you may have for your colleague when you meet.
5. Meet a last time to debrief on your classroom visits. Reflect on what each of you learned about your own teaching and what you learned about student behaviors and engagement. Share feedback/tips with each other and ask questions. Consider if you might want to observe each other again in a future semester!