FPP/TA Program Workshop: Peer Observation of Teaching for TAs and Future Faculty #1

Peer Observation of Teaching for TAs and Future Faculty

Two online, interactive workshops

Facilitated by Laurel Willingham-McLain, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence

Part I: Friday, September 29, 1-2:15

Part II: Friday, October 20, 1-2:15

In this interactive, two-part, online FPP/TA Program workshop, we will discuss basic principles for peer observation, characteristics of good teaching, observation practices, and meaningful conversations between the observer and observed person.

Informal peer observation of teaching by graduate students yields many benefits:

• It informs and energizes your current teaching within a community of instructors.
• You build skills of observation and dialogue that are useful in any field and are often expected of faculty.
• The practice strengthens your job search materials and ability to articulate the ways you ground your own teaching in research-based principles.
• Observing colleagues across disciplines helps prepare you to lead cross-disciplinary initiatives.
• Providing and receiving peer feedback demonstrates a strong commitment to student success by improving not only your teaching, but that of others.
• Peer observation feedback is an important component of a strong Teaching Portfolio.

Part I 

Workshop participants will enhance their ability to

Articulate the purposes and practices of high-quality peer observation.

• Recognize aspects of teaching that draw from research on learning and identify aspects of teaching/learning evidence that are relevant to peer observation.
• Plan the pre-observation meeting so they can focus on the voice, goals, and experience of the person being observed and generate questions to learn about pedagogies that are valued in the subject area they’re observing.

Part II

Participants will learn and practice techniques to

• Conduct the teaching observation using basic, practical observation tools.
• Approach the post-observation conversation.

Come join our lively discussions on this important component of teaching and future faculty success.  We encourage you to attend both sessions, but welcome you to attend one if that is best for you. We plan to make a recording of each session available to participants/RSVPs.

To RSVP, please click the links below.  You will receive the Zoom invitation information as the end of survey message after you register.  Please copy the this information into your calendar, so you’ll remember to attend.

Part #1 9/28/23:

https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1TBhtTLxTS0Gbci

Part #2 10/20/23:

https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7QVIVqypFgqpoXk