Launching in Spring 2025

One of our goals at the McGraw Center is to create a community of practice around teaching by encouraging faculty to share their pedagogical approach. With this in mind, we are excited to launch our Teaching Pairs Program this spring.

Why create a teaching observation program?

The idea for the program was inspired in part by a conversation with Kati Moran, a lecturer in the Physics Department, who participated in a similar program at her previous institution and shared with us about the “invaluable learning opportunities it provided.” In reflecting on her experiences, Moran notes that the program helped her to “grow [her] teaching tool-kit and implement a wider range of instructional techniques.” Moran was one of the first faculty members to sign up to be a part of McGraw’s Teaching Pairs program.

Teaching observations have long been a part of McGraw’s offerings. Faculty can request a class observation and follow-up consultation with our staff, and we gladly film classes (and loan out our Swivl robots) so that faculty can self-reflect. During Princeton Teaching Week, a celebration of Princeton’s commitment to the advancement of teaching and learning held in the spring of 2019, McGraw hosted “open classrooms” in which faculty had the opportunity to observe classes and athletic practices. Peer observations are a requirement for fulfilling the Teaching Transcript, part of McGraw’s Graduate Pedagogy Program. A peer consultant observes and films the class session and debriefs with the grad student instructor, who also has a chance to reflect using provided prompts.   

How will the Teaching Pairs Program work?

The Teaching Pairs Program is a semester-long commitment, but it is flexible to accommodate faculty members’ busy schedules. McGraw will host a kick off session in early February and an end-of-semester wrap-up, in which the full cohort of participants will come together to set expectations and share experiences. Partners will observe each other's classes at least once and participate in pre- and post-observation meetings, which they will arrange on their own throughout the semester.

What are the benefits of participating in this program?

By working with a colleague in a non-evaluative partnership, faculty will have the opportunity to reflect on and improve their pedagogy. Research shows that faculty that engage in peer observations not only enhance their teaching effectiveness, but also become more reflective, feel less isolated, and develop meaningful collegial relationships (Bell et al., 2020; Burleigh et al., 2023; Kanuka & Sadowski, 2020; Rainville et al., 2024). Our overall objective is to foster a culture of non-evaluative teaching observations on campus. We hope you will consider joining us in this endeavor! 

How can I get more information or sign up?

Complete our interest form to sign up for the Teaching Pairs Program by Tuesday, January 21st. For questions about the program, please contact Jessica Del Vecchio, Senior Associate Director for Teaching Initiatives and Programs for Faculty, or Becca Rosen, Assistant Director for Educational and Program Assessment.

References

Bell, A. E., Meyer, H. S., & Maggio, L. A. (2020). Getting better together: A website review of peer coaching initiatives for medical educators. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 32(1), 53-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2019.1614448

Burleigh, C. L., Kroposki, M., Steele, P. B., Smith, S., & Murray, D. (2023). Coaching and teaching performance in higher education: A literature review. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 12(1), 1-17.https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-12-2021-0114 

Kanuka, H., & Sadowski, C. (2020). Reflective peer observations of university teaching: A Canadian case study. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 17(5). https://doi.org/10.53761/1.17.5.11

Rainville, K. N., & Desrochers, C. G. (Eds.). (2024). Faculty Learning Communities: Communities of Practice that Support, Inspire, Engage and Transform Higher Education Classrooms. IAP.