Teaching Squares

The Teaching Squares program provides an opportunity for instructors to gain new insight into their teaching through a process of reciprocal classroom observation and self-reflection. Four faculty members from different disciplines work together to visit each other’s classes once over the term. Participants commit to visiting one hour of one class for each colleague in the Teaching Square. Groups coordinate which class sessions are the most suitable for classroom observation. Square groups then meet over a complimentary refreshments to discuss what they learned about their own practice through the observation process.

The goal of the program is to provide an opportunity for faculty members to observe active learning and classroom management in a range of disciplinary settings and class sizes, and become familiar with strategies they may try in their own teaching.

Outcomes

After taking part in the Teaching Squares program, participants will be able to:

• reflect on how the teaching practices of other instructors inform their approaches to teaching
• reflect on effective teaching strategies in different disciplinary contexts
• observe classroom management in diverse class sizes and formats
• identify strategies to refine their own teaching practices.

What to expect

• This program is offered in the fall, winter and summer terms.
• Square groups are typically interdisciplinary and members are matched based on teaching schedules and availabilities.
• The time commitment is approximately five hours including a one-hour organizational meeting, three one-hour peer observations, and a final group meeting over lunch.
• Groups complete observations at their own pace within the term.