You will learn more about your teaching and how your students are learning through the process of peer observation.

Take some time to plan ways to improve your courses and think about great things in your teaching you can share with others. It is your observer’s role to assist you in the process of review and reflection, with the aim of improving the quality of your teaching as well as highlighting good practice for wider dissemination.

3. Reflect and plan

Meet with your observer for a ‘post-meeting’. The post-observation meeting is the most important discussion in this process. This meeting:

  • allows you to get feedback from your observer, and discuss what occurred in class
  • enables your observer to explain what they noticed you and your students doing
  • allows you to question and explain any things that need elaboration.

Your post-meeting should be scheduled soon after the class so the observer doesn’t forget details of what they have witnessed, but long enough after the class to allow the observer time to reflect on what they witnessed and prepare feedback for the observed teacher.

Phil Race, in Using peer observation to enhance teaching, provides these tips for the post-observation meeting:

  • value feedback from your colleagues
  • accept observation as normal
  • new colleagues are best treated gently
  • remind yourself that, in normal teaching, students do see you but don't really observe you
  • try to give three positives for every one 'could-do-better'
  • when you are observed, treat it as free consultancy
  • be prepared to receive positive feedback
  • regard any criticism as useful feedback
  • practise eliciting feedback.

Please register your peer observation activity. Registering your activity will help inform, support and enhance peer observation at UQ.

Peer observation workshops

Check Workday Learning for any upcoming Peer Observation workshop to learn how you can engage in this activity.