For positive feedback from this peer coaching process, please see the second quotation on the Peer Feedback page.
Peer Review of Teaching
The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, UBC
February 2011
Program description excerpt:
What is it?
…the chance to participate in a cross-faculty formative peer review of teaching process.
How does it work?
As a reviewee, you will select and meet with up to two volunteer peer reviewers…The reviewers will learn about your teaching, observe your class, and give you formative feedback.
How will I benefit?
The Peer Review Program aims to encourage dialogue about teaching amongst instructors…of all ranks at UBC. By talking with your reviewers, you will likely gain new insight into your teaching and information about different teaching strategies or ideas. You will receive written feedback that you may choose to use as evidence in your teaching portfolio, and in future course and lesson planning.
My Experience
There are three main components to this program. Firstly, I met with my reviewer, Roselynn Verwoord and we discussed my approach to teaching and goals for the review. I told her that I wanted to improve my presentation skills and was worried that I was using material that was too complex. Simplifying is often not a poet’s strong point since poetry is often bent on the smoke of metaphor and crosshatched structure of metonymy.
Secondly, she visited my classroom and videotaped my teaching—a lecture on poetry writing basics to 180 undergrad students for Intro to Creative Writing 202, the class I’m a TA for. Being videotaped is nerve wracking, but well worth it.
Lastly, Roselynn prepared a written report for me. It was detailed and very thoughtful. Each comment had a coordinating time for the videotape of my presentation so I could watch myself and compare my actions to her comments. Again, this was nerve wracking, but ever so helpful. She and I talked about techniques to improve on as well as techniques that I was proficient with or showed mastery of.
Overall, this one-on-one time with Roselynn outweighs the worth of the other professional development courses and workshops I’ve taken—except the course, Teaching Creative Writing 522. It is extraordinary to have such detail put into a critique and to have such tangible remedies for pitfalls and shortcomings given to you so readily. I continue to have a working relationship with Roselynn and she welcomes any “teacher” questions I may have.