Peer Observations

Montclair State University is committed to excellence in teaching. Peer observation is a means of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning, and supporting effective faculty development. The benefits of successful peer observation of teaching include:

  • Preventing pedagogical solitude by making teaching more visible and encouraging ongoing critical reflection and development among faculty about the quality of their teaching.
  • Fostering a community around the scholarship of teaching and learning through the diffusion of evidence-based practices.
  • Demonstrating to students departmental commitment to effective teaching practices.
  • Providing qualitative evidence to supplement student evaluations which generally focus on their levels of satisfaction rather than any deep perspectives on pedagogy.

Observation Templates

Observations can be formative, offering information focused on helping instructors improve their teaching, or summative, focusing primarily on evaluation for personnel decisions or the like. Some observations may combine both types. Regardless of the type, observations are most valuable when they allow the instructor to see their teaching more clearly both in terms of what is working well and what could be improved.

Peer evaluations should be based both on class observations and review of course materials, such as syllabi, readings, and assessments, as determined by the department or program. The most effective observations follow a clear process and use a form or template developed or adopted by a department or program. 

Observation Templates

Best Practices for Peer Observations

  1. Select a mutually convenient date. The class to be observed should include instruction (not primarily an exam, for example).
  2. Set up a pre-observation meeting (virtual or in person) to discuss the process and provide the observer with an understanding of the context of the session to be observed, or, in the case of asynchronous online courses, to discuss the timing of the review.  
    In addition, the observer should be provided with:
    • a course syllabus, 
    • relevant lessons plans and readings, 
    • if requested, sample responses to student work — how an instructor responds to student work in writing is a great way to understand how an instructor teaches.
  1. The observation.
    • In-Person Classes. Observer sits in the room, is briefly introduced, and quietly takes notes and observes instructor actions and students’ responses and behavior.
    • Synchronous Online Classes. Observer joins online course during session, is briefly introduced, and quietly takes notes and observes instructor actions and students’ responses and behavior
    • Asynchronous Online Classes. Observer is added to the Canvas course as an Observer.  The Observer role allows the individual to observe all aspects of the course, including students’ responses, but not to participate. The observer should have access to the course for two to three weeks, to accommodate time for review and follow-up, as needed.
Three students sit in a classroom, two hold books, one is speaking
  1. A post-observation feedback meeting (virtual or in person) that entails review of the observation and an exchange of ideas between the observer and observed instructor about what went well and strategies for improvement.

Observation Process, Step-by-step

  1. Pre-Observation Meeting

    Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes.

    Observer and instructor meet to:

    • Discuss the content and the context of the teaching session.
    • Discuss any relevant information about class dynamics.
    • Determine the particular concerns of the instructor. 
    • Review the classroom visit and logistics (where should the observer sit, if/how the observer should be introduced, etc.)

  2. Conducting the Observation

    Estimated time: Duration of class period.

    Observer should:

    • Schedule time to arrive early and stay until the last student has left.
    • Bring a copy of the appropriate peer observation template for reference.
    • Conduct a “fact-based” observation. Record what the instructor and students do. Include quotes and examples.
    • Document your observations of small segments of the class.

    Observer should not:

    • Provide judgmental, discouraging critical feedback.
    • Focus solely on the problems observed.
    • Point out areas of improvement without providing suggestions for improvement.

  3. Observation Report

    Estimated Time: 30-60 minutes

    Observer should provide a written report that includes both the summary or log of the session and feedback on the class and any other materials provided. Ideally this is provided to the instructor within one-two weeks of the class observed.

    Effective peer feedback is:

    • Descriptive—of the actions rather than personality
    • Specific—rather than general
    • Sensitive to the needs of the receiver as well the giver
    • Directed—toward behavior and action that can be changed
    • Timely—offered as close to the teaching event as possible
    • Selective—addressing one or two key issues rather than many at once 

  4. Post-Observation Feedback Meeting

    Estimated Time: 20-25 minutes

    Observer and instructor should meet soon after the session and sharing of the report for further discussion or debriefing:

    • Invite the instructor to begin by sharing their reflections. What sense did they have of the class and what worked and didn’t work? How did class play out in expected and unexpected ways?
    • Solicit questions the instructor has about your report or suggestions.
    • Elaborate on the strengths and areas of improvement you noted.

    Note: the observation report may be amended after the post-observation feedback meeting if needed.

Adapted from Peer Observation of Teaching: Maximizing Benefits for Teaching and Learning, by the Oregon State University Center for Teaching and Learning, which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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