PD Opportunities:

Peer-to-Peer

Explore self-directed professional development opportunities available through the SCTL. Take control of your growth and discover new ways to enhance your teaching and educational journey.

Teaching Triangles & Squares

Pilot Group: (Top row, from left to right) Liliana Simon, Carolyn Reed, Allison Taylor; (Bottom row) Carla Kingston, Denise Nielsen and Victoria Workman

Teaching triangles (3 people) and squares (4 people) are opportunities for self-directed peer-to-peer professional learning through guided observation and feedback dialogues. In either scenario, a small group of peers engage in a structured, non-threatening process of planning, conducting, and reflecting upon formative (low-stakes, learning-oriented) teaching observations to improve upon your teaching practices.

Teaching triangles and squares are a voluntary, faculty-owned/driven process facilitated by the SCTL. Your involvement would require approximately 5-8 hours of time within one semester (14 weeks), depending on whether you join a teaching triangle (3 peers) or square (4 peers).

Guide to Teaching Triangles and Squares

Expression of Interest Form

Pilot Group Feedback (Teaching Triangles and Squares)

"Participating in this voluntary professional development opportunity with other mid-career educators reignited my passion for learning and teaching. It’s like being in a book club: you can read a book by yourself, but it’s so much more rewarding when you have like-minded people with whom you can further explore and discuss key themes and ideas.

This was exactly what I was looking for when I engaged with this group. As colleagues, we already knew each other well, and we were able to build on mutual friendship and trust, as well as our individual strengths to provide feedback and conversation about teaching and pedagogical practices. Observing other professors, and the way they engage in the classroom was as valuable to me as any other professional development I have ever taken, while having my peers observe and give feedback on my classes, allowed me to take a step back and re-vision my classes through their eyes. Upon completion of the formal triangles, there’s also the informal opportunity to gather and discuss some of the common themes that emerged, and I look forward to ongoing dialogue with this team of passionate, inspired educators. "

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"Participating in Teaching Triangles reminded me of the importance of continual growth and learning in our profession. Just like with our students, sometimes it takes an assignment to force reflection, and Teaching Triangles offered the opportunity to reflect and discuss my teaching philosophy and teaching practice with other trusted colleagues.

It was interesting to observe different approaches to teaching, challenging me to consider new techniques in my practice. My Teaching Triangle was with trusted colleagues; this created a supportive environment conducive to sharing feedback, fostering a culture of open dialogue and collaborative learning, and as a result, I feel more connected to my peers. As such, the Teaching Triangle is not just a professional development tool; it's a platform for building a community of educators committed to ‘Teaching Excellence’. I wholeheartedly recommend this experience to faculty, particularly those seeking to refresh, rediscover, reignite, or revisit their teaching philosophy. I look forward to participating in another Teaching Triangle next semester to continue my journey of professional and personal growth. "