Self-Directed Teaching Squares
Teaching Squares are designed to enhance conversations about teaching and learning, foster group discussion and community through reciprocal peer observation, and provide space to engage in a self-reflection practice aimed at achieving personal teaching goals. Teaching Squares address the issue of teaching being a private endeavor by creating opportunities for peer observation, reflection, and discussion. They contribute to a more collaborative teaching culture and elevate the status of teaching in academic contexts.
By participating in Teaching Squares, educators can:
- Gain insights and consider new perspectives through observing, analyzing, and reflecting on the teaching and learning practices by their peers.
- Appreciate Colleagues' work in a collaborative, supportive environment.
- Develop your personal teaching philosophy by engaging in a critical reflective practice that takes into consideration how others engage in teaching and learning in their classrooms.
- Implement new approaches to teaching and learning in your classrooms by setting personal development goals and intentions for course redesign.
What can you learn about your teaching from having observed your peers?
Unlike some teaching and learning activities that focus on peer review and providing feedback to peers, Teaching Squares focus on turning observations of peers into self-evaluation and reflective practice.
How do Teaching Squares work?
Although the format and number of participants may vary, the typical Teaching Square format involves four instructors who commit to visiting each others’ classes once over the term, and then to share and discuss what they have learned from their observations in a final group meeting. The experience is structured to promote supportive, open, and energizing interactions among participants, fostering a culture of collaborative learning and teaching improvement.
For more information, refer to this detailed Step-by-Step Guide to the Teaching Squares Process.
What you’ll find in this resource:
- Benefits of participating in Teaching Squares
- Overview of how Teaching Squares work
- Step-by-step guide to conducting your own Teaching Squares
- Example templates
If you are interested in starting your own teaching squares, or connecting with other faculty members who would like to start a teaching square, please contact teaching@acadiau.ca.
Originally created by Anne Wessely from St. Louis Community College, Teaching Squares have been widely implemented and adapted in universities and colleges across North America and the UK. This guide has been modified from Carol Berenson’s “Teaching Squares: Observe and Reflect On Teaching and Learning” from the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning at the University of Calgary (2017).