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Peer Evaluation of Teaching (PET)
The purpose of the Peer Evaluation of Teaching is to enhance the quality of teaching and foster a collaborative learning environment. The Peer Evaluation of Teaching (PET) program was initiated at S&T in the summer of 2023. Recognizing the value of constructive feedback and shared best practices, this program was developed with faculty members to provide instructors an additional methodology to gain insights into their teaching techniques from their S&T peers. By encouraging open dialogue and mutual support among colleagues, the program aims to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and innovation in teaching.
Peer observers meet with the instructor before and after the observation. The pre-meeting is to discuss the class, the instructor’s goals, and any concerns. Observers will be added as observers to the Canvas course of the person being observed. They are not able to see student data or information. The Canvas course is used to complete the final part of the PET rubric which asks about course setup, accessibility on Canvas, and variety of assessments. These items cannot be observed in one course period, and so the Canvas course is used to evaluate the course more broadly. The post meeting discusses the observations and the write-up generated during the process. The final evaluation and a letter to the chair will be emailed to the person observed as well as to the chair. 

Progress Report on Peer Evaluation of Teaching-August 2024 -  PEER EVAL PROG REPORT 8-2024

A rubric was developed by a committee of S&T faculty for use in this process.

PET Rubric.docx 

Other related documents:

Pre-Observation Form

Sign up for Peer Evaluation of Teaching

Peer Evaluation of Teaching Sign Up

FAQs

You can submit to be observed at any time. Complete the form Peer Evaluation of Teaching Course Observation. It is also linked above on this website. After you submit the form, the observers will reach out to you to set up a schedule for the observation.

We have recruited award-winning faculty on campus. They must complete training before conducting observations. If you are interested in seeing the current list of PET observers, please contact Michelle Schwartze. 

The process includes a pre-observation meeting, the actual observation, and a post-observation meeting. This can take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks depending on the schedules of the observee and observers. 

You have the opportunity to decide how you want to use this observation.

It can be included in a dossier or for award applications. You may request a future observation in the same course after making changes based on a PET observation. This would be a great way to show evidence that you are working on improving teaching. 

The final observations are sent to the person being observed as well as to the chair of their department.

This is a formative process.

That means we are only observing a small part of your teaching and providing feedback based on what we observe. This feedback is specific, timely, and actionable.

No, you may have options for observations within your department. TLC is also available as a support if you request it.