Teaching Squares
A Teaching Square is a group of four instructors who agree to observe one another teach during a given semester, and meet to reflect on and discuss the experiences afterwards. Squares develop their own set of norms and expectations to guide their collaboration.
Participation in a Teaching Square is an opportunity for reflection and growth about your OWN teaching practice. While many classroom observations in higher ed are intended to provide feedback to the person being observed, the Teaching Square model flips that around. You are observing others teach in order to better understand what you like about your own classroom approaches, what you might do differently, or where you might have room for growth.
Benefits of Participating in a Teaching Square
- setting aside a designated amount of time to reflect on your own teaching, examining what you find effective and what you might like to further develop
- gaining exposure to different styles of classroom practices
- connecting with colleagues across campus
- lessening feelings of isolation as an instructor
Components of Participating in a Teaching Square
By joining a teaching square, you agree to
- Review the Teaching Squares Overview document, either during a TLC Teaching Squares Information Session or on your own time (30-60min)
- Participate in a initial meeting with your Square colleagues to establish norms and designate observation times (30-60min)
- Attend one class for each of your three partners over the course of a semester (~50min x 3)
- Participate in a conclusion meeting with your Square Colleagues to debrief (60min)
Your group may agree upon changing the format of some components, or adding elements (such as a brief 1:1 conversation following each observation).
All told, expect the time commitment to be approximately 6-8 hours over the course of a semester.
Who Can Participate in a Teaching Square?
Teaching Squares are open to anyone who is teaching a class during the given semester at SUNY Geneseo, including tenured or tenure-track faculty, lecturers, adjuncts, and staff with teaching responsibilities. People teaching online as well as face-to-face classes are welcome to participate.
Squares ideally include a mix of instructors across different ranks and disciplines, in order to broaden the scope of experience for each participant.
How Do I Get Started?
Teaching Squares are in progress for the Fall 2024 semester. Applications will open in January for participation in Spring 2025.
You can also attend the TLC's Teaching Squares Information session, held in the third week of every semester.