Introduction: How to Use this Guide?

Welcome to the Peer Observation of Teaching: TILT’s Guide for Instructors, Departmental Chairs, and P&T Committees!

This Guide will help you to:

• Understand the purpose and procedures of peer observation of teaching
• Implement effective peer observation processes in your department, program or group
• Apply various observation tools and approaches to enhance teaching practice and professional development
• Navigate the observation process—before, during, and after classroom visits
• Use peer observation data meaningfully in annual reviews and promotion processes

This guide is a living document developed by TILT (The Institute for Learning and Teaching) at Colorado State University to support meaningful and equitable peer observation practices across disciplines. The date of the latest revision appears on the homepage, as we continue to refine this resource based on feedback and emerging tools and evidence-based practices.

Peer observation of teaching offers a valuable opportunity for instructors to engage in collaborative reflection about teaching. Grounded in a developmental approach, this resource provides frameworks, evidence-based strategies, and practical tools to make the observation process asset-based, supportive, and growth-oriented. Establishing peer observation processes can initially seem daunting, but remember that even small, focused observations can yield significant insights about teaching and learning and build collaborative departmental culture.

We aim to help you adapt observation strategies to your specific context. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, which is why we encourage you to choose observation tools that can be adapted to your particular disciplinary context, class size, signature pedagogies, departmental needs, and professional development goals. This guide shares multiple tools and approaches that can be combined to create a customized observation experience. To support your reflection, each section includes space for notes and planning. You can download and save your personal reflections for later reference. These private notes are solely for your use—no other readers, authors, or administrators can access them.

Have questions about peer observation or other teaching topics? TILT provides expert support for all instructors and leads efforts to build a culture that recognizes and rewards teaching excellence. Contact us at tilt@colostate.edu for a consultation.

How to navigate this guide:

• This guide can be accessed on phones, tablets, and computers.
• Use the left/right arrow bar at the bottom of each page to flip through pages.
• The table of contents is in the top left corner with a drop-down arrow to expand all sections.
• Click the plus (+) next to any chapter in the table of contents to show all sections within that chapter.
• Return to the homepage from any page by clicking the guide title at the top center.
• On the homepage, the guide can be downloaded in various formats for accessibility and offline reference. Use the “Download this book” drop-down menu to select PDF, EPUB (for eReaders), or different editable file types.
• Take advantage of interactive features: note-taking spaces, guiding questions, and checklists.