Teaching Triangles - FAQ

Professional development in teaching through community

Linda Strubbe, Ph.D. | Strubbe Educational Consulting

Welcome! Teaching Triangles is a professional development program that I originally led at the University of Central Asia (UCA) in 2018. It is based on the idea that teaching is better in community, and we have so much we can learn from each about teaching.

I hope you find it useful for your teaching context. If you have questions or would like support with professional development in teaching, please get in touch!

Introduction and background

• What is a Teaching Triangle?
• What is the purpose and philosophy of Teaching Triangles?
• Is this the same as evaluation of teaching?
• How can we get support for our Teaching Triangle?
• Do other universities do Teaching Triangles? Where did this idea come from? Is there research on Teaching Triangles?

How Teaching Triangles work

• Who should be in my Teaching Triangle?
• What are the phases of Teaching Triangles?
• What should we do first?
• When should we observe each other? When should we meet for reflection discussions?
• What happens during an observation?
• What happens after a round of observations?
• What happens during a reflection discussion?
• What happens during the Wrap-up phase?
• How much time will Teaching Triangles take?

Questions, concerns, and ideas

• Should we share our Teaching Triangle observations and discussions with others outside the Triangle?
• I feel kind of uncomfortable having someone observe my class. What should I do?
• I have ideas / suggestions / concerns / feedback about Teaching Triangles.

What is a Teaching Triangle?

A Teaching Triangle is a group of three faculty who support each other in their teaching via class observations, self-reflection, and discussion. (The Triangle can have more than three members if appropriate.)

What is the purpose and philosophy of Teaching Triangles?

The purpose is to support you towards your own goals for your teaching, by creating space and community to observe your colleagues, reflect on your teaching stimulated by your observations, and discuss teaching with your colleagues. The philosophy is one of mutual support and positive, constructive discussion.

The original idea of Teaching Squares (from which our Teaching Triangles is derived) lists the cornerstones of the program as “Reciprocity and Shared Responsibility, Appreciation, Self-Referential Reflection, and Mutual Respect.” It continues that, “The Cornerstones of Teaching Squares are those critical attitudes and behaviors that, when exhibited by all participants, create a safe, mutually-supportive, energizing environment for sharing the joys and challenges of teaching.”

Is this the same as evaluation of teaching?

No, emphatically not. Here are some important differences:

• Giving each other feedback on teaching is an optional part of Teaching Triangles. Each Triangle should decide whether you want to invite feedback from each other, or not. The original concept of Teaching Squares has no feedback embedded at all: they write, “By keeping our observations self-focused we avoid any hint of evaluation or judgment that could contribute to a climate of defensiveness and suspicion.” The benefit of Teaching Triangles can come simply from self-reflection around watching someone else teach: it can give you new ideas and make you curious about aspects of your own teaching. However, in your Triangle you may decide to invite feedback on your teaching -- but only if you want to.
• The observations and discussions that happen in Teaching Triangles are confidential within each Triangle. You should not share these with other colleagues or administrators (unless you all decide to do so for a specific purpose) -- so these are not used for evaluation, tenure and promotion, etc.

How can we get support for our Teaching Triangle?

While not required, an Educational Consultant can help support your Teaching Triangle. For example, when we held this program at UCA in 2018, I (Linda Strubbe) offered to join some of the Teaching Triangle discussions during the term via Zoom. Some possible roles I offered to take during meetings were: help facilitate discussions, give feedback or ideas, or offer external perspectives. Your Triangle can decide what would be most helpful for you.

Who should be in my Teaching Triangle?

Firstly, you should make sure that the schedules of everyone in your Triangle are such that you’re available to observe each other teach. Other considerations are here:

Adapted from: University of Tasmania, Guide to Peer Review of Teaching

What are the phases of Teaching Triangles?

The phases are:

1. Have first discussion (discuss teaching goals, group norms, etc.)
2. Observe each other
3. Reflect on your observations, on your own
4. Meet as a triangle
5. Repeat phases 2-4
6. Wrap-up (celebrate, share ideas you learned, give feedback on the program)

More info on each phase is below.

What should we do first?

After you establish your Teaching Triangle, you should get together for some important discussions.

1. Share and discuss each of your teaching goals for the term.
2. Exchange syllabi for your courses.
3. Decide on a list of group norms for how you want to discuss teaching with your Triangle.

1. For example:

1. “Make sure that everyone participates and gets a chance to offer their thoughts.”
2. “Make sure to arrive for meetings on time and prepared.”

2. Importantly, you should decide together:  Do you want to give each other feedback on teaching, or just reflect on your own teaching based on what you observed?

1. If you do decide to give each other feedback, it’s important to do that respectfully and constructively, in an atmosphere of trust where everyone involved feels safe. Here are some suggestions for giving constructive feedback.

3. Make sure everyone in your Triangle has a copy of these group norms (e.g., make a shared google doc private to your Triangle). It’s a good idea to return to these periodically during the term, to see how much you are following them, and if there are any you want to add or revise.

4. Decide how confidential you would like to keep your Triangle’s observations and reflection discussions, with others outside your Triangle. A good idea might be that you can share ideas that you learn, but without saying words directly about what you observed or heard in discussions.
5. Decide if you’d like an Educational Consultant to join (some of) your meetings. (See above.) Be sure to let them know your Triangle’s confidentiality policy beforehand.
6. Discuss if anyone has concerns about observing or being observed, or what you imagine someone might have concerns about. Follow this with a discussion about ways that your Triangle can mitigate those concerns. These might turn into group norms you want to add to your list. E.g.,

1. You might decide not to give each other feedback, at first or at all.
2. You might think about how to introduce the observer in class.
3. You might think about what kinds of conversation before and after the observation would make the observed person feel more comfortable.

When should we observe each other? When should we meet for reflection discussions?

Here is a template schedule. Your Triangle should adjust it as appropriate for the context and details of your Triangle.

(E.g., if there are four of you, if someone only teaches half the term, etc.)

This graphic shows the schedule pattern schematically.

What happens during an observation?

Please read these ideas for what you might focus on during an observation.

The observer and observee should meet briefly (~10-15 min) before and after the observation:

• Pre-class:  Faculty to be observed can explain what their overall idea is for the class session, give context from previous and upcoming classes, and mention areas where they might like the observer to focus or give specific feedback
• Post-class: Observed faculty can share their experience and self-evaluation of teaching that day.  Observer can describe what they saw in the class, give specific feedback if requested.

Please make sure to exchange course syllabi before you start observing.

What happens after a round of observations?

You should take some time on your own to reflect on what you observed and what ideas that gives you for your own teaching. You may like to connect back to your goals for your own teaching this term that you previously wrote. You are encouraged to write your reflections (although they can remain private to you), to bring to your reflection discussion, and for you to look back on after the term.

I can offer some suggested reflection prompts if you’d like.

What happens during a reflection discussion?

After each of the two rounds of observations, your Teaching Triangle should get together to reflect and discuss. This can be private and informal; you might like to choose somewhere comfortable for the conversation where you won’t be disturbed.

What you discuss is up to your Teaching Triangle. I suggest that bring with you your own teaching goals that you previously wrote and the post-observation reflections that you wrote, and use those to help guide the conversation. You can also celebrate exciting things you observed in others’ classes, ideas that you had a result of your observation, and things you’ve tried in class since. You may share feedback with each other if you’d decided to include that in your Teaching Triangle, but it should not be the main focus of this discussion. You may also like to revisit your group norms.

I can offer some suggested discussion prompts if you’d like.

What happens during the Wrap-up phase?

We plan to have all triangles get together at the end of the term to:

• Discuss your experience with Teaching Triangles.
• Celebrate your work this term.
• Post a summary of your triangle’s findings, ideas, and questions from the semester. Note: This is only what your Triangle feels comfortable sharing, and should not include specific information about observations or reflection discussions. This is to help us celebrate your work and improve Teaching Triangles, definitely not to break your confidentiality.
• Give written feedback to organizers on the program.

Should we share our Teaching Triangle observations and discussions with others outside the Triangle?

As described above: Your Triangle should decide how confidential you would like to keep your Triangle’s observations and reflection discussions. A good idea might be that you can share ideas that you learn, but without saying words directly about what you observed or heard in discussions. You should not share these with other colleagues or administrators (unless you all decide to do so for a specific purpose) -- so these are not used for evaluation, tenure and promotion, etc.

I feel kind of uncomfortable having someone observe my class. What should I do?

It’s totally reasonable to feel uncomfortable about this. You may never have been observed before, or your past experience with being observed may have been critical or evaluative. Or maybe you have some other reasons you feel uncomfortable.

Here are some suggestions to help you feel more comfortable:

• Talk about it in your Triangle. Can you explain what makes you feel uncomfortable? Do they feel a bit uncomfortable, too? What might make you feel more comfortable? What ideas do your Triangle partners have?
• Often concerns about being observed are related to feedback:

• Discuss these suggestions for giving constructive feedback.
• You might decide not to give each other feedback, at first or at all.
• If you do decide to give each other feedback, you can decide to give each other only feedback that is specifically invited (e.g., I’m interested in feedback on how I set up the group discussions in class today.)
• You can remind yourselves about your group norms around discussing teaching. E.g., make sure to include positive feedback, and phrase any negative feedback as suggested places for improvement (Not: You’re doing X wrong.)

• You might think about what kinds of conversation before and after the observation would make you feel more comfortable.
• You might think about what kinds of interaction during the observation would make you feel more comfortable.

• Maybe the observer can catch your eye and smile every once in a while?
• Maybe the observer should sit in a corner and be as unobtrusive as possible?
• Maybe the observer can say something reassuring to you during pauses (e.g., student group discussions)?

• You might remind yourself what your teaching goals are for the term, and how being observed can help you towards them. Then focus the observations and discussions on those.

The more you observe each other and discuss your teaching together, the more you’ll likely build trust in your Triangle, and feel that being observed can be safe and valuable for you.

If you’d like more support with this, an Educational Consultant can help.

How much time will Teaching Triangles take?

We estimate that it will take about 10 hours over the course of the term, in addition to orientation time with your Triangle.

For two rounds of observations, reflection and discussion:

We encourage you to log how much time you spent on Teaching Triangles, to give a better sense for planning future editions of the program.

Do other universities do Teaching Triangles? Where did this idea come from? Is there research on Teaching Triangles?

Yes they do! Although more often they are groups of four faculty and are called Teaching Squares. We decided on groups of three because the number of faculty at UCA is relatively small.

The original idea for Teaching Squares came from Anne Wessely at St. Louis Community College, USA, and is described in this article by James Rhem in The National Teaching & Learning Forum in 2003. We draw from ideas about Teaching Squares in this article in Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching (Dave Berry, 2008). Teaching Squares was featured in this Faculty Focus article (Neil Haave, 2018).

Teaching Squares is an important component of the highly effective biology professional development program described in “Collectively Improving Our Teaching: Attempting Biology Department–wide Professional Development in Scientific Teaching,” Owens et al. (2018), CBE-Life Sciences Education, Spring, 17(1).

Many colleges and universities use Teaching Squares. (Try googling it!) We borrowed some ideas from the program at Stonehill College, USA.

Teaching Triangles also have principles in common with paired teaching, a program in which two faculty teach a course together with the goal of learning new teaching strategies from each other. Linda has pair-taught twice and conducted research on how paired teaching helps new faculty to adopt active learning strategies.

Our research is published here: "Faculty Adoption of Active Learning Strategies via Paired Teaching: Conclusions From Two Science Departments." Journal of College Science Teaching, Vol. 49, No. 1, 31-39, (2019). By Linda E. Strubbe, Jared Stang, Tara Holland, Sarah Bean Sherman, and Warren J. Code. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26901347 (See pdf here).

There is also research indicating that professional learning communities are an important way to promote ongoing growth around teaching: see, e.g., Lave and Wenger (1991) and Loucks-Horsley et al., 2003. Viewed in Henderson et al. (2011)’s theoretical framework of facilitating change in science teaching, Teaching Triangles fits into the change categories of Developing Reflective Teachers, Enacting Policy, and Developing Shared Vision.

I conducted research with colleagues at UCA (Dr. Genevieve Balderston & Dr. Ian Canlas) on faculty experience in Teaching Triangles. We have submitted our manuscript to To Improve the Academy.

I have ideas / suggestions / concerns / feedback about Teaching Triangles.

Great! I’d love to hear from you: lestrubbe@gmail.com.