The Practice of Peer Observation.

By: Jacqueline M. DiSanto, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Education; Sandy Figueroa, M.S., Associate Professor, Business; Carlos Guevara, M.S., Director, Office of Educational Technology; Antonios Varelas, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Behavioral and Social Sciences; Diana Macri, M.S.Ed., R.D.H.,  Assistant Professor, Allied Health;
Andrea Fabrizio, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English; Sherese Mitchell, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Education; Sean Gerrity, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, English

Hostos Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY)

 

Abstract

     This paper discusses existing literature on peer observation. It also focuses on work done by an investigative, information-sharing committee at an urban community college in the South Bronx that was created to communicate best practices for conducting peer observations. The Peer Observation Improvement Network for Teaching (POINT) committee views peer observations as faculty-development opportunities that can lead to improved teaching. Using pre- and post-observation conversations to share pedagogy and resources, writing recommendations for growth, and conducting faculty observations in an online environment are examples of topics addressed by POINT.

Key words:  collegial conversations, faculty development, online learning, peer observation, professional growth.

 

Sean P. Gerrity, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of English
Hostos Community College, CUNY

Dr. Sean Gerrity earned his Ph.D. in English with a Certificate in American Studies from The City University of New York’s Graduate Center in 2017.  Since then, he has been Assistant Professor of English at Hostos Community College, where he teaches first-year composition, first-year seminar, and various other courses in writing and literature.  His scholarly writing has appeared in Journal of the Early Republic, Journal of American Studies, and MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States. He has also written about maintaining an active research agenda as a community-college instructor for Inside Higher Ed​ and has had his research featured on WAMC Public Radio’s “The Academic Minute” program. He regularly presents his research at both local and national conferences. He is trained as a scholar of early nineteenth-century American literature and slavery, and he is also interested in anti-racist pedagogy and assessment practices at the community college as well as Writing Across the Curriculum. He is a member of POINT.

Contact information:
Email:  sgerrity@hostos.cuny.edu
Webpage:  https://www.seangerrity.com
Twitter: @g3rrity