Teaching Practicums
Professional learning grows through experience, feedback, and reflection. TATP practicums are designed to support this cycle by giving participants opportunities to practice authentic teaching skills, engage with structured feedback from peers and Graduate Educational Developers, and reflect on their learning. Research shows that giving feedback contributes to professional development as much as receiving it, which means observers and peer reviewers are active participants in the learning process. Every TATP practicum is built around the same learning cycle:
2. Feedback: Receive and provide structured, formative feedback.
3. Reflect: Consider what worked, what challenged you, and what you might do differently.
4. Revise: Carry new insights forward into your next teaching experience.
Teaching Observations
Microteaching Sessions
Peer Review Sessions
Statement of Teaching Philosophy Clinic
Teaching Dossier Consultation
Teaching Observation
What is a Teaching Observation?
A Teaching Observation gives you something most graduate students never get: an informed outside perspective on your teaching from someone who is there specifically to support your development. Your observer is not your supervisor or department chair, and nothing they observe is reported back to your department. It is a confidential, low-stakes opportunity to find out what is already working in your classroom and what is worth refining.
Your assigned Graduate Educational Developer will observe up to one hour of your class or lab, paying close attention to your instructional strategies, student engagement, and overall learning environment. You will receive written feedback on your specific strengths and concrete suggestions for what to try differently, followed by a dedicated meeting to work through the feedback together.
At a Glance
Required Practicum for: AUTP Certificate, Accessible and Inclusive Teaching Certificate, Educational Technology Certificate
Format: Initial meeting, one-hour observation, written feedback, and follow-up consultation
Eligibility: Currently teaching a course, tutorial, lab, or other instructional session
Important Notes:
- Submit your request in EVE at least three weeks before the class you would like observed.
- Teaching observations are not scheduled during the final two weeks of any term.
- Observations are confidential and are not shared with your department or supervisor.
- Observations are available for both in-person and online teaching contexts.
Why Participate?
Teaching observations provide a rare opportunity to receive individualized feedback from an experienced educator whose sole purpose is to support your development. The process can help you better understand your teaching strengths, gain insight into how students experience your teaching, and identify practical strategies for refining your practice.
Unlike evaluation processes used for employment or performance review, a Teaching Observation is developmental rather than evaluative. It creates space for honest reflection, experimentation, and growth in a supportive and confidential environment.
Registration
- Log into EVE.
- On the home page, click the “Go” button under “Schedule a Meeting/Consultation”.
- Select Teaching Observation Request from the drop down menu and click “Create”.
- Fill out the registration form.
- Finally, you must identify three possible dates for your observation before submitting your request for scheduling.
- Review the TATP Teaching Observation Tip-Sheet on preparing for your Teaching Observation.
What to Expect
Initial Meeting
After your request has been approved, you will meet with a Graduate Educational Developer to discuss your teaching context, goals, and any specific aspects of your teaching you would like the observation to focus on. This conversation helps ensure the feedback you receive is relevant to your needs and interests.
Observation
The Graduate Educational Developer will attend up to one hour of your class, lab, tutorial, or teaching session. They will observe various aspects of your teaching, including instructional strategies, student engagement, classroom interactions, and any areas identified during the initial meeting.
Follow-Up Consultation
Following the observation, you will meet with the Graduate Educational Developer to review the feedback together. The discussion will focus on your strengths, areas for growth, and strategies that may support your future teaching development.
A completed Teaching Observation Feedback Form will be uploaded to EVE for your reference and future reflection.
Preparing for a Teaching Observation
Before submitting your request:
- Identify a teaching session you would like observed.
- Consider any specific questions, challenges, or goals you would like feedback on.
- Review the Teaching Observation Tip Sheet to familiarize yourself with the process.
- Ensure your observation request is submitted at least three weeks before your preferred observation date.
After the Observation
Following the consultation, take time to review your feedback and identify priorities for future development.
You may wish to:
- Reflect on the strengths identified during the observation.
- Experiment with suggested strategies in future teaching contexts.
- Save your feedback form for future reference.
- Use the feedback to support other teaching development activities, such as microteaching, dossier development, or certificate work.
Microteaching
What is Microteaching?
Microteaching is a structured opportunity to practice teaching in a supportive, low-stakes environment. Participants deliver a short, focused lesson to peers, receive formative feedback, and reflect on their experience. By teaching, observing, and providing feedback, participants develop greater confidence and insight into their teaching practice.
At a Glance
Required Certificate Practicum for: AUTP Certificate, Accessible and Inclusive Teaching Certificate, Educational Technology Certificate
Format: 10-minute teaching demonstration, peer feedback, reflection, and discussion.
Duration: Approximately 3 hours.
Modes: Online and In-person
Why Participate?
Microteaching is based on a longstanding model of teaching development that emphasizes practice, feedback, reflection, and revision. At the TATP, we use microteaching because it:
- Provides an opportunity to practice teaching in a supportive, low-stakes environment.
- Creates meaningful opportunities for peer-to-peer learning.
- Recognizes that teaching development involves both receiving and providing feedback.
- Encourages reflective practice as a foundation for continued growth.
Participants in microteaching sessions will be able to hone their skills in the following areas:
- Oral presentation skills (voice modulation and articulation, enthusiasm, gestures, non-verbal cues, clarity of explanations and examples)
- Organization skills (structure of the lesson, strong opening and closing, good transitions between sections, clear learning objectives, effective use of time, good pacing)
- Relating to the student (the speaker engages the audience, the material is audience-appropriate, effective questioning, use of relatable examples)
- Effective use of teaching aids (handouts, blackboard, presentation software, overhead transparencies, props, charts, etc.
Registration
You can register for Microteaching at the TATP through the events calendar on the TATP website or in the TATP registration system, EVE. From here you may select the microteaching session that you wish to attend.
Please note: Microteaching sessions are in high demand. If you need to cancel your registration in a microteaching session for any reason you must do so 3 days before the session takes place. If you need to cancel your registration afterwards, please email the TATP. Failure to cancel your registration and not attend a session may result in a restriction from registering in future Microteaching sessions.
What to Expect
During the session, you will:
- Deliver a focused 10-minute lesson.
- Observe and learn from your peers’ teaching.
- Receive written and verbal feedback.
- Provide constructive feedback to others.
- Reflect on your experience and identify next steps for your teaching practice.
Session Structure
Preparatory phase: Before the Microteaching session you will prepare a 10 minute lesson. This includes selecting the topic, defining clear learning objectives, planning the content and structure of your lesson, and preparing any necessary teaching materials or resources.
Introductory presentation: During this presentation, TATP Graduate Educational Developers will discuss the ground rules for microteaching, the session process, and the elements of effective feedback.
Delivery of teaching presentations and peer feedback: Each participant will deliver their 10 minute lessons. Participants will fill out feedback forms and have an opportunity to share verbal feedback with each participant.
Reflection and discussion: You will have an opportunity to reflect on your teaching experience, consider the feedback provided, and engage in a discussion with the observers and other participants. This discussion can involve further clarification, exploring alternative approaches, sharing experiences, and learning from each other’s perspectives.
Preparing for Microteaching
Choosing and Designing Your Lesson
You may teach a topic of your choice, but we recommend selecting a concept that:
- Is accessible to a broad, interdisciplinary audience.
- Is appropriate for beginner learners.
- Can be taught effectively in 10 minutes.
- Allows opportunities for audience interaction and participation.
If you choose a topic from your discipline, be sure to explain any specialized terminology and provide sufficient context for participants unfamiliar with the field. Simpler concepts are often more effective than highly specialized or advanced material.
Your lesson may incorporate a variety of teaching approaches and tools, including slides, handouts, whiteboards, videos, or other resources. What matters most is not the amount of content you cover, but how clearly and effectively you engage learners.
Microteaching can also be a valuable opportunity to experiment with teaching approaches, educational technologies, and inclusive teaching strategies explored through TATP workshops and certificate programs. Participants are encouraged to use the session to practice new techniques and explore how they might apply them in their own teaching contexts.
As much as possible, design your lesson as an interactive learning experience. Microteaching is an opportunity to practice teaching, not simply presenting information. Consider how you will engage participants through questions, activities, discussion, or other forms of interaction.
Resources
Prior to your microteaching session, please review the following resources:
After the Session
Following the session, take time to review your feedback and reflect on your experience.
You may wish to:
- Revise your lesson based on feedback received.
- Review your self-reflection and peer feedback forms.
- Identify teaching strategies you would like to continue developing.
- Incorporate lessons learned into future teaching opportunities.
Microteaching Policies
Microteaching sessions are designed as small, interactive learning environments where every participant plays a vital role. Because these sessions rely on active engagement and peer feedback, your presence is essential.
To ensure that all participants have a valuable experience, we ask that you respect the time and effort of your peers and facilitators by adhering to the following policies.
Cancellation Policy
Participants must provide a minimum of 3 business days’ notice before a microteaching session for any cancellation.
If you do not cancel your registration in EVE, your registration is considered active, and you are expected to attend.
Late Cancellations and No-Shows
- Cancellations made within 3 business days of the scheduled session and will result in a suspension from microteaching for the remainder of the semester.
- If you are registered for a microteaching session and you do not attend, you will be suspended from microteaching for the remainder of the semester.
- If you have been suspended from microteaching, you will be removed from any microteaching sessions you have registered for during that term.
Preparation for Microteaching Sessions
Microteaching sessions are dependent on each participant being ready to teach and provide feedback to their peers. Participants who arrive without adequate preparation not only miss the full benefit of the experience individually, they disrupt and detract from the experience of the group. For this reason, participants who arrive without a prepared teaching demonstration will be asked to leave.
Behaviour and Conduct in Microteaching
Participants in Microteaching are expected to conform to University of Toronto expectations regarding academic and behavioural conduct. Further, presentation of content must conform to University policies that guide teaching and learning environments, such as the Ontario Human Rights Code and Appropriate Use of Information Technology. Participants in Microteaching should make all necessary efforts to provide feedback in a constructive and collegial manner. TATP Trainers may ask participants to change the tone of their comments or leave a session if uncivil or combative behaviour occurs or persists.
Peer Review
What is a Peer Review Session?
Peer Review sessions provide an opportunity to receive and provide feedback on a teaching document you are actively developing, such as a course syllabus or an assessment. Working in a small group with fellow graduate students, you will exchange structured, formative feedback and leave with practical ideas for strengthening your work.
Peer feedback can be especially valuable because colleagues from different disciplines can offer a fresh perspective on your course design and identify places where your goals, expectations, or instructions may be unclear. You do not need to bring a finished document. In fact, the session is often most useful when you bring a draft that is still evolving.
Just as importantly, reviewing the work of others is a learning opportunity in itself. Providing thoughtful feedback can deepen your understanding of effective course and assessment design and help you reflect on your own teaching practices.
At a Glance:
Required Practicum for: Course Design Certificate
Format: Peer review, structured feedback, reflection, and discussion
Preparation: Bring a draft syllabus or assessment
Why Participate?
Course and assessment design can be difficult to evaluate in isolation. Peer Review sessions provide an opportunity to test ideas, explore alternatives, and receive feedback from colleagues approaching your work from different disciplinary perspectives.
Participating in peer review can help you:
- Strengthen the clarity and effectiveness of your course design.
- Improve assessment instructions, expectations, and criteria.
- Gain new perspectives on teaching and learning.
- Develop your ability to provide constructive feedback.
- Reflect on your own teaching practices through reviewing the work of others.
Registration
Register for a Peer Review Session through the events calendar on the TATP website or in the TATP registration system, EVE. From here you may select the peer review session that you wish to attend.
Once you have selected the session you would like to attend, on the right-hand side of the screen, click the “Register” button.
What to Expect
Peer Review sessions are structured to ensure that all participants have time to receive and provide feedback.
During the session, you will:
- Share your document with a small group of peers.
- Receive written and verbal feedback on your work.
- Review and provide feedback on your colleagues’ materials.
- Reflect on the insights and questions that emerge through discussion.
A Graduate Educational Developer will facilitate the session and provide guidance on effective peer review practices.
Giving Feedback
Peer Review sessions focus on formative feedback that supports continued development. Participants are encouraged to identify strengths, ask questions, and offer suggestions that help colleagues refine their work.
Providing thoughtful feedback is an important part of the learning process. As you review the work of others, you may discover new ideas, approaches, and perspectives that can inform your own course design.
Receiving Feedback
The goal of feedback is to support reflection and revision. As you participate in the session, consider which suggestions resonate with your goals and how they might inform future iterations of your work.
Participants will complete a Reviewer Guide for their own materials and Peer Review Worksheets for their colleagues.
Preparing for a Peer Review Session
Bring a teaching document that would benefit from feedback. You may choose to bring:
A Course Assessment
This might include:
- A quiz or test
- An essay assignment
- Group project guidelines
- A case study or problem-based assignment
- Another assessment document you are developing
A Course Syllabus
You may bring a syllabus for a course you have designed, are currently teaching, or hope to teach in the future. Drafts and works in progress are welcome.
The session is most valuable when you bring materials that are still developing and where you would benefit from fresh perspectives and constructive feedback.
After the Session
How Can You Leverage the Peer Review Session Experience: You can leverage the peer review session experience in several ways:
- Save documents and feedback notes for future reference in your teaching practice.
- Integrate feedback into your teaching portfolio or dossier.
- Reflect on the transferable skills gained from providing and receiving constructive feedback, enhancing your communication, mentoring, and coaching abilities.
Table of Contents
What is a Statement of Teaching Philosophy (STP) Clinic?
The Statement of Teaching Philosophy (STP) Clinic provides an opportunity to receive and provide feedback on a draft Statement of Teaching Philosophy. Working in a small group with fellow graduate students, you will exchange structured, formative feedback and identify opportunities to strengthen the clarity, coherence, and authenticity of your teaching statement.
At a Glance
Required Practicum for: Exploring and Documenting Teaching Experience Certificate
Format: Peer review, structured feedback, reflection, and discussion
Preparation: Bring a complete draft of your Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Why Participate?
Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy can be challenging because it requires you to articulate not only what you do as a teacher, but why you do it. Feedback from peers can help you identify strengths in your statement, clarify ideas that may be difficult for readers to understand, and ensure that your teaching experiences effectively support your stated values and beliefs.
Just as importantly, reviewing the work of others can deepen your understanding of what makes a teaching philosophy effective and help you reflect on your own development as an educator.
Registration
Register for an STP Clinic at the TATP through the events calendar on the TATP website or in the TATP registration system, EVE. From here you may select the session that you wish to attend. The TATP typically runs one peer review session every semester.
What to Expect
During the session, you will:
- Share your Statement of Teaching Philosophy with peers.
- Receive written and verbal feedback on your draft.
- Provide feedback on the statements of other participants.
- Reflect on how effectively your statement communicates your teaching values, experiences, and approach to teaching.
- Identify priorities for revision.
A Graduate Educational Developer will facilitate the session and provide guidance on effective peer review practices.
Giving Feedback
The STP Clinic emphasizes formative feedback that supports growth and revision. Participants are encouraged to identify strengths, ask questions, and offer suggestions that help colleagues clarify and strengthen their statements.
Receiving Feedback
The goal of feedback is to support reflection and revision. As you review comments from your peers, consider which suggestions align with your goals and how they might inform future revisions.
Preparing for the STP Clinic
Come prepared with a complete draft of your Statement of Teaching Philosophy. The clinic is designed to support revision, so participants will benefit most from bringing a draft that is ready for detailed feedback.
Before attending, consider the following questions:
- Does your statement clearly communicate your teaching values and beliefs?
- Does it connect those values to your teaching practices?
- Does it include specific examples from your teaching experiences?
- Does it sound authentic and reflect your voice as an educator?
Participants should also be prepared to read and provide feedback on the statements of their peers.
Resources
During the STP Clinic, participants will complete the following forms. We recommend reviewing these forms prior to attending the session:
After the Session
Following the STP Clinic, take time to review the feedback you received and identify priorities for revision.
You may wish to:
- Revise your Statement of Teaching Philosophy using the feedback received.
- Save reviewer comments and notes for future reference.
- Incorporate your revised statement into a teaching dossier or portfolio.
- Reflect on what you learned through both giving and receiving feedback.
Participants will also complete a Take-Home Reflection Worksheet designed to support reflection, goal setting, and next steps.
Dossier Consultation Process
What is a Teaching Dossier Consultation?
A Teaching Dossier Consultation provides an opportunity to receive individualized feedback on your teaching dossier from a Graduate Educational Developer. Through a structured review process and one-on-one consultations, you will reflect on how effectively your dossier represents your teaching philosophy, experiences, and professional growth.
Rather than evaluating your teaching, the consultation is designed to support revision and development. The goal is to help you create a coherent and compelling teaching dossier that communicates your strengths, values, and approach to teaching.
At a Glance
Required Practicum for: AUTP Certificate, Exploring and Documenting Teaching Experience Certificate
Format: Dossier submission, preliminary consultation, dossier review, written feedback and consultation.
Preparation: Submit a teaching dossier that includes a Statement of Teaching Philosophy and two additional narrative sections
Why Participate?
A teaching dossier is more than a collection of documents. It tells the story of your development as an educator and provides evidence of your teaching values, experiences, and accomplishments.
A Teaching Dossier Consultation offers an opportunity to:
- Receive personalized feedback from a Graduate Educational Developer.
- Strengthen the clarity and coherence of your dossier.
- Ensure that your teaching philosophy is supported by evidence and examples.
- Identify opportunities for revision before using the dossier in professional or academic contexts.
- Reflect on your growth and development as an educator.
Registration
- Log into EVE.
- On the home page, click the “Go” button under “Schedule a Meeting/Consultation”.
- Select Teaching Dossier Consultation from the drop down menu and click “Create”.
- Fill out the registration form.
- Finally, you will see the meeting screen. Click on the “Files” tab and upload your dossier
- Submit your dossier consultation request for scheduling.
What to Expect
The consultation process includes three stages:
Preliminary Consultation
After submitting your dossier, you will meet with an assigned Graduate Educational Developer to discuss your goals, questions, and priorities for the review process. This conversation helps establish the context for the consultation and ensures that feedback is tailored to your needs.
Dossier Review
Your Graduate Educational Developer will conduct a detailed review of your teaching dossier, focusing on both strengths and opportunities for improvement.
Particular attention will be given to:
- The clarity and effectiveness of your Statement of Teaching Philosophy.
- How well your teaching values are supported by specific examples and evidence.
- The alignment between your teaching philosophy and supporting materials.
- The overall coherence of the dossier as a representation of your teaching practice and development.
A completed Teaching Dossier Feedback Form will be uploaded to EVE for your review.
Follow-Up Consultation
During the follow-up meeting, you will discuss the written feedback and identify priorities for revision. This conversation provides an opportunity to reflect on your teaching beliefs, refine the presentation of your experiences, and develop strategies for strengthening your dossier.
Preparing for a Teaching Dossier Consultation
Before scheduling a consultation, prepare a teaching dossier that includes:
- A Statement of Teaching Philosophy.
- Two additional narrative sections.
- Supporting materials that illustrate your teaching experiences, practices, or accomplishments, where appropriate.
The consultation is most valuable when you submit a complete draft that is ready for detailed feedback and revision.
After the Consultation
Following the consultation, take time to review the feedback and identify priorities for revision.
You may wish to:
- Revise your Statement of Teaching Philosophy and supporting narrative sections.
- Strengthen the connections between your teaching philosophy and supporting evidence.
- Save feedback notes for future reference.
- Continue developing your dossier for academic, professional, or employment purposes.