Microteaching

Microteaching involves a 5-10 minute presentation to one’s peers of some portion of a presentation, lecture, lab, or discussion section.  Peers then play two roles.  First, as mock students, they ask any questions that arise for them during the presentation as well as respond to questions from the instructor.  Second, as mentors, they offer constructive feedback to the presenter.  A Teaching Assistant Consultant is present to facilitate and structure the post-teaching discussion.  Then, roles are reversed, with each presenter playing the role of student/evaluator to another presenter.

Microteaching thus provides a relatively quick, comfortable, and effective means of getting feedback on one’s teaching style, pedagogy, and content choices.  TA’s both receive constructive feedback on their teaching, but also begin to develop a meta-awareness of teaching by providing feedback to others.