The 360° Feedback Model for library instructors: Observing, teaching, reflecting, adapting

In a model that has developed over the past few years, instruction librarians at the University of Vermont sought to create better opportunities to talk with one another about teaching, observe each other's classes, provide constructive feedback, and engage in reflective practice. The specific goals of the project were to improve teaching among cohort members by providing a venue for discussing teaching among colleagues, creating a safe space for using unfamiliar teaching techniques in the classroom, developing a method for engaging in reciprocal peer-observation, and engaging in post-classroom self-reflection of their teaching practices. An underlying goal of the project was to demystify teaching observations as they had previously existed at their institution. In the past, observations had been closely associated with evaluation and with the reappointment and promotion process, rather than being a normal and valuable part of their teaching experience. Here, Benson and DeSanto share how they implemented the 360° Feedback Model.