Impact Story: Peer-to-Peer Mentoring for Teaching
Kristina Lisk (Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Anatomy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine) and Asif Zaman (Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Arts & Science) were paired together during the 2024 Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Faculty Mentoring for Teaching Program. We asked them about their experiences working together in this cohort program.
Why did you want to participate in the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring for Teaching cohort?
Asif: I was eager to meet new people from across the University and talk to them about teaching. The program was advertised as structured, facilitated, and collaborative, all of which interested me. I was honestly just keen to learn from other faculty members, find a supportive space, and gain a broader perspective of the university’s classrooms. My most optimistic hope was to find an inspirational and encouraging colleague.
Krisina: I was looking for an opportunity to connect with others in the teaching and learning community at UofT. The Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Mentoring for Teaching cohort proved to be exactly that!
How often were you able to meet as a team?
Asif: We met as a team roughly once per month, but there was an ebb and flow. We usually found time to chat over lunch or coffee, which I found to be a relaxing way to connect. Near the end of the year, it was particularly difficult to align schedules due to our respective workloads, but we still touched base by email. We were mutually understanding of those challenges, and so were the program leaders.
Kristina: Typically, we met in person every 3 to 4 weeks. However, during the last month of the Winter term, our schedules became too busy and didn’t align, so we didn’t meet as frequently. I really enjoyed our meetups on and around campus and the new coffee spots that Asif introduced me to—if you haven’t been, I recommend checking out Cafe059, a student-run café in the beautiful Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design building.
Did you learn anything unexpected working together?
Asif: I was surprised to learn that we had so many common teaching goals for students in human anatomy and students in multivariable calculus. At first glance, you might think there’s little overlap but it turned out that 3D spatial reasoning is a common challenge we both had. Kristina had so much experience with these challenges and practiced innovative ideas (like 3D-printed hip bones for her entire class) to engage students. I have only just begun to explore these avenues, so I was delighted to have an expert who was generous with her ideas and time.
What was your most memorable/meaningful experience in the program?
Asif: The instructor observation was my most impactful experience. We were coached by Cora and Megan (the program leaders) on how to conduct these in a supportive and meaningful manner. I’ve done such observations before and it was helpful to reinforce my own process with this guidance. The pre- and post-meetings are essential! We learned about each others’ goals (which were very similar) and reflected on our experiences in a constructive and supportive manner.
Now, even though I’ve done observations before with fellow math instructors, it was still an eye-opening experience to observe a faculty member from a completely different subject. It allowed me to focus on the pedagogical aspects and social activity in the classroom because I couldn’t really follow the subject matter itself. This reminded me how much is going on beyond the material alone, and was excellent training for that mindset.
My own observation was also really fun. I usually feel my classes are dreadful but, during our post-meeting, Kristina observed so many positive aspects that I thought went much differently. It was relieving to hear and helped me build confidence.
Kristina: Observing Asif’s class was my most memorable experience in the P2P program. Witnessing someone who is truly masterful in their teaching craft was both inspiring and motivating.
How has this experience impacted your work as an instructor? As a colleague?
Asif: As an instructor, I feel more confident in my classroom choices and also in what I can do better. This experience has actually inspired me to pursue a much bigger teaching project on building physical models for multivariable calculus classrooms. Before the program, I was hesitant to attempt what seemed like an overly ambitious project out, but Kristina’s support and insights encouraged me to take the leap.
As a colleague, I’m hoping I can offer the same support for my fellow instructors. It can be daunting, especially as a young faculty member, to be confident in the classroom. I’ll be encouraging others in my department to do peer observations and also to sign up for the P2P program.
Kristina: This experience has prompted me to reflect on my teaching practices and venture out of my comfort zone. At the beginning of this year, I aimed to incorporate hands-on activities into my large lecture course to support active learning, and through the P2P program, my peer (Asif) provided invaluable coaching and feedback, helping me achieve this goal. Additionally, this experience has equipped me with opportunities to develop and practice coaching skills, which I aim to continue using to foster a culture of collaboration among colleagues.