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Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Faculty Mentoring for Teaching

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Faculty Mentoring for Teaching

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) is a faculty mentoring for teaching program hosted by the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI). The program brings together a cohort of paired faculty with similar teaching goals and interests, pairing them in reciprocal 1:1 partnerships. Through structured, facilitated workshops and peer dialogues, P2P provides a supportive space for instructors to try new strategies and approaches, build confidence in their practice, and improve the quality of their course and the student learning experience.

The P2P program is designed to help instructors:

  • Use summative and formative course feedback to improve the quality of a course and student learning
  • Increase reflection on one’s teaching and gain a better understanding of students’ learning needs
  • Engage in a structured framework for ongoing improvement of a [course] and learning practice with input, assistance and guidance from CTSI and cohort peers
  • Build leadership capacity and mentoring opportunities for U of T faculty
6 chocolate cupcakes with signs, Peer-to-Peer Faculty Mentoring for Teaching at U of T

2025–26 P2P Program Overview

December 2025 to May 2026 (applications now closed)

  • Four CTSI-facilitated workshops designed to build skills in mentor-coaching, observation of teaching, gathering teaching data, and developing a feedback plan
  • Regular (on average weekly/bi-weekly) reciprocal 1-1 meeting between faculty partners to discuss and build on ways they could improve the quality of their course, and the student learning experience

Important Dates

  • Workshop #1 (Launch): December 4, 2025, 10 am–1 pm (in person, Blackburn Room, 4th floor of Robarts Library, 130 St. George Street)
  • Workshop #2: January 23, 2026, 10 am–12 pm*
  • Workshop #3: March 13, 2026, 10 am–12 pm*
  • Workshop #4 (Closing): May 2026 (date and time TBD) (in person, Blackburn Room, 4th floor of Robarts Library, 130 St. George Street)

*Modalities for Workshops #2 and #3 will be confirmed at the Launch session.

How the P2P Program Works

For the 2025–26 academic year, P2P is open to all instructors teaching a U of T course during Winter 2026.

Graduate student Course Instructors should visit the Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP) for alternative professional development opportunities.

The P2P Program supports instructors in:

  • Working with a peer in a supportive and collegial partnership to enhance one’s teaching
  • Increasing reflection on one’s teaching and gaining a better understanding of students’ learning needs
  • Building leadership capacity and mentoring opportunities, whereby methods and approaches that support effective teaching can be shared
  • Providing a structured framework for ongoing improvement of a [course] and learning practice with input, assistance, and guidance from CTSI and cohort peers (adapted from PATS Guide, 2011: 2 and CTSI Report)
  • Improving the quality of a course and student learning experiences within that course through a focus on quality teaching and through analysis of student course feedback

P2P uses a dyadic peer-assisted teaching partnership model, meaning faculty partners contribute equitably to the mentoring partnership. This reciprocal mentoring approach differs from conventional models, which often identify “mentors” and “mentees.” In P2P, the experiences, skills, and teaching expertise of both faculty members are considered equally important. We do not necessarily pair junior/less experienced instructors with senior/experienced instructors—the partnership model works well regardless of the seniority of the participants!

The co-mentoring approach allows for both instructors to review course feedback (e.g., course evaluations/formative, mid-course feedback), establish teaching-related goals and participate in peer observation of teaching.

During the program, you will receive materials and resources to support your teaching, and upon completion of the program, CTSI will provide a letter of recognition for your participation.

Over the course of the program, participants are asked to:

  • Attend four CTSI-facilitated workshops (pre-, mid-, and post-semester)
  • Conduct a peer observation of teaching
  • Collect mid-course and formative feedback from students, and
  • Engage in regular conversations with their mentoring partner (the average frequency of P2P meetings is bi-weekly).

Up to 30 participants (15 peer pairs) will be accepted to allow space for reflection and opportunities to interact with other participants and CTSI facilitators.

Applicants will be carefully reviewed according to several criteria that draw on application responses, including:

  • Campus
  • Class size
  • Years of teaching experience
  • Stated teaching goals
  • Discipline

Please note: Every effort will be made to match all eligible applicants, but not all may be matched.

Previous P2P Faculty Participant Reflections

Read about how one P2P mentoring partnership evolved during the course of the program: Impact Story: Peer-to-Peer Mentoring for Teaching with Kristina Lisk and Asif Zaman

"The peer observation was a major highlight!... I'll be encouraging many others in my department to try it out."

"The dedicated space to focus on teaching throughout the semester with feedback from someone with an outside/different perspective impacted every aspect of my teaching."

"Sense of community, enthusiasm for teaching, group and individual learning and a new teaching buddy!"

"I enjoyed developing a relationship with someone outside of my Department, especially a trusting relationship."

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