For many faculty, writing the peer observation report will be the most demanding and challenging, yet satisfying part of the entire peer observation process. Composing the written report requires the writer to reflect deeply on the teacher and student behaviors observed and their impacts on student motivation, engagement, and learning. This reflection process almost inevitably invites the writer to consider their own teaching practices and student interactions and how these affect their own teaching and their students’ motivation, engagement, and learning.

It is helpful to keep a few things in mind as you write the peer observation report. First, it is essential to remember that none of us is a perfect teacher – hopefully, we are all on a career-long journey toward teaching excellence that, unfortunately, few if any of us (including the authors!) will ever achieve. This perspective encourages an appropriate and helpful sense of equality and humility. Second, like most journeys, the journey toward teaching excellence is best accomplished as part of a mutually supportive community rather than as a lone traveler. This realization helps nurture an essential sense of shared teaching community and collegiality as you write the report (and gets to the very heart of one of the reasons we do peer observation!). Finally, it is essential to remember that the peer observation report is the sole property of the faculty member being observed – it is theirs to do with as they please, to share with others if they wish, or to keep private if they so choose. Keeping this in mind helps you to focus on what is beneficial to the observed faculty member, not on some external audience.

Components of the Written Report

The written peer observation of teaching report generally consists of (a) basic identifying information, (b) the classroom narrative (which includes before class, start of class, core instructional period, end-of-class, and after class observations), (c) specific observations based on the pre-observation meeting (if specific areas of for feedback were identified), and (d) strengths and suggestions to consider. Each of these will be described and examples will be provided based on the abbreviated classroom observation notes from Chapter 3.

Basic Identifying Information

The written classroom observation report begins with basic identifying information including the name of the instructor, the course number and title, the lesson topic, and the name of the peer observer. Immediately following this we recommend including a statement such as the following to emphasize the confidential nature of the report.

This peer observation of teaching report is confidential and is the sole property of the course instructor. The peer observer will not share this report nor discuss it with anyone other than the course instructor unless explicitly authorized by the course instructor.

The final part of this section gives the date of the peer observation and briefly summarizes the purpose of the observation as illustrated in the example below.

This peer observation report summarizes my observations concerning the course session taught on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Prior to this date, Dr Smith and I met to discuss the course in general, the topic and objectives for the class session to be observed, and any specific items on which specific feedback was desired. In addition to general observations about the class session, Dr. Smith asked for feedback lesson pacing. 

Classroom Narrative

The next section of the report is the classroom narrative that highlights key observations as recorded during the classroom observation. In general, this section should follow a chronological outline with the following subheadings: (a) Prior to Class, (b) Start of Class, (c) Core Instructional Period, (d) End of Class, and (e) After Class. We will use the example classroom narrative from Chapter 3 to illustrate how the classroom narrative is used in developing this portion of the written report.

Before Class

Before class is an excellent time to observe informal faculty-student and student-student interactions and to begin getting a tentative feel for faculty-student rapport and classroom climate. The classroom observation notes from Chapter 3 might be summarized as follows in the written report.

I arrived in the classroom approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled class time (8:00 – 9:15 a.m.) and sat at the rear center of the room. The classroom was arranged with six rows of long tables (approximately 60 seats) with stationary chairs and outside and center aisles. No students were yet present and Dr. X was preparing the computer and projector for class. Students began to arrive at 7:52 and Dr. X greeted each student as they entered, calling most students by name. The students typically responded in a friendly manner. By 7:44 approximately 35 of 40 students were present as Dr. X continued to great each student as they arrived and received positive responses from the students. From 7:55 to 8:00, the students talked quietly in small groups as three additional students arrived and were greeted. These interactions prior to class suggested excellent faculty-student rapport and a positive classroom environment.  

Beginning of Class

During the beginning of class (approximately 2 – 5 minutes) the instructor will typically signal class is to begin, attempt to gain the students’ attention and focus, briefly review previous learning, overview the topic and activities for the day, and attempt to motivate the students to engage and learn. The beginning of class observation notes below (from Chapter 3) are typical of what might occur during this phase of class. In the written peer observation report, these observations might be summarized as follows.

Dr. Smith began class promptly at 8:00 a.m. with a smile and an enthusiastic “Good morning, everyone! I’m glad you are here today!” This was effective in gaining student attention and focus and provided additional evidence of good faculty-student rapport and positive classroom climate. He provided a brief overview of the day’s lesson and projected the student learning objectives on the screen – approximately one-half of the students either took a cell phone photo of the screen or wrote the objectives in their notes. Would it be helpful to remind students of the importance of the student learning objectives and encourage all students to record them in some manner?

After reviewing the lesson topic and objectives, Dr. X asked, “Why would you ever need to know this?”  and waited for student responses. One student tentatively responded, “So we can pass the test?”  Both the students and Dr. X responded with good-humored laughter after which a second student replied with a statement of the practical importance of learning the material. Dr. X responded with an enthusiastic, “Exactly! So, now that we know why this is important, let’s dig in!”  During these beginning of class activities, Dr. X demonstrated effective lesson organization, good use of questions and wait time, effective student motivation and engagement, and good transition and flow int the day’s lesson. Additionally, the good natured response by both Dr. X and the students to the “So we can pass the test” response provided additional evidence of positive classroom rapport and climate. 

Core Instructional Period

The core instructional period is the heart of the lesson and provides multiple opportunities to observe the instructor’s teaching methods used and student responses to these methods. Organization and clarity of instruction and student interest, engagement, and learning are key variables of interest. In addition, the core instructional period provides opportunities to continue to observe faculty-student rapport and class climate. The somewhat abbreviated classroom observation notes from Chapter 3, might be summarizes as follows in the written observation report.

At 8:05, Dr. Smith effectively transitioned into the day’s lesson with a brief (17 minute) and enthusiastic mini lecture using PowerPoint slides. The slides were of high-quality, easily visible, and related directly to the lesson topic. She occasionally asked a question and students responded directly to her with no student-to-student discussion. Given students’ well stated responses and their apparent interest in the topic, would it have been beneficial to encourage more student interaction in response to these questions and answers?

Between 8:18 and 8:22 a few students’ attention seemed to drift as indicated by posture, decreased eye contact with Dr. Smith, and a decrease in note taking. Dr. Smith appeared to recognize this and at 8:25 she shifted from the mini lecture to a think-pair-share activity related to the mini lecture. Dr. Smith gave clear instructions for the activity and told the students that she would call on a few pairs to report out on their discussion. Based on observations during this activity, students were engaged and appeared to have a good understanding of the material presented in the mini lecture. At 8:25, Dr. Smith efficiently called the class back together and asked students to report out on their discussions. During these brief “report outs” student comments indicated an understanding of the topic. The think-pair-share activity and subsequent brief discussion appeared to be successful in re-focusing the students and in reinforcing the lesson content.

From 8:35 to 8:40, Dr. Smith presented a second mini lecture related to the learning objectives. As before, she used high quality, easily-to-read PowerPoint slides and taught in a clear, easy to follow, and  enthusiastic manner. After the think-pair-share activity, students appeared to be re-energized (as indicated by increased eye contact, posture, and notetaking) and were engaged in the brief presentation.

At 8:40 Dr. Smith effectively transitioned from the mini lecture to a small group activity with 3 – 4 students per group. Dr. Smith displayed a slide clearly describing the activity and students all appeared to understand what they were to do and quickly organized into small groups and began work. During the activity, Dr. Smith circulated among the students and briefly checked in with 7 of the 10 groups. Eight of the 10 groups completed the task but two did not. Dr. Smith concluded the activity at 8:48, two minutes before the scheduled end of the class. Overall, the activity was well-planned and organized, and students were engaged with the task. Would finding additional time for two or three groups to briefly report out on their work improve an already strong learning activity? 

End of Class

The end of class (typically the last 3 – 5 minutes) is the closure phase of a class period and provides the opportunity to observe whether and how the instructor summarizes the lesson, places the day’s lesson in context, provides a brief reminder of upcoming course activities and assignments, answers student questions, and overviews the next class meeting. Observations on students’ responses to these end of class activities can also be observed and provide insight into effectiveness. The end of class observations from Chapter 3 might be summarized as shown below.

At 8:48 Dr. Smith summarized the day’s lesson. Students appeared to focus on Dr. Smith while others began to pack up their bags and prepared to leave for their next classes. Dr. Smith asked if anyone had any questions about the day’s lesson; there were no student questions. Dr. Smith ended class with a friendly, “OK, I’ll see you Wednesday.”  As the students began to leave, Dr. Smith reminded them of their upcoming exam; some students indicated they had heard the announcement while others appeared to have missed it. 

After Class

The 3 to 5 minutes after class provides another excellent opportunity to observe informal instructor-student interactions, gain additional insight about faculty-student rapport, and learn what questions students may have about the day’s lesson, upcoming assignments, grades, or other course details. The after class observation notes from Chapter 3 might be summarizes as follows in the written observation report.

Dr. Smith shut down the computer and projector and gathered her materials as students left the classroom. She spoke to several students as they left with statements such as, “Have a good day, Genevieve,” and “See you Wednesday, Tom.” Three students stopped to ask questions about today’s class and about the upcoming exam. Dr. Smith responded to these questions in a friendly and professional manner. The students thanked her and left. 

Specific Observations Based on the Pre-Observation Meeting

In the next section of the report following the classroom narrative is the place to address observations related to any specific areas of feedback requested by the faculty member being observed. Recall that Dr. Smith requested specific feedback on student engagement, so, based on the classroom observations, this section of the report might look like the following. Note how the suggestions are posed as questions from a colleague, not as statements from an authority figure.

In the pre-observation meeting Dr. Smith asked that I provide feedback on the pacing of the lesson. Based on my observations of student engagement and participation in the think-pair-share and small group activities, the pacing of the lesson seemed appropriate. Students seemed to understand the major points of the lesson, transitions between lesson components and activities were clear, and student engagement was good. Students did not seem to be either bored (from too slow of a pace) or anxious (from too fast of a pace).

Strengths and Suggestions to Consider

This is the portion of the peer observation report where you will point out specific strengths the teacher exhibited during the class session and mention areas and suggestions for possible improvement. Pointing out strengths is relatively easy – everyone likes to hear about things they do well! Discussing areas for potential improvement is much more difficult, but is necessary if the peer observation is to stimulate professional growth and teaching improvement.

Limit any suggestions for potential improvement to no more than two specific areas. Focusing on more than two areas may overwhelm the observed faculty member and may feel more like an evaluation than like a dialog with a peer faculty member. In writing with suggestions for improvement tone is tremendously important. Suggestions for improvement may be received better if they are couched as questions for consideration by the faculty member and not as statements of what the instructor should or should not do. The following example, based on the classroom observation notes already presented, provides a helpful model for how to write this section of the report.

You clearly have great rapport with your students. This rapport  was apparent in the way you treated students and in the positive way students responded to you throughout the class period, including before and after class. I was particularly impressed by the way you knew and used students’ names , by your enthusiasm, by your business-like but friendly classroom manner, and your obvious care for students and their learning. You efforts created a very positive climate for student learning!

You also did a wonderful job of promoting student interest and engagement. Students were engaged throughout the class period and on the one occasion when attention seemed to lag, you immediately recognized this and transitioned to the think-pair-share activity which effectively reengaged and refocused  he students. Your use of two mini lectures interspersed with two active learning methods was effective in maintaining student engagement and providing students with opportunities to apply the content they were learning. 

I was also impressed by the level of planning that went into this class session. From the logical organization of the lesson content to the well-designed PowerPoint slides, to the purposeful integration of active learning opportunities, the class session was extremely well planned. I hope your students fully appreciate the work you do outside of class to provide them with such excellent learning opportunities!

I did note that things seemed a little rushed at the end of class. (I often have this same problem, myself!) The small group activity went well but there was no report out or discussion of the activity (due to lack of time) and the end of class summary and announcements seemed somewhat hurried. Would switching to a different, less time-intensive activity, such as a second think-pair-share, have freed up time for whole-class discussion and a more relaxed wrap-up at the end of class?  Or, would sketching out a written or mental time schedule before class be helpful in ensuring that all planned activities can fit comfortably within the available class time?  

Appreciation

The final, brief section of the peer observation report is an expression of appreciation on the part of the observer for being allowed to observe in the instructor’s classroom. This is very much in keeping with our contention that peer observation of teaching is a peer-to-peer activity where both the observed and the observing faculty members benefit form the process. In addition, this section provides the observer with a way to end the written report in a collegial manner. This section typically expresses appreciation for being allowed to observe the class, mentions something the observer learned from observing, and closes in a positive manner. The following example hits each of these key points.

Dr. Smith, thank you very much for allowing me to observe in your [name of class] ! I learned quite a bit about [lesson topic] and picked up some great ideas about how to better use active learning methods in my own classes. I hope this has been a beneficial experience for you; I know I have certainly grown as a teacher by observing in your class!

Collegially,

[Name]

Summary

The written peer observation report is the tangible “take home deliverable” of the peer observation of teaching process. But, more importantly, the conversations and reflection between two peers  about teaching and learning, teaching improvement, and the creation of another link in the communities of practice related to teaching and learning are the enduring results of the peer observation of teaching process.

See redacted peer observation reports in the Appendix for more examples.