I read this in the "Peer observation of teaching in university departments: a framework for implementation" journal article (PDF) by Bell and Cooper, and immediately liked it:
A critical friend can support us in exploring the consistency between
- What we believe about teaching,
- What we actually do in our teaching, and
- The formal theory and practice of education.
This type of partnership helps us develop the habit of individual, and collaborative, critical reflection. (from Bell, 2005, p. 8)
The authors state that the main benefit of adopting this approach to Peer Observation of Teaching is that faculty members may be less likely to view the observation as a judgment; it's more of a dialogue about teaching than a critique of one's performance.
References
Bell,
M.,
&
Cooper,
P.
(2013).
Peer
observation
of
teaching
in
university
departments:
A
framework
for
implementation.
International
Journal
for
Academic
Development,
18:1,
60-73,
DOI:
10.1080/1360144X.2011.633753
Bell, M. (2005). Peer Observation Partnerships in Higher Education. Milperra, NSW: HERDSA