Your Teaching Narrative Professional Development Workshop FAST FELLOWS Michigan State University Melissa McDaniels Assistant Dean, The Graduate School mcdani73@msu.edu Next Several Days, add other names

http://melissamcdaniels.com/msufast Documentation

By the end of today … Describe the uses and importance of a teaching narrative. Identify formats and audiences for a teaching narrative. Identify possible aspects of your teaching to discuss in your teaching narrative Beliefs (JC) Accomplishments Give and provide feedback on teaching narratives

The rapidly changing environment of postsecondary education, combined with the increasing complexity of faculty work, makes it imperative that you are able to efficiently and clearly articulate your professional accomplishments and contributions. The era of describing activities and uncritically handing in Evidence of your faculty work are over.

You will need to effectively and efficiently talk about the nature of your academic work across your career.

It is important to have a curated space – in this case a ‘base text’ - from which you can draw as you need to promote different aspects of your work as a teacher-scholar

Teaching Narrative: Uses

Teaching Narrative: Uses Statement of teaching interests in job application Centerpiece of teaching award application Content for a pedagogy talk or grant proposal Annual review or RPT process Self-reflection Model for others

Types of Teaching to Discuss in Narrative MU Research Interdisciplinary Land grant UMKC Community engagement Urban Student success & access MST Experiential learning UMSL

Types of Teaching to Discuss in Narrative Face-to-face classroom Laboratory (‘bench’ or field) Synchronous, asynchronous, or hybrid online Research mentoring Clinical teaching (nursing, medicine, law, clergy, other) Athletic or musical instruction Many other types MU Research Interdisciplinary Land grant UMKC Community engagement Urban Student success & access MST Experiential learning UMSL

Mishra & Koehler (2006)

Narrative Writing vs. Class Planning Identify the Message Identify Learning Outcomes Determine Acceptable Evidence Identify “Teaching Moments” Plan Learning Experiences Write Narrative Are the components ALIGNED? Are the components ALIGNED ? Did you clearly communicate your contributions in teaching? Did the students achieve desired learning outcomes?

Identify “Teaching Moments” audience audience Identify the Message Identify “Teaching Moments” Write Narrative audience audience

Journal Club – Preparing to Write

PREPARATION: Download Your Teaching Experience Tool: Preparing to Communicate Your Teaching Philosophy You need to be able to rely upon all aspects of your teaching experience to develop ideas for your teaching narrative. Tools like this will help you remember different aspects of your teaching you might discount or forget. You want all to draw on all of your teaching history and knowledge when you generate content for your narrative.

PREPARATION: Download Your Teaching Experience Contexts Students Teaching Practice Teaching Knowledge Beliefs about Teaching Please take 5 minutes to review the tool and complete at least Section 1 (contexts of teaching experience). “Data” for Teaching Component

Narrative will showcase: Your beliefs about teaching Your accomplishments in teaching

Narrative will showcase: Your beliefs about teaching Your accomplishments in teaching

GENERATE PIECES OF NARRATIVE: Beliefs About Teaching Describe the moment How did you respond (or not respond)? If you didn’t respond as you had hoped, what might you do next time? What beliefs about teaching emerge from these stories?

Other Questions What is the role of the student? What is the role of the teacher? Why do I teach the way I do? What does learning look like when it happens in my classroom? What is my approach to assessment?

Narrative will showcase: Your beliefs about teaching Your accomplishments in teaching

GENERATE PIECES OF NARRATIVE: Accomplishments in Teaching Curricular innovations Reflection on feedback you received about teaching Leadership in teaching Scholarship of teaching activity Other

GENERATE PIECES OF NARRATIVE: Articulate Accomplishments Write a series of strong statements asserting your core accomplishments (deductive approach) Utilize action verbs as you would in writing learning objectives for your students Consider Evidence to support your assertion

GENERATE PIECES OF NARRATIVE: Articulate Accomplishments Think about your approach to writing concrete and measurable learning objectives for students. Action verbs (Blooms Taxonomy)

ONGOING CONVERSATION & RESOURCES @insideteaching (Twitter) Thank You! ONGOING CONVERSATION & RESOURCES @insideteaching (Twitter) http://www.facebook.com/insideteachingmsu http://insideteaching.grad.msu.edu