NANCY G. ABNEY INSTRUCTOR & PROGRAM MANAGER UAB GRADUATE SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The Teaching Portfolio: What it is & Why you need one

Goals 1. Overview of the Teaching Portfolio: What it is Why you need one 2. Getting started on your Philosophy of Teaching

Why do you need a portfolio? The benefits. What should you put in yours? Balance evidence of your teaching & research for a well-rounded CV Teaching philosophy is required for most faculty positions Prepare for job talk Reflect on & improve teaching

What is your primary purpose for attending this webinar? Choose the best answer that describes your situation A) I’m entering the job market soon ( within 6 months) B) I want to improve and document my teaching C) I have a teaching portfolio and want to enhance it D) I’ve heard about teaching portfolios, but am not really sure what they are, and am curious to learn more

Job Product Portfolio Teaching Philosophy & methods Presenting the Evidence Document effectiveness Snapshot of Best Growth Process Portfolio Self-evaluation Reflect critically on your practices Document your efforts Evaluate the effects Reflection over time Development of teaching Describe & track Innovations Is the basis for

What is your level of teaching experience? A) None B) Assist professor (some guest lectures/ grading) C) Teach laboratory sections D) Fully responsible for teaching course(s) E) Design and teach my own course(s)

What the experts say A coherent set of material that represents your teaching practice as related to student learning (Mues & Sorcinelli) Description of effectiveness & accomplishments Documents & materials covering the scope and quality of a professor’s performance (Seldin) <10 pages of organized narrative, plus appendix of supporting material (8-15 pages) Peter Seldin (2004) “The Teaching Portfolio” 3rd ed. San Francisdo: Jossey-Bass Fran Mues & Mary Sorcinelli (2000)“Preparing a Teaching Portfolio” The Center For Teaching, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Elements of the Teaching Portfolio Philosophy of Teaching ValuesBeliefsAttitudes Goals & Objectives for selffor students Content delivery methodLearning objectives (knowledge & skills) Treatment of studentsProfessional development Growth in your fieldPersonal development of students Efficiency & evolution as a teacher Evidence of Effectiveness Student evaluations Innovations Video Self reflectionTeaching responsibilitiesPodcast Peer observation New course designWeb pages Expressions of Teaching & Learning TestsQuizzesHomeworkSyllabi Web useDiscussionsInteractive learningTexts Final papersGroup projectsWriting samples Mid-term evaluationsAssignments Other samples of student work

What constitutes a good philosophy? Include specific, personal examples Convey reflectiveness Communicate the value of teaching  Tone of enthusiasm, commitment Student- or learner-centered Diversity & learning styles Rubric, Strategies, Examples

Process: Freewriting Think of a specific time when you had to teach (convey information, train, explain something important to) someone else. How did you do it?

The Teaching Philosophy “Just because you have never written a statement of your teaching philosophy, does not mean you do not have a philosophy” What it is 1-2 pages of first-person narrative Reflective & personal (not generic) Includes goals, methods, and assessments How to write it Describe your disciplinary context Begin with the end in mind: What do your students learn? Tell a story: Give concrete, specific descriptions of your teaching See “What Constitutes a Good Statement” in CRLT paper

Big Questions What is learning? How does learning happen? What are the outcomes of my teaching? How does a teacher facilitate learning? What are my goals for students? How do I know when I’ve met my goals? (i.e., How do I evaluate learning?) How do my goals translate into ACTION?

Tips Take time to reflect regularly Keep a teaching journal Look at lots of examples, from a variety of fields Treat teaching as a research project Gather plenty of evidence—sometimes the evidence can influence the writing of your philosophy

Evidence Your Students Yourself Peers & Mentors Course Evaluations Letters & s Success Stories Products of Learning - Examples of work -Pre/Post scores Syllabi Class Materials Assignments Innovations Reflections on how you improved Letters/observations from supervisors, peers, mentors about your teaching Evaluations of teaching materials from others Teaching improvement activities

Evidence from Yourself: Reflection Think of a time you overcame a difficult communication or training issue. What did you do? Why? (Action/Method) (Philosophy /Belief) This is evidence that You are a reflective practitioner You are committed to improving your teaching You are attentive to student learning

Basic Elements of a Portfolio Classes/guest lectures Training & mentoring Lab sessions Include detailed description of role, Course credits, hours Course description Roles & responsibilities How I teach & why I do it that way Personal beliefs about teaching & learning Goals & objectives Unique stories that reflect my context & approach Philosophy Formal evaluations Observations Letters Reflections Ongoing feedback from classes Evidence Syllabi Samples of student work Assignments/ Homework/ Assessment tools Appendix

7 Steps to Creating a Portfolio 1. Planning: purpose & audience 2. Summarize teaching responsibilities (2-3 paragraphs) 3. Describe your beliefs about/approach to teaching (philosophy) 4. Select items of evidence 5. Write reflective statements on each item 6. Create a Table of Contents 7. Put it all together (hard copy, pdf, or e-format)

NANCY G. ABNEY, MA-TESOL INSTRUCTOR & PROGRAM MANAGER UAB GRADUATE SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The Teaching Portfolio: What it is, Why you need one, & How to get Started

FAQs Should I include “negative” student comments?  What if I don’t have much teaching experience? Should I send my portfolio unsolicited?