OCN 750 Class #14: April 17 Teaching Philosophy Workshop Housekeeping & announcements Intro to teaching philosophy & discussion Break Teaching statement tips & class project guidelines Independent work Teaching statement OR class project Regroup

Housekeeping & announcements Announcements? Reports? Assignment due today: Upload online profile ( link to us) Class LinkedIn network Sign up for project presentation day (break) Presentation order TBD by us & announced beforehand. If you have special requests for presentation order, please tell us! Any questions or comments?

Teaching philosophy: some definitions Teaching statement: Short statement about teaching and learning 1-2 pages, single-spaced Requested in job ads (both teaching- and research-focused institutions) Teaching portfolio: “coherent set of materials including work samples and reflective commentary on them, compiled by a faculty member to represent his or her teaching practice as related to student learning and development.” – Cerbin and Hutchings, Teaching statement is the centerpiece / backbone Not common in job ads, but bring to interview Also used for tenure & promotion, self-evaluation Credit: UW Center for Teaching & Learning (2005, 2011 workshops) LOTS of resources:

Examples of current job ads Assistant Professor of Marine Chemistry, U. Southern Mississippi: Visiting Assistant Professorships in Biology, The Claremont Colleges: professor-positions-in-biology/ Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Science, U. of Georgia: application requires teaching philosophy AND full portfolio! Instructor of Geology, Tarrant County College:

Why should you care about teaching statements? Start early in career – gather materials for future positions Become a better teacher/mentor in current role Become a better teacher/mentor in FUTURE roles – help you set & evaluate personal goals Great examples of how to reflect upon & market your experience – even if YOU don’t want a teaching job

Teaching statement, in detail Short statement about teaching and learning (1-2 pages): Explains HOW you teach, and WHY you choose to teach that way Paints a picture Is reflective & personal Avoids jargon e.g., avoid using “active learning” as a buzzword, alone use examples to show reader how you do this! Is discipline-specific see examples in class and on class directory 3 full portfolio examples in class Is self-explanatory Includes what you’d want to talk about in an interview!

What do teaching statements look like? Form groups of 3-4 people and choose 1 example. “UW_Teaching_Philosophy_Examples” – from faculty, grads #1: microbial ocn.#5: comm. college/diversity #2: zooplankton/coastal ocn.#6: earth science/humanities #3: earth systems#7: programming/fisheries #4: geology/geochem. “XXX” = to maintain anonymity Discuss the following: 1. What types of experience does this teacher include? 2. How well does this person paint a picture of his/her classroom? 3. Does the statement describe HOW & WHY this person teaches?

Discussion of teaching statements 1. What types of experience does this teacher include? 2. How well does this person paint a picture of his/her classroom? 3. Does the statement describe HOW & WHY this person teaches?

Evaluation of teaching statements Rubric: (“UMich_Rubric” in “how-to guides” folder) Goals for student learning Enactment of goals (teaching methods) Assessment of goals (measuring student learning) Creating an inclusive learning environment Structure, rhetoric, & language

More teaching statements See class directory, “Examples from Web” 6 examples, saved as Word docs (links at top) Be transparent with your goals to current students: Very nice professional website:

Break

How do you get started? Teaching statement Freewriting: write for xx minutes, without stopping or editing. Describe a vivid moment you’ve had as a teacher OR student. Describe your ideal teaching/learning moment. Imagine how your students would describe your classroom. What types of learning challenges do students face and how do you help them overcome these challenges? Start organizing materials from your teaching & outreach experiences – go back to them later.

Teaching statement FAQs (from “UMich_Rubric”) 1.Should I write a new statement for each school?  Not necessarily, but good to customize 2.What if I don’t have a lot of teaching experience?  Include mentoring, outreach, etc  Describe your own experience as a student 3.Is it OK to send an unsolicited teaching philosophy as part of a job app?  YES! 4.Are teaching philosophies original work? Can I use someone else’s?  YES … and NO!  Draw ideas from existing statements, but write your own statement. 5.Should I include student ratings or comments?  Up to you … these can also go in a full portfolio.

How do you get started? Teaching portfolio (3 examples) Major components include: Teaching statement Teaching experience & responsibilities Efforts to improve teaching Evidence of student learning Artifacts and appendices (reference within) Syllabi Examples of student work Class assignments Poster presentations or papers by undergrads you mentor on your research Student evaluations – from department or personal request Colleague/mentor evaluations – ask someone to observe you List of outreach events Your CV

Class project guidelines Presentation (4/24 or 5/1) 8 minutes max ppt not required! ppt by 9 am on day (pdf if Mac) Evaluation – (due 5/3: can incorporate eval of presentation) 1 credit – optional evaluation 2 credits (informal) – 1 polished page: What went well? What might you do differently next time? 3 credits (formal) – please confirm with us before preparing final eval report Reflection #4 (due on day you don’t present) 1. Briefly describe your project components and outcomes. In pursuing your project, how did you apply concepts & skills learned in class? 2. How might you approach your current and future roles differently as a result of what you have learned through your project? [Please limit responses to one polished page per question]

Presentation & evaluation days Presentation order TBD; we will you prior to day 4/24: 7 (max) class project presentations Break Departmental evaluation (1 hour) 5/1: 6 (max) class project presentations Break 4 (max) class project presentations Our course evaluation (30 min) Notes on evaluations: We will not be present Feedback is anonymous and will not affect your grade/credit

Independent work (‘til ~2:40 pm) Questions?

Next steps Create a teaching “drop box” Materials for portfolio or for writing teaching statement Build your teaching experience TA, lead workshops/journal clubs, do outreach, mentor, give guest lectures (UHM or comm. coll.), tutor, etc. American Society for Microbiology and Burroughs Wellcome Fund Science Teaching Fellows Program: 10-month program for microbiologists Ask students & colleagues to evaluate your teaching!! Class member resources (portfolios in progress) Contact UHM Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) TA training (August) – opportunities to lead sessions? “Preparing Future Faculty” series Teaching assessment – evals & classroom observations Other ideas?