PREPARING YOUR TEACHING PORTFOLIO Danielle Mihram, Director Center for Excellence in Teaching University of Southern California

Frequently Asked Questions n What is a “Teaching Portfolio”? n What should be included in a Teaching Portfolio? n What is the purpose of a Teaching Portfolio? n How can TAs (with limited exposure to teaching) create an effective portfolio?

What is a “Teaching Portfolio?” n A skillfully assembled scholarly statement about your teaching. It contains : u A thesis statement (Your statement of your teaching philosophy) u Pieces of evidence u Descriptions and analysis of that evidence u A conclusion

The Statement of Teaching Philosophy n Lays out the portfolio’s thesis and provides the framework for the evidence to follow n It should answer two questions: u What do I expect my students to do intellectually (or physically, or emotionally) as a result of taking the course u How will I help them acquire those abilities?

Pieces of Evidence n Course Objectives n Strategies used to communicate those objectives and to help students attain them n Means used to evaluate students’ progress toward those goals (e.g. sample course assignments, samples of student work) n Efforts taken to evaluate and improve your effectiveness in these areas

What is the purpose of a Teaching portfolio? n To document one’s teaching as it evolved over time n To share one’s expertise (mentoring, legacy of best practices) n To serve as supporting materials (hard evidence, specific data) when applying for teaching positions (particularly in the case of TAs), or for tenure and promotion.

How do I, as a TA, create an Effective Teaching Portfolio? n If a portfolio is too premature a step for now, start thinking about opportunities on which to build n Be aware of “best teaching practices” in your field n A fine portfolio depends on “colleagueship” (Hutchings, 1998): consult peers and colleagues. n Observe the teaching of your professors: develop the habit of reflecting on teaching n If you have not taught as an instructor of record, yet have assisted in a course: start with a course portfolio