carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE DEVELOPING A TEACHING DOSSIER Joe Lipsett Nov 12, 2012

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE LEARNING OUTCOMES o Identify the components of a Teaching Dossier o Create a (brief) sample Teaching Philosophy Statement o Elaborate on sources of content for Dossier

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE QUESTION? What is a Teaching Dossier?

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE WHAT IS A TEACHING DOSSIER? o Sometimes called a portfolio o Provides an overview of your teaching Experience Ideas Practices Reception by students/colleagues o A personal narrative about your relationship to teaching! “IT DESCRIBES DOCUMENTS AND MATERIALS WHICH COLLECTIVELY SUGGEST THE SCOPE AND QUALITY OF A TEACHER’S PERFORMANCE.” PETER SELDIN (1991, P.3)

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE QUESTION? What is included in a Teaching Dossier?

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE TEACHING DOSSIER TABLE OF CONTENTS o Synopsis o Summary of Teaching Responsibilities o Teaching Philosophy o Courses Developed or Modified o Development of Teaching Materials o Efforts to Improve Teaching o Information from Students (in/formal and un/solicited) o Information from Colleagues o Service to Teaching o Future Teaching Goals o Appendices

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE DEVELOP A TEACHING PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE SAMPLE TO LOOK THROUGH o Read over the teaching philosophy statement Is there something that jumps out at you as particularly appealing or unappealing? Why? If you had to identify three characteristics that make it effective what would they be? Why?

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE DEVELOPING A TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 1. How does learning happen? 2. What role do you, as a teacher, play in helping with students’ learning? 3. Is there a metaphor or quote you can think of that epitomizes what you need to focus on as a teacher? 1. What sets you apart as a teacher? 2. What do you think your most important characteristics are as a teacher? 3. What are your key teaching goals?

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS Support for teaching claims o What types of a) instructional methods, b) materials, and c) techniques do you use to support your teaching goals? (Include any that are particularly innovative.) How do you accomplish claims? Consider: o Course design o Interactions with students o Classroom teaching o Work with Tas o Undergraduate and graduate student advising o Office hour policies o Classroom policies o Providing or asking for feedback o Designing assignments?

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE GIVING FEEDBACK o Trade what you wrote to someone from a different discipline from you. Answer the following questions: What do you find really effective and why? Where do you think there is room for improvement? What strategy do you suggest for improvement?

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE WHERE TO COLLECT INFORMATION?

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE WHERE AND WHEN TO COLLECT? o Evaluation and feedback Self-analysis / self-reflection Solicited/unsolicited feedback from students Solicited/unsolicited feedback from colleagues o Samples Syllabi Assignments Exams Lesson plans Student work o Products of Good teaching Assignments and graded work, journals, exams Students’ test scores – perhaps pre- and post-scores to demonstrate improved performance o Teaching evaluations o Evidence of Professional Development Documentation of workshop attendance Documentation of giving paper/workshop at a professional conference Contributions to a professional journal on teaching Responses to journal articles on pedagogy Contributions to newsletters (ex. TA Talk) Video-taped teaching practice o Evidence of Teaching Excellence Awards, recognition, notes/thank-you letters from students

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE o Start collecting materials for your portfolio as soon as you start teaching, like: syllabi, exams, assignments, in-class exercises, labs, handouts, study guides and notes, as well as special examples of students’ work. Also save informal and formal student feedback Keep notes –include insights and observations for each day’s class (or at least the memorable classes) Keep a list of highlights – at the end of term, write down notes or memories BE PREPARED

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE SELECT AND PRESENT

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE ASK YOURSELF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS o Why are you creating a teaching portfolio? departmental/divisional teaching assignment decisions merit assessments job/grant application self-analysis or reflection o Who is your audience? o What is the overall argument you wish to make? o What are the norms as to length and depth of a teaching portfolio in your department/discipline?

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE CONSTRUCTING THE PORTFOLIO Teaching portfolios vary according to purpose, audience, need… Generally, the body of the portfolio is 5-8 pages long The appendices follow the body and make up an additional 8-15 pages

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE 2 BIG NO-NO’S o Including too much material o Using raw material (especially with no explanation)

carleton.ca/edc EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE REFERENCES o Canadian Association of University Teachers – Teaching Dossier Guide o Dawson, Teresa (2001). Creating a Teaching Portfolio: A Guide for Faculty Lecturers, Librarians & Graduate Students. Scarborough: University of Toronto at Scarborough Teaching and Learning Services. o Searle Center for Teaching Excellence – Northwestern University