Teaching Portfolios: What are they and how do I put one together? September 14, 2004 Presenter: Tine Reimers

What’s a Teaching Portfolio? An arrangement of organized, representative materials related to your professional practice (teaching) and explained by your teaching statement.

What should be in a Teaching Portfolio? Material from yourself Material from yourself Material from others Material from others Student products Student products (Peter Seldin, The Teaching Portfolio)

Seldin: Material from Yourself Statement of teaching responsibilities, history Statement of teaching responsibilities, history Reflective teaching statement Reflective teaching statement Goals statement Goals statement Representative syllabi Representative syllabi Professional development opportunities taken Professional development opportunities taken Self-evaluation of materials: explanation of supporting documents Self-evaluation of materials: explanation of supporting documents

Seldin: Material from Others Observation statements from colleagues Observation statements from colleagues Materials reviews from colleagues Materials reviews from colleagues Student evaluations and comments Student evaluations and comments Honors, other recognitions for teaching Honors, other recognitions for teaching Invitations to teach, to lead seminars on teaching Invitations to teach, to lead seminars on teaching Documentation of teaching development Documentation of teaching development Videotape of a class Videotape of a class

Seldin: Student Products Samples of student work Samples of student work Student scores on common exams Student scores on common exams Information about effect on student careers, majors Information about effect on student careers, majors Alumni statements Alumni statements Student publications Student publications Examples of graded essays Examples of graded essays

Document your teaching with… How you teach (method, techniques) Your teaching role & objectives Your efforts to grow & improve What colleagues observe What students observe Evidence of student success & learning Center for Effective Teaching and Learning UTEP 2003

What’s the Role of the Teaching Statement? Communicates your enthusiasm and commitment to teaching Communicates your enthusiasm and commitment to teaching Expresses your beliefs and values about teaching, learning, and students. Expresses your beliefs and values about teaching, learning, and students. Tells the “story” of your teaching: past, present, future. Tells the “story” of your teaching: past, present, future. Points to evidence of your teaching success Points to evidence of your teaching success Serves as the DOORWAY to your whole teaching portfolio Serves as the DOORWAY to your whole teaching portfolio

Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement Decide what “story” you need to tell Decide what “story” you need to tell Be clear about what kind of classes/students you teach Be clear about what kind of classes/students you teach Address disciplinary realities Address disciplinary realities Address readers not in your discipline Address readers not in your discipline Describe what you do to get students to learn Describe what you do to get students to learn Explain the challenges students have in your discipline/your class Explain the challenges students have in your discipline/your class

Questions to ask yourself as you prepare your statement What’s your “story”? What’s your “story”? How did you get into teaching—why are you engaged in this profession? How did you get into teaching—why are you engaged in this profession? What do you love best about teaching—i.e., when is it most rewarding? What do you love best about teaching—i.e., when is it most rewarding?

Questions to ask yourself (cont.) How do you want your students to change as a result of your classes? How do you want your students to change as a result of your classes? what new things should they be able to do, say, and know? what new things should they be able to do, say, and know? Who are your students? Who are your students? what are their strengths coming into your program? what are their strengths coming into your program? what are their needs? How do they learn best? what are their needs? How do they learn best? what are the challenges of teaching in your discipline? what are the challenges of teaching in your discipline?

Questions to ask yourself (cont.) What strategies do you employ to help students learn? What strategies do you employ to help students learn? What does a typical class look like? What does a typical class look like? What do your assignments look like? What do your assignments look like?

Questions to ask yourself (cont.) What’s your evidence that you are effective in getting students to learn? What’s your evidence that you are effective in getting students to learn? (See handout on documenting teaching and learning…)

Questions to ask yourself (cont.) What have you learned along the way? What have you learned along the way? How has what you’ve learned changed your teaching? How has what you’ve learned changed your teaching? How can you document those changes? How can you document those changes?

Questions to ask yourself (cont.) What efforts have you made to improve your teaching? What efforts have you made to improve your teaching? Scholarly/research efforts Scholarly/research efforts developmental efforts developmental efforts How have you documented these efforts? How have you documented these efforts?

Questions to ask yourself (cont.) Where do you want to go now? Where do you want to go now? What’s exciting in the future? What’s exciting in the future? What do you want to tackle next in your teaching? What do you want to tackle next in your teaching?

Your Teaching Statement needs to Communicate your enthusiasm and commitment to teaching Communicate your enthusiasm and commitment to teaching Express your beliefs and values about teaching, learning, and students Express your beliefs and values about teaching, learning, and students Tell the “story” of your teaching: past, present, future Tell the “story” of your teaching: past, present, future Point to evidence of your teaching success Point to evidence of your teaching success Serve as the DOORWAY to your whole teaching portfolio Serve as the DOORWAY to your whole teaching portfolio

Teaching statements are a “work in progress” Revise your statement often—as you teach new courses, you change and grow. Revise your statement often—as you teach new courses, you change and grow. Get others to read your statement before submitting for evaluation of any kind. Get others to read your statement before submitting for evaluation of any kind. Look for opportunities to document what you say in your statement: make your statement the door to your portfolio. Look for opportunities to document what you say in your statement: make your statement the door to your portfolio.

Mundane Issues for Organization Organize materials for ease of reading Organize materials for ease of reading Table of contents, indexes, explanations, clearly labeled sections, appendices Table of contents, indexes, explanations, clearly labeled sections, appendices Pay attention to durability Pay attention to durability Binders, plastic sleeves… Binders, plastic sleeves… Keep copies of originals Keep copies of originals Keep it short Keep it short Keep it representative Keep it representative

Resources  Ask for and study portfolios from successful candidates  Visit our portfolio website:  Make an appointment to talk about your statement, portfolio…