1. Features of a Teaching Portfolio: A Case Study Teaching Portfolio Workshop Prof. Sarojini Nadar nadars@ukzn.ac.za

2. Structure of Presentation 1.Features of a Teaching Portfolio using own teaching portfolio statement as a case study 2.Use participants’ teaching experiences as a case study

3. Features of a Teaching Portfolio 1. Punchy  Statement  Quotation  Joke…  In other words get your reader interested.  Example: "Education is Not the Filling of a Pail, but the Lighting of a Fire“ (pg1)

4. Features of a Teaching Portfolio 2. Philosophy and Product  Make a connection between form and content  Example: “My philosophy of teaching cannot be separated from the content of my teaching subject, namely gender studies.” (pg.1)

5. Features of a Teaching Portfolio 3. Personal  What distinguishes my teaching from others?  Write in a narrative way  Write from the heart – this is MY teaching philosophy, therefore I need to show that I have one  Example: “As a feminist teacher, (and a teacher of feminism as an academic theory and as political activism)…” (pg.1)

6. Features of a Teaching Portfolio 4. Performance  From philosophy to performance  How is my teaching enacted  What are the tools I use?  Example: “…I have found PowerPoint to be a very useful tool. I try to make the PowerPoint’s as interesting as possible and often put in controversial pictures on the PowerPoint’s to stimulate discussion.”

7. Features of a Teaching Portfolio 5. Perspective  How is my philosophy linked with my context?  Particularly relate to African context  Are the modules themselves focused on the context e.g. African Women’s Theologies?  Is the content of the course related to current issues in context e.g. course on “Gender, Bible and HIV&AIDS”  Example: Focus on narrative “The oral nature of knowledge transmission in Africa is well attested to, hence what better method to use in a classroom in a university that has as its goal to be the ‘premier university of African scholarship.’”

8. Features of a Teaching Portfolio 6. Peers  Importance of Peer Evaluation – both from students and colleagues  Scattered text boxes with student’s evaluations related to particular points  Example - importance of the creation of a democratic classroom – verbatim quote from student “I felt very comfortable to share my opinions and views in class. Dr. Nadar facilitated the lectures in a way in which we felt welcome and comfortable to share in class”

9. Features of a Teaching Portfolio 7. Portfolio of Evidence  How am I substantiating what I am saying?  Building a portfolio of evidence – forget modesty!  Here appendices are very important  If I say that I am invited to conferences on education provide proof!  Example: I am invited to give papers at international conferences … “Theological Education in Africa and the Middle East section” of the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in Porto Alegre, Brazil….Title of paper “Theological Education in Africa and the Challenge of Globalisation.”.

10. Features of a Teaching Portfolio 8. Publication  Publications in the area of pedagogical practice  Examples: “Contextual Theological Education in Africa and the Challenge of Globalization”  Show its worth:  …in an ISI accredited journal, Ecumenical Review Vol. 59, no.2-3, April/July: 235-241.  Show greater worth:  Edited a special volume of essays on feminist pedagogy in Africa

11. Features of a Teaching Portfolio 9. Political  How is my teaching political in the broadest sense of the word?  So what? In other words how is it transforming society?  Education experts assert that universities are to be characterised by an acceptance of “the role of critic and conscience of society."  Council for Higher Education (CHE) declares that higher education must be “a diverse, dynamic and sustainable system that responds to transformational, social and economic development needs.”  Example provided by student evaluation: “It [the module] focuses on the real issues that affects today’s communities”

12. Features of a Teaching Portfolio 10. Progress  How have I developed as a teacher?  How do I assist in the academic development of students?  Example: “I also want to develop the students’ ability to write, and so I build into the process of writing their papers, a proposal writing and draft stage before I receive their final papers for evaluation”