I. Brief Introductions and Overview

II. Nature and Structure of a Teaching Portfolio

III. Participant Writing and Discussion.

o Teaching philosophy, (b) strategies, (c) goals and (d) the rewards of teaching. They will consider what it is they do well as a teacher and with what, perhaps after many years, they still struggle. Where has their teaching become better and where is there room for improvement?

o The personal characteristics which enhance and contribute to their good teaching, and those which detract from their classroom goals.

o Expertise in their various subject matters, and their depth and breath as a teacher.

o Use of instructional materials (e.g., syllabi, assignment descriptions), exams, writing assignments and feedback, technology and innovations in teaching.

o Teaching across the curriculum (e.g., writing, ethics, science, critical thinking).

o Development as a teacher (e.g., reading, observing others, being mentored or being a mentor).

IV. Conclusion

OVERVIEW

o TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

o TEACHING GOALS

o TEACHING STRATEGY

o EXPERTISE IN TEACHING: YOUR DEPTH - BREADTH - SPECIALTIES -

PREPARATION

o EVIDENCE YOU WOULD PRESENT TO SUPPORT EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

o DEVELOPMENT AS A TEACHER

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

o GENERAL OVERVIEW OF YOURSELF AS A TEACHER

o Why do you teach?

o What do you find rewarding about teaching?

o Describe the principles which underlie your teaching.

o What are your criteria for effective teaching?

o I provide substantial supports for students to do well -- I use a "sink & swim philosophy?" Why?

o I try to (a) reach all students, (b) spend a lot of time teaching "difficult" students, or (c) work best with bright students?

Why?

o GENERALLY, WHAT IS IT YOU DO WHEN YOU TEACH?

o What is unique about your teaching?

o What are your expectations for students intellectually?

o SELF EVALUATION - WHAT CONCLUSIONS DO YOU DRAW ABOUT YOUR TEACHING?

o Are you teaching what you want, in the way you want?

o Are you satisfied with your teaching and your students' performance? What still needs to be accomplished?

TEACHING GOALS

o WHAT DO YOU WANT STUDENTS TO LEARN?

o Knowledge of facts.

o Excitement about subject matter.

o Applicability of material to everyday lives.

o Preparation for subsequent courses.

o WITHIN WHAT CONTEXT DO YOU TEACH?

o Psychology as a liberal arts discipline.

o Psychology as preprofessional training.

o Both of the above.

o TEACHING OTHER SKILLS

o Writing.

o Ethics.

o Critical Thinking.

o Scientific Method.

o WHAT ARE YOUR STANDARDS?

o Very high standards, high, average.

o SELF EVALUATION

o Are you satisfied with your teaching goals? Why?

o Do you want to change your teaching goals or your teaching style? Why?

TEACHING STRATEGY

o WHAT METHODS DO YOU USE (e.g., lecture, discussion)?

o What might an observer hear or see when you are doing your best teaching?

o What teaching strategies are you especially proud of?

o What do you do to keep students "motivated?"

o WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO USE THESE TEACHING STRATEGIES AS COMPARED TO OTHERS?

o HOW DO YOU RELATE TO STUDENTS (e.g., respect, friendly, distant)?

o How would you describe your interpersonal skills (e.g., quality of communication with students)?

o What are your relative strengths and weaknesses in relating to students?

o SELF EVALUATION

o What strengths do you have in instructional skills?

o What would you like to change or improve?

EXPERTISE IN TEACHING

o OVERVIEW

o Depth - What is your major specialty area(s)?

o Breadth - How many courses and areas you are prepared to teach, and what is your degree of knowledge in these non-specialty areas?

o What are the differences in methods and results between the courses you know best and those you "have" to teach?

o EXPERIENCE AND PREPARATION

o Quality of TA training.

o Years teaching and types of positions.

o Teaching Experience.

o Large and small classes

o Graduate and undergraduate courses taught

o Different types of students you have taught

o Interdisciplinary courses taught

o Honors or "special" courses taught

o Different time frames (e.g., full semester--weekend, daytime classes 3 times/week, evening classes)

o SELF EVALUATION - ASSESSMENT OF YOUR TEACHING BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE, AND YOUR WORK WITH STUDENTS

EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

o TEACHING MATERIALS

o Course syllabi, reading lists, review sheets, examinations, and course assignments.

o TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT USED IN TEACHING

o Computer graphics, CD-ROM, etc.

o WORK WITH STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

o Independent studies, related readings, advanced research.

o OUTCOMES OF TEACHING

o Student papers and posters.

o Student scores on assessment tests & standardized tests.

o Students who go on to graduate school.

o Effect of courses on students' career choices and job success (whatever they choose to do).

o EVALUATIONS OF YOUR TEACHING

o Student teaching evaluations/opinions.

o Peer evaluations of teaching (class visits).

o Videotape of teaching.

o TEACHING ACHIEVEMENTS

o Grants for teaching.

o Research on teaching.

o Writings on teaching (posters, texts, journal articles, book chapters).

o Awards/Recognition.

o EVALUATION

o What strengths and goals does this evidence support?

o What additional evidence do you need in the future?

DEVELOPMENT AS A TEACHER

o GENERALLY, WHAT EFFORTS HAVE YOU MADE TO IMPROVE YOUR TEACHING SKILLS?

o Reading.

o Time spent in collaboration with others (mentor, other colleagues) about teaching.

o Conferences attended.

o Trying different teaching techniques and strategies.

o CHANGES IN YOUR TEACHING

o How has your teaching changed in the last 3 years?

o What have you risked and experimented with in your teaching?

o What specific improvements have you made in your teaching?

o What have you tried that did not work out?

o MY TEACHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

o What do you need to do to continue to develop as a teacher?

o How will you keep fresh?

o SELF EVALUATION

o What observations do you make and what conclusions do you draw about your development as a teacher?

o What will you do differently in the future?

CONCLUSIONS - POINTS TO PONDER

o AS A RESULT OF ATTENDING THIS WORKSHOP, WHAT HAVE I LEARNED ABOUT MYSELF AS A TEACHER?

o WHAT AM I SATISFIED WITH IN MY TEACHING?

o WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED?

o WHAT SHALL I WORK ON FIRST?

o HOW SOON CAN I GET STARTED?

Selected Readings

Edgerton, R., Hutchings, P., & Quinlan, K. (1991). The Teaching Portfolio: Capturing the Scholarship in Teaching. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.

An excellent book on the teaching portfolio in which the authors cover the promise of teaching portfolios, their format and content, peer review and a culture of professionalism, with numerous sample portfolios to read, think about, and use as examples.

Perlman, B., & McCann, L. I. (1996). Recruiting Good College Faculty: Practical Advice For a Successful Search. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

This book is a complete practical guide for the recruitment of new faculty, with an emphasis on their teaching. The book provides an educational/environmental context for recruiting, describes good teaching and scholarship, and has extended descriptions and advice on the search itself. Chapter 6 emphasizes The Teaching Portfolio, with a description of its uses and major areas of content.

Roth, J. K. (Ed.). (1996). Inspired Teaching. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

A collection of essays written by recent Carnegie professors of the year (since 1981 the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education review nominations for this award). The book's chapters offer snapshots of outstanding teachers at work in their classrooms. One chapter is on Improving Teaching Using Teaching Portfolios.

Seldin P. (1997). The Teaching Portfolio: A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions. (2nd Ed.). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

This brief book is one of the best places to start when reading about the teaching portfolio. It describes the teaching portfolio, its preparation, what might be included, and its uses. Numerous sample teaching portfolios provide a variety of models.

Seldin, P. and Associates. (1993). Successful Use of Teaching Portfolios. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

An overview of the teaching portfolio concept including preparing a portfolio and the key role of the mentor, the heart of the book is (1) discussion of how teaching portfolios are used in nine institutions, and (2) sample portfolios from across disciplines. The book includes advice on evaluating portfolios for personnel decisions and answers to common questions about the portfolio.

Urbach, F. (1992). Developing a teaching portfolio. College Teaching, 40, 71-74.

An excellent, brief presentation of the dimensions of a teaching portfolio (what you teach, how you teach, changes in your teaching and courses, rigor in your academic standards, student impressions of your teaching and their learning, your efforts at developing your teaching skills, and assessments of your teaching by colleagues). A table lists types of documents and artifacts for inclusion in a teaching portfolio.

Wright, W. A., & Associates. (1995). Teaching Improvement Practices: Successful Strategies for Higher Education. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

A wide ranging book on the improvement of teaching. Chapters range from understanding student learning to improving laboratory teaching. Chapter 9, authored by Seldin, Annis, & Zubizarreta is titled, Using the Teaching Portfolio to Improve Instruction. It emphasizes the importance of mentors and collaboration in portfolio writing, the materials needed to write a portfolio, a typical table of contents, and how writing a portfolio improves teaching.