Writing About Teaching
Many resources are available to faculty interested in developing their teaching and learning to write about the process. The promotion process at UW-L allows for a 3-page narrative regarding teaching which should include a teaching philosophy statement (see guidelines).
In this narrative, the guidelines suggest that the following topics might be included: A discussion of teaching philosophy and personal growth; A discussion of course expectations (what do you expect students to learn and do); A description of your approach to grading and evaluation; A description of methods you use to measure your teaching effectiveness; Your responses to assessment outcomes.
The following resources may be of help:
- Writing Teaching Philosophies
- Writing Syllabi With Clearly Defined Student Learning Outcomes
- Writing About Assessment
Many faculty find it helpful to write regularly (one a semester or once a year) regarding their teaching from the beginning of their careers. Regular writing regarding teaching makes it easier to track development and write the narratives associated the promotion.
The following resources may be of help.
Teaching Philosophy
- Iowa State – Haugan (1998)
- Ohio State
- Quick two-page excerpt from Seldin’s (2007) book to guide reflections on teaching “ The Teaching Portfolio: A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions. ”
Teaching Portfolios.
Although JPC does require a teaching portfolio, creating a portfolio for promotion will be aided by the types of activities associated with developing a teaching portfolio.
- What is a teaching portfolio? A teaching portfolio is a goal-driven collection of materials that document one's teaching performance over time. William Cerbin (from UW-L) and Pat Hutchings, (1993), argue that " . . . teaching portfolios can prompt self-reflection and improvement, promote collaboration and attention to shared goals, provide richer, more authentic evidence of teaching effectiveness and encourage a view of teaching as scholarly activity" (p.1).
- UW-L Teaching Portfolio Project
- Additional Teaching Portfolio Resources
- University of Michigan’s “Teaching Strategies: Teaching Portfolios and Course Portfolios?”
- Carnegie Foundation's examples of portfolios from many disciplines
- The University of Texas at El Paso. This site aims to provide tools for developing and assessing a faculty teaching portfolio--both as a formative tool and as a summative evaluation of scholarly work.
Writing Syllabi With Clearly Defined Student Learning Outcomes
Two succinct pieces:
- http://www.park.edu/cetl/quicktips/writinglearningobj.html
- http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/syllabi.html#obj
Samples
- 260CST – Scott Dickmeyer (CLS)
SHE407 – Marcie Wycoff-Horn (SAH)
ACC222 – Barbara Eide (CBA)
1-2 page samples
- Sample from Biology (direct measure) – Cooper et al.
- Sample from Psychology (indirect measure) – Morgan