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Options to Document Teaching Effectiveness

How to Create Teaching Portfolios

A teaching portfolio is a consistent set of materials and work samples with reflective statements, created by faculty that represent their teaching practice related to student learning.

It includes their thoughts, philosophy, values, improvements, reflections, evidence of student learning, teaching effectiveness, and contributions to their institution in relation to their teaching profession.

  • Benefits of Developing a Teacher Portfolio
    • Teacher Portfolios can help faculty see teaching as an ongoing process of inquiry, experimentation, and reflection.
    • Faculty reflect on their teaching and work to make improvements
    • Helps present faculty’s viewpoint on development in their teaching over time
    • Helps place responsibility for teaching evaluation in the hands of faculty-à the need to evaluate teacher portfolios can lead to discussions on standards for effective teaching
    • Helps foster a culture of teaching
  • Components of a Teaching Portfolio

    A teacher portfolio involves 4 parts as shown in the figure below. Faculty will work on creating artifacts for their teacher portfolio. XCITE will have workshops and 1:1 consultations on how to create/develop these artifacts and how to curate them.

    teacher portfolio parts

    These artifacts will include the following that will represent their teaching philosophy, values, improvements, and effectiveness:

    1. Materials from Oneself (Documentation of their Teaching and Improving your Instruction)
      Artifacts for ‘Material from Oneself’ can include the following:
      • Creating a Teaching Philosophy Statement 
      • Creating a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement (How be inclusive of all students) 
      • Writing a Mentorship Statement (In relation to mentoring and advising your students) 
      • Sample course syllabi (with details on course content and objectives, teaching methods, readings, homework assignments and a reflective statement as to why the class was so constructed OR Copies of their syllabi – annotated with notes on how effective they were and short reflections on how they have made changes to improve their courses) 
      • The pursuit of research contributing directly to teaching one's discipline 
      • A list of courses taught and/or TAed, with enrollments and a description of your responsibilities 
      • Video Recordings of your Teaching 
      • Redesigning a Course (reasons, procedures and changes) 
      • Incorporating Community-Engaged Teaching Practices (strategies and evidences) 
      • A personal statement by the professor describing teaching goals for the next five years and a description of steps taken to improve teaching including changes resulting from self-evaluation, time spent reading journals on improving teaching, participating in seminars and workshops on sharpening instructional skill. 
      • Summary of steps taken to identify students with special problems and to design teaching and assessment procedures which facilitate their learning. 
    2. The Products of Good Teaching (Evidence of Student Learning)
      These are materials that show evidence of student Learning. The artifacts can include any two of the following depending on faculty’s choice (NOTE- Share any student work with their authorization):
      • Students scores before and/or after a course (evidence of student learning)
      • Student lab workbooks or other kind of logs or journals.
      • Student reflection essays
      • Student essays, creative work, and project or field work reports
      • Publications or awards won by students in course related work
      • Student internship experience or similar
      • Evidence of effect of courses on student careers or career choices
      • Evidence supporting for help given to secure employment by student(s)
      • Evidence of help given to fellow faculty colleagues on teaching improvement
      • …other
    3. Materials from Others (Teacher Effectiveness and Contributions to the Teaching Profession and/or your Institution)
      These show Teacher Effectiveness and Contributions to the Teaching Profession and/or their Institution. Material from others (at least two or more) can include:
      • Student course and teaching evaluation data (suggesting improvements or effectiveness or satisfaction)
      • Course Evaluations
      • Assessment and outcomes reporting (in consultation with MAC committee and Dr Omar Safi- Teaching Effectiveness)
      • Statements from fellow faculty colleagues (or XCITE staff) who have looked the faculty classroom materials, the course syllabi, assignments, testing and grading practices, and reading lists)
      • Written comments from students on class evaluations
      • Invitations to teach from external organizations, present a paper at a conference on teaching one's discipline or on teaching in general
      • Publications in teaching journals
      • Papers delivered on teaching
      • Reviews of forthcoming textbooks
      • Service on teaching committees
      • Assistance to colleagues on teaching matters
      • Work on curriculum revision or development
      • Letters from students, preferably unsolicited
      • Letters from course head, division head or chairperson
      • Statements from alumni
      • College committee testimonials on faculty teaching
      • Honors, Awards, or Recognitions in Teaching
      • List of Faculty Development Activities (for example: participation XCITE offerings, participation in a faculty development program and/or similar, or external vendors like QM, OLC, OneHE)
      • More similar…..
    4. Teacher Portfolio (Faculty) Website
      • This is about documenting and/or curating faculty Teacher Portfolio with all the artifacts from the previous slides.
      • Also, can be called Electronic Portfolio (No longer the need of a print portfolio)
      • Can help faculty think about their teaching in different ways.
      • Teaching portfolios are intended to make teaching public. Distributing a portfolio on the web makes it even more accessible to students, peers and others.
      • Multimedia can be easily organized on the web rather than printed.
      • Along with the portfolio artifacts shown in previous slides, faculty can also include their research, service and other publications.
      • XCITE will show them how to create their own website using the free tools available
      • XCITE will demonstrate the best practices and how they can organize their work on the web and open it to general public
      • XCITE will go over the Copyright/privacy of their website during the training/workshop
  • Components and Needed Artifacts (For Teaching Assistants and Graduate Students)

    A teacher portfolio for graduate students and Teaching Assistants is shown in the figure below. Graduate Student Teacher Portfolios do not require as many materials as experienced faculty. They can still consider suggestions from the previous page of this module as they build on their teaching careers. 

    Components and Needed Artifacts chart

     

    TAs and Graduate Students will work on creating artifacts for their teacher portfolio. XCITE will have workshops and 1:1 consultations on how to create/develop these artifacts and how to curate them. Teacher portfolios can benefit students hoping to get a career as a faculty
    Deliverables can include:

    • Teacher Philosophy Statement/Instructional Design Philosophy
    • Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Statement
    • Sample Course Syllabi
    • Teacher/Scholar Website
    • Teaching Videos
    • Sample Grading Work/Feedback to their students
  • Preparing your Teacher Portfolio

    Collect/prepare all the documents described earlier in this presentation
    As a starting point, the body of the teacher portfolio can include

    • A cover page
    • A table of contents page
    • summary of your teaching experience and responsibilities
    • a reflective statement of your teaching philosophy and goals
    • a brief discussion of your teaching methods and strategies
    • activities undertaken to improve teaching
    • a statement of goals and plans for the future
    • your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement 

    The body of a portfolio can be about 5-8 pages long and is followed by appendices in total that can make up about 8-15 more pages. 

    The appendices would consist of supplemental materials that further document or support the information you provide in the body of your portfolio as evidence.

    See the reference used to create this page here
    https://www.slu.edu/cttl/docs/cuts-forms/preparing-a-teaching-portfolio.pdf

  • Sample Teacher Portfolios

    Sample Teacher Portfolios

    • Ask senior faculty colleagues or mentors on the UCR campus to see if they are willing to share their portfolios as samples

    Teacher Portfolio Template

  • Evaluating your Teacher Portfolio

    There are no set criteria to evaluate a teacher portfolio. It all depends on your individual needs or your goals or your departmental needs or university needs. It is very important to align your teacher portfolio to your needs and goals. For example: aligning to your job application or merit and promotion files and most importantly aligning to your own purpose. A teacher portfolio cannot just be a scrapbook. The materials presented should align with the statements you provide (as described in your goals, intentions, teaching philosophy, and DEI statement).

    You can also find this rubric in the google doc here

    The table below is just a sample rubric to evaluate your portfolio on your own.


    Improvement Actions

    		 Criteria Going Further
      Quality of Materials
    Are your materials current?
    Does the material appropriately represent traditionally under-represented scholars (people of color, international, women etc.) and alternative perspectives?
    Are your materials representing the best work in the field?
    Are your materials representing enough coverage of course content?
    Do they align with course goals?    		  
      Inclusive Excellence
    Do you integrate teaching strategies that are inclusive to everyone’s needs?
    Do you help your students to achieve their accessibility needs?    		  
      Intellectual Tasks (level of preparation for students)
    Did the students learn aligned to the departmental curriculum goals and/or objectives?
    Did the majority of the students achieve a mastery level of achievement in each of the goals? This defines intellectual performance. 
    Do you assignments represent student performance and are aligned to course objectives?    		  
      Faculty knowledge in their academic discipline
    Have you as an instructor kept yourself up to date with the developments in your field? and what do you do to achieve this?    		  
      Alignment to their faculty position, department, and University mission
    Have you engaged with departmental or program level teaching committees and initiatives?
    Are you a good citizen regarding teaching responsibilities in collaborating with department and university support staff?
    Do you recognize problems that hinder good teaching and are trying to solve them?    		  
      Extent to achieving excellence in teaching
    Have you sought feedback about your teaching quality?
    Have you explored or experimented with alternative teaching methods or tried new teaching ideas and strategies?
    Have you developed special teaching materials or participated in efforts to upgrade teaching quality?    		  

    References used to create this document:

    Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. (2000). Teaching students to think critically (CRLT Occasional Papers No. 11). University of Michigan.

    Mues, F., & Sorcinelli, M. D. (2000). Preparing a Teaching Portfolio. The Center for Teaching, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Developing & Writing Your Teaching Philosophy Statements (TPS)

  • Getting Started
    • What is a Teaching Philosophy Statement?
    • A teaching philosophy statement (TPS) is a document that articulates who you are as a teacher-scholar and the values, beliefs, and goals that underpin your approach to facilitating and assessing learning, and your own continuous development. It is a self-reflective statement of your beliefs about teaching and learning. It is a narrative about your teaching. 
    • Below are some quotes on TPS:
      • “In preparing a statement of teaching philosophy, professors assess and examine themselves to articulate the goals they wish to achieve in teaching … A clear vision of a teaching philosophy provides stability, continuity, and long-term guidance … A well-defined philosophy can help them remain focused on their teaching goals and to appreciate the personal and professional rewards of teaching.”- Gail Goodyear and Douglas Allchin (1989) Statement of Teaching Philosophy
      • "A teaching philosophy statement is a systematic and critical rationale that focuses on the important components defining effective teaching and learning in a particular discipline and/or institutional context." - Schonwetter, Sokal, Friesen, and Taylor (2002) 
      • "A teaching philosophy is a self-reflective statement of your beliefs about teaching and learning. In addition to general comments, your teaching philosophy should discuss how you put your beliefs into practice by including concrete examples of what you do or anticipate doing in the classroom." - University of Michigan
      • Your teaching statement develops from your teaching philosophy and uses evidence from your teaching to make the case that you have excelled as a teacher. Your teaching philosophy can shape your syllabi or introduce your course website. A teaching philosophy statement is about your intellectual and creative skills and knowledge that you as a teacher use to enable your students to achieve in their discipline. It is about how you see your role and interact with students and how you address the challenges in teaching in your discipline. This statement is NOT about your course topic or texts or course content but about how you interact with your students to guide them and engage with your course material. TPS is always written in present tense and first-person format.
      • Like CVs and Resumes, teaching philosophy statements are intended for a purpose and for an audience. A teaching philosophy statement can be created for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to merit and promotion, job applications, and your course website. 
      • Teaching Statements are mostly longer at the tenure level like 3-5 pages or more. For hiring purposes, they are typically 1-2 pages in length.

    References used to prepare this Page:

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Center for Faculty Excellence. 

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Preparing Future Faculty

  • Why make a TPS?

    Developing your teaching philosophy statement has the following benefits:

    • Articulate your values, beliefs, and goals
    • Be able to stand firm and advocate for good teaching practice
    • To share your TPS with students and others
    • To have a document for applications and merit and promotion files
    • Reflect and respond succinctly during student Q/A or job interview questions
    • TPS helps tp provide standards to judge the quality of your teaching
    • TPS provides evidence of your teaching effectiveness

    Teacher Portfolios can be used to demonstrate teaching effectiveness. The items below can be included in eFile as part of teaching portfolios.
     

  • Thinking Checklist- Reflect on your teaching to get started
    • Reflect on your journey as an instructor. Use the list of questions provided below to refine and structure your ideas. Make brief notes for each question. Review your thinking and look for themes, implicit assumptions, emerging values, and ideas about teaching that matter to you as you respond to this checklist. 
    • Assessment of Learning
      • How does learning take place?
      • Based on my observation and experience, what do I think happens during a learning episode?
    • Assessment of Teaching
      • How do I facilitate learning?
      • What are my assumptions about teaching?
      • Why do I teach the way I do?
      • How do I motivate, challenge, or support students?
      • How do I deal with students who struggle?
      • How do I vary my approach?
    • Goals for Students
      • As a result of learning, what do I expect my students to know, do, or value (in their careers and future lives)? Why?
      • What does my teaching philosophy mean for my students?
    • Implementation and Assessment
      • How are my conceptions of teaching and learning transformed into instructional strategies?
      • What are the consequences of my instructional strategies?
      • How do I know my teaching is effective?
      • What data do I use to gauge my effectiveness?
    • Your Future as a Successful University Teacher (Personal Growth Plan)
      • What goals have I set for myself as a teacher?
      • How will I accomplish these goals?
      • What are some present challenges to overcome in order to achieve my goals?
      • How have I developed?
      • What evidence do I have that can demonstrate my development?
      • What has changed over time in my assumptions and actions?
      • How have I met the goals that I set in the past?
    • This Canvas page is taken from the following reference:
      • Indiana University. (n.d.). Tips for writing a statement of teaching philosophy. Center for Teaching and Learning. Access here
  • Writing Process to Develop your Teaching Philosophy

    A TPS can be structured in the following sections:

    1. Introduction
    2. Thesis Statement
    3. Evidence
    4. Commentary
    5. Repeat bullets 2, 3 & 4 as needed to build your ideas
    6. Section describing your own continuous development (how do you assess your teaching and continuously improve?)

    A simple guiding structure for your essay could be:

    • GROUND. My values and motivations/goals as a teacher-scholar.
    • ACTION. How I teach and assess learning – how this is guided by my perceptions of student needs and identities and my values, beliefs, and goals as an educator.
    • CONTINUITY. How I continue to learn and improve my teaching.

    Paragraphs within your TPS could be written using the AEC or AXES model below.
    AEC Model:

    Assertion: Main or Key Idea, Topic Sentence. The paragraph has a single and explicit focus.
    Evidence: Information or facts that support the assertion. In a TPS this is often evidence from teaching and observing teaching.
    Commentary: Explanations and elaborations that connect the Evidence to the Assertion.

    AXES Model:

    • Assertion
    • EXplanation
    • Example
    • Significance

    Your Complete TPS:

    • Use the AEC or AXES models to build your ideas within paragraphs
    • Make sure as you build your ideas they align with your thesis
    • At the end of your TPS, it is very important to comment on what you do to assess your own teaching and continuously improve your teaching methods and strategies for the betterment of your students.

    References used to prepare this Page:

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Center for Academic & Faculty Excellence. 

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Preparing Future Faculty

  • Crafting an Introduction

    Introductions are unique and like the rest of the essay reflects your writing style and expectations in your discipline. However, you might be interested in an overall structure to get you started. Here is an example, followed by an analysis of its structure and logic. 

    Example and Analysis
    I fell in love with the Renaissance as a teenager and was lured into a scholarly pursuit of ideas and artifacts from this rich and complex period of human history. This life-long love affair has led me into the exciting journey of educating others and helping them build bridges between life today and this rich past. We do this in ways that clarify how far we’ve come but also how fundamental questions then and now share many similarities and are embraced by all cultures. Understanding that college age students might have difficulty relating literature from centuries ago to contemporary life, I teach about the Renaissance using a project-based comparative approach. I integrate popular art and literature to engage students in critical and divergent thinking, discussion, and writing. Experiential learning enables my students to not only know and appreciate the Renaissance, but to link it cogently to our lives and concerns in the 21st century

    Analysis of the Introduction 

    TOPIC – discipline or domain of study
    ATTITUDE – passion, scholar


    I fell in love with the Renaissance as a teenager and was lured into a scholarly pursuit of ideas and artifacts from this rich and complex period of human history.
    FOCUS – teaching
    ATTITUDE – linking topic to present day – relevance to students.


    This life-long love affair has led me into the exciting journey of educating others and helping them build bridges between life today and this rich past. We do this in ways that clarify how far we’ve come but also how fundamental questions then and now share many similarities and are embraced by all cultures.
    THESIS
    CONTEXT: student at center, aware of student challenge
    SLOs: knowledge mastery, appreciation, link to relevant aspects of life today
    APPROACH: project based, experiential.    		 Understanding that college age students might have difficulty relating literature from centuries ago to contemporary life, I teach about the Renaissance using a project based comparative approach. I integrate popular art and literature to engage students in critical and divergent thinking, discussion, and writing. Experiential learning enables my students to not only know and appreciate the Renaissance, but to link it cogently to our lives and concerns in the 21st century.

    When to Write Your Introduction

    At the beginning. Some writers create an introduction that leads to a guiding thesis. The thesis then becomes like a mini map that generates the outline or structure of the essay.

    At the end. Some writers take a discovery approach. They free write the essay, allow a structure and logic to emerge, and then based on what they have created, they write an introduction and thesis statement that reflects the essay. 
    Most of us are somewhere in the middle. Planning an introduction and thesis gives us a writing direction that helps us work effectively. But remember to be flexible as you might discover new or better ideas that shift you away from the thesis. So, from time to time review and revise the introduction and the thesis. Most writing is an iterative process. 

    This page is taken from the following references:

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Center for Faculty Excellence. 

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Preparing Future Faculty

  • Thesis Statement

    Always write for an audience. Make sure of this by reading your thesis statement, role playing someone else seeing it for the first time. Better yet, find a critical but friendly person to read and give you feedback. What might be your (their) answers to these questions:

    1. What can you derive of the writer’s values and goals as an educator?
    2. What can we expect the essay to contain based on the thesis statement?

     

    Creating a thesis statement gets you thinking and compressing what you believe – a large and nebulous set of perspectives – into a concise statement. This is very good practice for interviews, presentations, and general conversations where you will be able to present your philosophy succinctly and with conviction. 

    A thesis statement gives your reader an overview and helps them anticipate what is coming. A well-written introduction and thesis will get your reader wanting to read the full essay. Also, even if they do not read the rest of the essay, they will have a good idea of your philosophy. Think about busy search committees or merit and promotion committees– a well written introduction and thesis statement can make the difference between the essay being passed over and someone really engaging with it fully. 

    Thesis Statement Analysis

    Here are 2 examples of thesis statements. What can you tell about these individuals’ teaching philosophies and pedagogical approaches?

    • I believe deep learning and critical, creative thinking about art and art history happens when students are engaged in experiential learning in real world settings, and receive active, on-going feedback from both peers and teachers. 
    • Understanding the difficulty of relating literature from centuries ago to contemporary life, I teach about the Renaissance using a project based comparative approach integrating popular art and literature that engages students in high-level critical and divergent thinking

    In the first one – this teacher is primarily concerned about cognitive-creative development and realizes this cannot come from book learning alone – she values learning by doing, her teaching might involve community projects. She values students’ input in learning, which also signals a confidence and comfort level in managing student critique. There are likely many other values and principles that could come in the essay, but her choice of what to use in a thesis underscores her key areas of concern.

    The second one focuses on meaningful connections to students’ lived experiences – this signals a primary focus on meaning-making and relevance to students. There are likely other values and principles that could come in the essay, but this thesis choice centralizes meaningfulness factor as a critical factor in his teaching philosophy. 

    This page is taken from the following references:

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Center for Faculty Excellence. 

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Preparing Future Faculty. 

  • Steps & Guidelines - Crafting and Writing TPS

    There are different ways to develop your Teacher Philosophy Statement (TPS). Below are some ideas and suggestions to help you get started.

    You can also access this information via the document here. 

    • Reflect on your teaching goals, beliefs values, concepts, assessments, activities, and your own ways to improve.
    • Write out these reflections as notes.
    • Read over your notes. Trust yourself as an educator, trust your values and aspirations, and that you have given thought to how to teach, assess, and interact with your students. 
    • Using the guiding structure of a TPS– begin writing your first draft. You want the words to flow in a stream of ideas.
    • Do not worry about the length at first. Create a draft as long as you want. This will allow you the space and flexibility to develop ideas fully.
    • Then shape and compress this to a 1 to 2-page essay in the final draft (or longer depending on your goals for tenure in alignment with your department's needs).
    • Check your draft with your original notes. Edit to include and integrate missing ideas.
    • Review the logic of your essay. Does your TPS move from WHAT you believe in and WHY to HOW this is reflected in your teaching via examples, evidence, and commentary? Your reader must see your philosophy in action in your examples and evidence of teaching.
    • Look for connections and unnecessary overlaps. Are there paragraphs that refer to the same values or examples or interchangeably mean the same thing? 
    • Be prepared to revise your sentences and paragraphs to find the best flow of ideas.
    • Use the TPS checklist as a guide to make sure you have covered the key areas

    References used to prepare this page:

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Center for Faculty Excellence. 

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Preparing Future Faculty.

  • Teaching Philosophy Statement Checklist/Rubric

    TPS Checklist/Rubric

    Use these criteria to guide the writing of your TPS and also to evaluate it after you finish writing your statement. Some criteria may overlap and may be connected, meaning you can consider one section or paragraph of your TPS fulfilling more than one criterion. You can also access this checklist/rubric here

    Improvement Actions Criteria Going Further
     

    Connection to your Academic Discipline and Scholarship

    What are the key areas of my discipline I prioritize in my teaching?

    What do I want my students to learn about this discipline?

    How is my teaching shaped by my discipline?

    		  
     

    Outcomes & Goals

    What are the types of goals I set for my students to achieve in mastery in the subject I teach?

    What learning outcomes related to human capacity and skills are most important to me to help my students prepare to flourish in life and their future careers? - Consider

    		  
     

    Teaching Vision

    What do I really love about Teaching & Learning?

    What values and ideas drive my desire to teach? 

    How do I hope to make a difference in the lives of my students through my teaching?

    		  
     

    Teaching Methods/Approaches

    What principles and strategies do I use to build my students’ sense of agency and self-efficacy?

    How do I make my subject matter and learning process more meaningful and relevant?

    Do I implement strategies beyond traditional lecturing to help my students feel actively engaged in their learning?

    		  
     

    Use Evidence/Examples (Application)

    Do I provide specific examples of my teaching methods and approaches?

    Do I connect my teaching methods and approaches to principles of pedagogy and learning and motivational theories to help my students?

    		  
     

    Creating and Inclusive Learning Environment

    How do I make my students feel they each matter?

    How do I create a sense of community and belonging among my students in my classes?

    How do I integrate a range of learning and teaching modalities to be inclusive of all my students' needs?

    How do I adjust my teaching methods to invite diversity and make learning inclusive and equitable?

    Do I ensure the digital tools I use to teach do not marginalize some learners?

    How do I ensure my assignments are inclusive and equitable?

    		  
     

    Assessment of Learning

    Do I explain learning outcomes to my students and show how assignments and activities are aligned with them?

    Are my assignments meaningful and relevant to my students?

    What kind of feedback do I give to my students? Do I provide formative feedback where students get time to make revisions? How do I know my students find feedback useful to their learning?

    Do I provide students with clear criteria for success in assignments, for example explaining rubrics and more?

    How do I make learning visible – to my students? How do I know when I have taught successfully? How do I know my students have learned? How do my students know they have learned? 

    		  
     

    Assessment of Teaching (Continuous Development)

    How do I know when I have taught successfully? 

    In what ways do I assess my teaching? 

    How do I use student evaluations?

    What goals do I have for myself as an educator and how will I reach them? 

    What do I do to ensure continuous professional development as an educator? 

    Do I attend teaching-related conferences and conduct research that involves teaching work or give presentations that contribute to my goal as an educator? 

    How have my attitudes toward teaching and learning changed over time?

    		  
     

    Technology Integration

    Do I integrate technology to improve student engagement and learning?

    How do I engage students in online and blended teaching and learning spaces?

    		  
     

    Philosophical Coherence

    In your TPS, are the teaching methods and explanations consistent with the values, beliefs, and goals that you express?

    		  
     

    Organization, Structure, Mechanics, & Style

    Are your ideas logically sequenced?

    Is there any jargon or noise in your writing?

    Are you writing in the first-person format?

    Is your tone appropriate?

    Are you using active, direct, non-verbose syntax? 

    Is your writing free of grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors?

    		  

    References used to prepare this document:

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Center for Faculty Excellence. 

    Claremont Graduate University. (n.d.). Teaching Philosophy Statement Workbook. Preparing Future Faculty. 

  • Teaching Philosophy Statement Samples
    • Consider samples from the schools below available on the web:
  • Further Resources & References

    Resources and References for Further Exploration:


    Articles from Faculty Focus:


    Consider the Cornell Graduate School - TPS as an additional resource. Also, consider the articles on Teaching Statements below found on this website:

  • Recording for Training Session - Wednesday, October 9th, 2024

    Access the recording for our training session on this topic on the link below:

    https://ucr.yuja.com/V/Video?v=12514080&node=54464291&a=49482032

Additional Methods to Document Your Teaching Effectiveness

As you consider how to document your teaching effectiveness, the three methods below each offer a different way to provide evidence on the quality of your course design and/or share proof of your additional pedagogical trainings (as in the case of badges or certificates earned). Remember, no single piece of teaching evidence is as important as having enough pieces to provide an in-depth and holistic account about the work you performed in your commitment to effective and impactful teaching.

  • Course Maps

    Instructors can undertake the constructive alignment of course goals and learning outcomes to course assessments, assignments/activities, and technologies through the creation of a simple course map. The exercise of course mapping helps instructors to identify ways activities and assessments can reinforce or help to achieve outcomes or overall goals, and to identify what tools or technologies would be most appropriate to achieving them. 

    Course Mapping Resources
  • Quality Matters Self Reviews

    UCR is now subscribed to Quality Matters (QM), an organization out of the University of Maryland that oversees a widely-adopted and recognized quality-assurance framework and community of practice for designing online and blended courses, improving existing online courses, or making specific improvements to courses centering around issues like alignment, measurable objectives or competencies, or welcoming students.

    Quality Matters offers a number of face-to-face, online, and web conferencing workshops to help you use QM tools to improve courses. Quality Matters tools and resources can also be used to enhance fully in-person, or face-to-face courses. As part of our membership benefits, you can sign up to create a MyQM account that can be used to register for professional development opportunities through Quality Matters, such as the free, self-paced course “Elements of Quality Matters,” a good place to start!

    A MyQM account will subscribe you to the Quality Matters newsletter, and will provide you access the Quality Matters Course Review Management System, a tool that facilitates free, self-review of courses according to the 7th edition of the Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric (PDF ⤓) , a framework for course quality recently updated in July 2023.

    Please refer to the handout called “Getting Started with Quality Matters” for helpful links. For a QM Rubric Workbook, a link to the fully annotated version of the rubric, or any questions, contact UCR’s Quality Matters Coordinators, Samantha Eastman and Debbie Nelson. 

    QM Self Review Instructions and Resources

    We highly recommend using the QM Self Review tool, provided on the QM website, to complete this task. 

    Here is a link to some instructions for how to set up your Quality Matters account. Please sign up using your NetID@ucr.edu email address.

    Sign in with your QM login or create a QM account (using your UCR email) by clicking the link above and choosing ‘No I am new here’ in the response to the password question.  Next, fill in the required fields, accept the terms and conditions, and select ‘Higher Education’ as your preferred program.

  • Badges and Certificates

    Occasionally, XCITE and other organizations will offer documentation of participation or completion of workshops or programs. These can be submitted with eFile as documentation of efforts toward teaching improvement.

How to Track Canvas Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are formal statements of the observable and measurable results of what a student will be able to do at the end of a learning experience (e.g. completing a project, program, or course). Explicit Learning Outcomes assist instructors in implementing their course through Backwards Design and identifying areas for improvement as well as increasing equity for students by communicating expectations clearly to them. Learning Outcomes also allow for the alignment of different learning experiences in a student’s progression through a course of study and for analysis of the effectiveness of teaching methods. At XCITE, we are leading the effort toward making learning outcomes more concise/specific, student-centered, measurable, meaningful, and achievable.

How to Request Peer Observations of Teaching and Learning

The Academy of Distinguished Teaching (ADT) will advise instructors on peer evaluation of teaching. Contact the ADT to learn more. Contact: Active Members

How to Submit Evidence on Courses and Programs Developed

How to use Student Self Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG)

A self-assessment instrument for how students themselves feel they have learned material in a course, the SALG protocol, known as “Student Assessment of Learning Gains,” is an accepted approach to add to your documentation of teaching effectiveness. 

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