Developing Your Teaching Statement

ERIN DOKTER

OFFICE OF INSTRUC TIO N AND ASSESSMENT

JANUARY 23, 2018

Learning ObjectivesBy the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

1. Discuss characteristics of the “teaching statement” (or “teaching philosophy”).

2. Describe best practices for including measurements of teaching effectiveness in your job application.

3. Reflect on and articulate the foundation of your current teaching philosophy.

The Teaching Statement• “a brief essay that will give a hiring committee an idea of what you actually do in the classroom”

• Either part of your letter of interest or as a separate “Teaching Philosophy”

• Typically 1-2 pages in length

• May incorporate evidence of teaching effectiveness

• Best if tailored to the position and institution

Who asks for a Teaching Statement?A few sample job postings:

Assistant Professor – Social Work

Full Professor – Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Assistant/Associate Professor – Biostatistics

Full Time - Biology

What are hiring committees looking for in a Teaching Statement?

1. Offers specifics about teaching practice

2. Is student centered, attuned to differences in student ability, learning [preferences], or level

3. Demonstrates reflectiveness

4. Conveys valuing of teaching

5. Is well written, clear, readable

(Kaplan, Meizlish, O’Neal, & Wright, 2008; Meizlish & Kaplan, 2008)

Developing Your Teaching Statement1. Brainstorm: experiences, knowledge, and attitudes

about teaching and learning.

2. Articulate: specific examples from your teaching (or learning) that demonstrate your points.

3. Identify: key terms, theories, and ways of learning from the scholarship of (teaching) your discipline.

4. Read: sample statements for ideas, structure, and key terms.

5. Research: the job ad and institution’s website for institutional values around teaching and learning.

Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness• University administered Teacher Course Evaluations

• Departmental common exam results

• Statements from supervisors or others who have observed your teaching

• End of course reflection on learning (e.g., as part of final paper, project, or exam)

• Surveys of students

• Informal feedback from students (e.g., emails)

Statement of Teaching Effectiveness SampleStudent evaluations of my teaching have changed over the years and the overall numerical

index has been consistently increasing, from 4.7/7.0 in my first semester of teaching to 6.4/7.0

in my last semester of teaching…In addition to the standard student evaluations organized by

the college, I started asking students to fill out anonymously my own questionnaires. In the last

semester that I taught, I lectured the introductory programming class in C++ and supervised

The programming lab that accompanies that class. I was happy to receive several very positive

comments, one of which said: “She gives extensive feedback on assignments which is the

Thing I most appreciate about her teaching.… she’s firm but fair and has high expectations but

Gives us the tools to meet those expectations…”

(From The Academic Job Search Handbook, 5th edition (2016) by Julia Miller Vick, Jennifer S. Furlong, Rosanne Lurie)

Brainstorm1. What are the core principles and goals that guide

your teaching?

2. How do you enact these principles in your teaching?

3. How you assess what students are learning?

4. How do you engage diverse learners?

5. How do you use instructional technology in teaching?

6. Other than your assessments, what evidence of effectiveness have you had in teaching?

Sample Teaching Statements•The Academic Job Search Handbook, 5th edition (2016) by Julia Miller Vick, Jennifer S. Furlong, Rosanne Lurie (ISBN: 0812223403) (available as e-book from UA Library -http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.ezproxy1.library.arizona.edu/lib/UAZ/detail.action?docID=4540334)

• University of Michigan: http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpum

•The Ohio State University: http://ucat.osu.edu/professional-development/teaching-portfolio/philosophy/

•University of Minnesota: https://cei.umn.edu/support-services/tutorials/writing-teaching-philosophy/teaching-philosophy-samples

Additional Resources•The Academic Job Search Handbook, 5th edition (2016) by Julia Miller Vick, Jennifer S. Furlong, Rosanne Lurie (ISBN: 0812223403) (available as e-book from UA Library -http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.ezproxy1.library.arizona.edu/lib/UAZ/detail.action?docID=4540334)

• O’Neal, C., Meizlish, D., & Kaplan, M. (2007). Writing a statement of teaching philosophy for the academic job search. Retrieved from http://www.crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/resource_files/CRLT_no23.pdf

•Teaching Statements: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-statements/

•Writing the Teaching Statement: http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2006/04/writing-teaching-statement

•How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy: http://www.chronicle.com/article/How-to-Write-a-Statement-of/45133/

•Four Steps to a Memorable Teaching Philosophy: http://www.chronicle.com/article/4-steps-to-a-memorable/124199

•Writing Your Teaching Philosophy Statement (including Starter Phrases): https://www.cmu.edu/gcc/handouts/teaching-philosophy-handout-pdf

Tools and Strategies for Revision• Peer review:

• Teaching Philosophy Peer Review Worksheet: www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/140033.docx

• Rubric for an Effective Teaching Statement: http://www.crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/resource_files/TeachingPhilosophyRubric.pdf

• Reverse outline: • Duke University Writing Studio https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-

attachments/reverse-outline.original.pdf

◦ U. of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/ReverseOutlines.html

• Concept mapping: • U. of Waterloo https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-

resources/teaching-tips/educational-technologies/all/concept-mapping-tools

• Cornell http://web.stanford.edu/dept/SUSE/projects/ireport/articles/concept_maps/The%20Theory%20Underlying%20Concept%20Maps.pdf

References• Kaplan, M., Meizlish, D., O’Neal, C., & Wright, M.C. (2007). A research-based rubric for developing statements of teaching philosophy. In D.R. Robertson & L.B. Nilson (Eds.), To improve the academy: Resources for faculty instructional and organizational developers (Vol. 26, pp. 242-262). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

• Kearns, K.D. & Sullivan, C.S. (2011). Resources and practices to help graduate students and postdoctoral fellows write statements of teaching philosophy. Advances in physiology education, 35(2), 136-145.

• Meizlish, D. & Kaplan, M. (2008). Valuing and evaluating teaching in academic hiring: A multidisciplinary, cross-institutional study. The journal of higher education, 79 (5), 489-512.

Image SourcesImages in this slide set are under Creative Commons license for noncommercial reuse or in the public domain.

Slide 1: Teaching Word Cloud https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7241/7070563247_94e4848a6b.jpg