University Teaching Center Barbara Schneider College of Arts and Letters 2016 Statement of Teaching Philosophy and Practice Opening reflections Why do I teach? Why do I teach Why do I teach? As you reflect on why you teach, you might ask
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Presentation Transcript
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University Teaching Center
Barbara Schneider
College of Arts and Letters
2016 Statement of Teaching Philosophy and Practice<br>
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Opening reflections Why do I teach?
Why do I teach
Why do I teach?
As you reflect on why you teach, you might ask yourself these questions as well:
How do people learn?
What do I want them to learn?
Why do I want them to learn that?<br>
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Introduction A statement of teaching philosophy and practice usually begins with the personal:
A personal anecdote about an experience that prompted an interest in teaching,
a statement of personal beliefs that inform teaching, or a statement of personal
goals for teaching.
Some examples:
“When I was a prospective graduate student, visiting one of the PhD programs
to which I’d been admitted, a professor there asked me what appealed to me
about the prospect of a career studying and teaching medieval literature
“My teaching philosophy is simple: encourage critical thinking, respect
student’s opinions, and challenge and stimulate their interest in politics…..
“I have always viewed teaching as my primary responsibility. I have devoted
substantial effort over the years to teaching courses, mentoring students, and participating in
externally funded programs to improve educational experience.<br>
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How I teach After the statement that introduces a personal philosophy of teaching,
the narrative usually moves to an overview---often taking two to five paragraphs—
about HOW they teach, and how those strategies enact WHY they teach.
This section of the narrative is really a demonstration of theory being put
into practice.
Sometimes organized around strategies----
Sometimes organized around courses-----
Some examples:
“One of my techniques to improve student outcomes has been to increase student
engagement in my courses.<br>
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How I teach More examples:
“I take full advantage of classroom technology to present video clips, films, and
documentaries that serve either as a basis or a complement to the subjects under
study. I also have debate sessions and assign group projects both in and out of
the classroom-all with the idea of fostering critical thinking and team work. I
believe that participation is the key to a student’s success.”
“In short, I required students to write a series of short close readings on a pass-
age of their choice; to submit broad discussion questions most weeks, around
which I would plan the class; to write a short paper comparing three translations
of a text we read; and to work in small groups to write and submit three possible
final exam questions, which we then revised as a group on the final day of class
meeting, having planned possible topics on the penultimate class day.<br>
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What I teach Flip your pages over and recount what courses you usually teach.
What are your learning goals in these courses?
How do you assess them?
Do your assessments provide evidence that students are learning?<br>
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How I get better Narratives of struggle or change:
“This oftentimes results in lack of participation, low preparedness, and very
tedious lectures. This environment can be frustrating and if I am honest, it can
make me question my effectiveness as a teacher. I am always looking for new
ways to turn my frustrations into learning opportunities not only for my stud-
ents, but also for myself as a professor. This has led me to independently seek
out new research in the education field about teaching techniques and active
learning methods.”<br>
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How I get better “However, I am not sure that I am an effective teacher: although highly rated
by their evaluations, I do not believe my students consistently achieve perfor-
mance on the learning outcomes I have set forth. Therefore, I am continuous-
ly motivated to improve my teachings skills and to improve student outcomes.<br>
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Beyond the Classroom Advising
Mentoring
Professionalizing
Lending teaching expertise to other faculty<br>
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Conclusion: Evidence of effectiveness Student success
Student evaluations of teaching
Student observers
Awards or other recognitions of teaching effectiveness
Downstream data---anecdotal or research based
Self-evaluation<br>
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Patterns and Pieces The critical chunks
Why I teach
How I teach and how that reflects my philosophy
How I am improving my teaching
What I teach course by course and how that incorporates expertise
How I teach beyond the course
Evidence of effectiveness—student success, student evaluations
Self evaluation
Format:
Usually single spaced, running two to six pages
Dossier organization is dependent on college<br>
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HELP!!! Ask to see the dossiers of more senior faculty
