Teaching statement workshop

CTD WEEKLY WORKSHOPS:WRITING A SUCCESSFUL TEACHING STATEMENT

Peter Newbury Center for Teaching Development,University of California, San Diego

[email protected] @polarisdotca

ctd.ucsd.edu #ctducsd

slides and resources: http://tinyurl.com/CTDTeachingStatements

Thursday, March 7, 201312:30 – 1:30 pm Center Hall, Room 316

End of grad school = stress2

defense

thesis

Research Statement

Teaching Statement

job search

funding/grants

CV

references

publish thesis in journal

moving

visa/immigration

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

Job announcements

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

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Most job announcements require applicants to submit a “Teaching Statement”

“A Teaching what ?”4

Teaching Portfolio

Teaching

Statement

Teaching Philosophy

• Teaching Statement• Statement of Teaching• Statement of Teaching

Philosophy• and more…

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

Purpose of a Teaching Portfolio

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

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Collect in one place all your evidence of teaching teaching philosophy teaching statement evaluations (like CAPE) examples of your work: slide deck,

assignments, exams Feedback from students, colleagues,

bosses START ASAP

Purpose of a Teaching Philosophy

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Thesis statement for a broader teaching portfolio Helps tie together and synthesize evidences

Demonstrate that you are reflective about your teaching

Communicate your goals and actions As you revise, it may shape how you teach Help you set goals for professional growth

Purpose of a Teaching Statement

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

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Be hired in your desired position Demonstrate that you are reflective about

your teaching Communicate your goals and actions Thesis statement for a broader teaching

portfolio, if one will be included in your application

A Teaching Statement gives…

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

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Your conception of how learning occurs A description of how your teaching

facilitates learning A reflection of why you teach the way you

do The goals you have for yourself and for

your students How your teaching enacts your beliefs and

goals What, for you, constitutes evidence of

student learning The ways in which you create an inclusive

learning environment Your interests in new techniques, activities,

and types of learning

cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/reflecting/teaching-statements/

Vanderbilt CfT Teaching Statement in wordle, with keywords only

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http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5884593/Teacing_Statement_content_from_Vanderbilt_CfT_-_keywords_onlyWriting a Successful Teaching Statement

Vanderbilt CfT Teaching Statement in wordle, all words

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http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5884639/Teaching_Statement_content_from_Vanderbilt_CfT_-_all_words

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

Example - Mathematics

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During my years of tutoring and teaching, I’ve learned that there is no such thing as “obvious” in mathematics. Each student learns in his or her own unique way, and it takes a patient, creative instructor to motivate and educate an entire class, whether it is populated by budding mathematicians or students trying to satisfy a general education requirement. In the classroom, I try to illustrate key points using geometric, algebraic, and quantitative reasoning, and my lecturing is broken up by applied problems and projects that students work on in a small group environment. I view an instructor’s role outside of class to be just as important as his or her role in class. I hold as many as ten office hours a week in order to fill in students’ gaps in both current material and course prerequisites, and I also encourage students to come to my office to discuss challenge problems.

Count the number of I, me, my,…

www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpum

Example – Women’s Studies

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My teaching philosophy is reflective of my overall commitment to social justice and change through education. As a facilitator in the learning process, I pay attention to classroom dynamics and seek to create a supportive environment for students, within which they feel safe taking risks and making mistakes. Similarly, I see my own role not as infallible expert, but as someone engaged in reciprocal learning and dialogue with students. Within the classroom, I actively involve students in experiential application of sociological concepts and theories.

Count the number of I, me, my,…

www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpum

How do I get all this…into that?

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LEGO image: wrenfieldrambling.blogspot.comShuttle image: itsfullofstars.tumblr.comWriting a Successful Teaching Statement

Step 1

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

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sit and think Step 1sit and think

Just a thought by gintoxin78 on flickr (CC)

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

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Which of these do you feel is your primary role as an educator?A) Teaching students facts and principles of

the subjectB) Helping students develop basic learning

skillsC) Helping students develop higher-order

thinking skillsD) Preparing students for jobs/careersE) Being a role model for students

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

Teaching Goals Inventory (Excerpt)© 1993 Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross.

tinyurl.com/TeachingGoalsInventoryPlease rate the importance of each of the […] goals listed below to the specific course you have selected. Assess each goal's importance to what you deliberately aim to have your students accomplish, rather than the goal's general worthiness or overall importance to your institution's mission. There are no “right” or “wrong” answers; only personally more or less accurate ones. Indicate whether each goal you rate is:

(1) not applicable – a goal you never try to achieve

(2) unimportant – a goal you rarely try to achieve

(3) important – a goal you sometimes try to achieve

(4) very important – a goal you often try to achieve

(5) essential – a goal you always/nearly always try to achieve

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Goal

17. Improve mathematical skills

18. Learn terms and facts of this subject

19. Learn concepts and theories in this subject

20. Develop skill in using materials, tools, and/or technology central to this subject

21. Learn to understand perspectives and values of this subject

22. Prepare for transfer or graduate study

23. Learn techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge in this subject

24. Learn to evaluate methods and materials in this subject

25. Learn to appreciate important contributions to this subject

26. Develop an appreciation of the liberal arts and sciences

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General Guidelines

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Make your Teaching Statement brief and well written. While Teaching Statements are probably longer at the tenure level (i.e. 3-5 pages or more), for hiring purposes they are typically 1-2 pages in length.

Use narrative, first-person approach. This allows the Teaching Statement to be both personal and reflective.

Be sincere and unique. Avoid clichés, especially ones about how much passion you have for teaching.

cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/reflecting/teaching-statements/

General Guidelines

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

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Make it specific rather than abstract. Ground your ideas in 1-2 concrete examples, whether experienced or anticipated. This will help the reader to better visualize you in the classroom.

Be discipline specific. Do not ignore your research. Explain how you advance your field through teaching.

Avoid jargon and technical terms, as they can be off-putting to some readers.

cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/reflecting/teaching-statements/

General Guidelines

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

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Try not to simply repeat what is in your CV. Teaching Statements are not exhaustive documents and should be used to complement other materials for the hiring or tenure processes.

Be humble. Mention students in an enthusiastic, not condescending way, and illustrate your willingness to learn from your students and colleagues.

Revise. Teaching is an evolving, reflective process, and Teaching Statements can be adapted and changed as necessary.

cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/reflecting/teaching-statements/

General Guidelines

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

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Customize for the Department you’re applying to:

“I would be excited to teach introductory courses like your MATH 10A and MATH 20B.”

“With my research background, I would be able to teach graduate-level courses in European history like HIST 554.”

Remove UCSD-specific acronyms like UCSD, CAPE, SIO, SE, MAE, CSE,…

General Guidelines

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Formatting: do everything you can to make it easy for the hiring committee members to read your doc: Put a header on each page with your

name, so that the reader can easily associate your awesome words with your name

full justification gives your doc a polished look

check your PDF very carefully for .docx to .pdf conversion problems (esp. with bullet points)

KEY Guideline:

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You need a kick a** opening paragraph! What distinguishes you from everyone else

applying? Why will the hiring committee remember

your teaching statement? Give them something to remember you by!

Imagine the hiring committee only reads the 1st paragraph carefully and skims the rest. Hit ‘em with your best stuff right away – don’t save it for the concluding paragraph.

It’s okay to spend extra (way too much) time on the 1st paragraph – it could get you (or cost you) the job

Five major components (Chism, 1998)

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1. Conceptualization of learningHow do people learn?

2. Conceptualization of teachingHow do I facilitate that learning?

3. Goals for studentsContent and skills

4. Implementation of philosophyWhat do I do in the classroom? Does it

work?

5. Professional growth planHow have I grown, and how will I grow in

the future?

www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpts

Write, rubric, revise, rubric, revise…24

Goals for student learning

Enactment of goals (teaching method)

Assessment of goals (measuring student learning)

Creating an inclusive learning environment

Structure, rhetoric and language

ExcellentNeedsWork Weak

www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpts

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement

You’ve drafted it. Now what?

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1. Get someone you trust in your discipline to read it.

Their familiarity with the subject may catch errors specific to your field (eg, field work in geophysics)

2. Get someone you trust NOT in your discipline to read it.

When they ask you what something means, it forces you to think carefully and concisely about the concept.

People beyond the hiring-Department (eg, Faculty Dean) may read it

Resources26

Center for Research on Learning and TeachingUniversity of Michiganhttp://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpts

Center for TeachingVanderbilt Universitycft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/reflecting/teaching-statements/

McGraw Center for Teaching and LearningPrinceton Universitywww.princeton.edu/mcgraw/library/for-grad-students/teaching-statement

Center for the Advancement of TeachingOhio State Universityucat.osu.edu/teaching_portfolio/philosophy/philosophy2.html

Center for Teaching DevelopmentUniversity of California, San Diegoctd.ucsd.edu

Writing a Successful Teaching Statement