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 resources: http://tinyurl.com/TeachingStatementsSp13 Tuesday, May 28, 2013 11:00 am Center Hall, Room 316
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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.
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:
Writing a Successful Teaching Statement
24
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)
Writing a Successful Teaching Statement
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1. Conceptualization of learning
How do people learn?
2. Conceptualization of teaching
How do I facilitate that learning?
3. Goals for students
Content and skills
4. Implementation of philosophy
What do I do in the classroom? Does it work?
5. Professional growth plan
How have I grown, and how will I grow in the future?
www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpts
Write, rubric, revise, rubric, revise… 26
Goals for student learning
Enactment of goals (teaching method)
Assessment of goals (measuring student learning)
Creating an inclusive learning environment
Structure, rhetoric and language
Excellent
Needs
Work Weak
www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpts
Writing a Successful Teaching Statement
You’ve drafted it. Now what?
Writing a Successful Teaching Statement
27
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
Resources 28
Center for Research on Learning and Teaching University of Michigan www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpts Teaching statement samples: www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpum
Center for Teaching Vanderbilt University cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/reflecting/teaching-statements/
McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning Princeton University www.princeton.edu/mcgraw/library/for-grad-students/teaching-statement
Center for the Advancement of Teaching Ohio State University ucat.osu.edu/teaching_portfolio/philosophy/philosophy2.html
Center for Teaching Development University of California, San Diego ctd.ucsd.edu