Developing a Teaching Portfolio

Teaching - Learning and Research Collaboration Week

Nomakhaya Mashiyi

Faculty Teaching Learning Specialist22 May 2015

Presentation Outline

• Purpose of a teaching portfolio

• Writing a teaching philosophy statement

• Components of a teaching portfolio

• UWC requirements for developing a Teaching Portfolio, S-Plan

• Selecting evidence for inclusion in your teaching portfolio

What is a Teaching Portfolio?

“ a description of a professor’s major strengths and teaching achievements. It describes documents and materials which collectively suggest the scope and quality of a professor’s teaching performance” (Seldin 1997:2).

‘an organised collection of evidence of a teacher’s best work that is selective, reflective and collaborative” (Gelfer, Xu & Perkins, 2004 :128)

Cont…

• A reflective document which:

highlights what you have currently achieved, reflects on your own teaching, areas of further growth, - shows how you have been able to establish a context that encourages good teaching.

Cont…

A reflective activity that helps clarify your goals, underscores your development as an educator, highlights areas for further growth, showcases your best work, vision and sense of yourself .

(www.cmu.edu/teaching).

Guiding Principles

• Audience and Content• Purpose & Style of writing • Context (institutional, profession, discipline, students,

and how these impact upon your teaching);• Institutional requirements e.g. UWC Guide for

Teaching Portfolio Development, • Integrity and creativity• Less is more

Purposes of Teaching Portfolios

- Probationary purposes;

- Self-reflection and summative assessment of your teaching performance;

- Accreditation;

- Personal promotion (mastery, marketing tool?);

- T-L Awards; (demonstrate excellence)

- Programme and institutional reviews

Components of a Teaching Portfolio

• Reflective / Teaching Philosophy Statement (1-2 pgs, frames the whole portfolio)

• Statement of Teaching Responsibilities• Supporting Documents (provide evidence

for the claims in the philosophy statement)• Statement of teaching goals for the future

(contains ideas for future action)

(Eberly Centre for Teaching Excellence)

Cont…

• Autobiography, reflective journal extract

• Select items for the portfolio/ evidence

• Prepare statements on each item

• Arrange the items in order

• Compile the support data

• Revise and share data with others

• Incorporate the portfolio into your CV (AEC)

What is a Teaching Philosophy Statement?

• ‘This statement of reflection is a philosophical framework of your personal approach to teaching, rationale behind what guides your practice i.e. what impacts on you as an educator and how it influences your teaching….’ (O. Farrell…1999)

What Should a Teaching Portfolio Statement Achieve?

• Provide evidence of your sincerely-held beliefs

• Codify your thinking at a particular time.

• Examine your teaching practices

• Monitor your development as a teacher (Farrell 1999 pg. 1).

Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement

- Conceptualisation of teaching, learning, goals for students, implementation of the teaching philosophy, professional growth plan (Schism 1998);

- Integration of responsibilities, expertise, professional relationships, creating a supportive learning environment, methods, strategies and innovations, outcomes (Goodyear & Allchin 1998)

Cont…

• Why do you teach?

• Why do you teach your specific subject?

• What are your goals as a teacher?

• What do you want your students to learn from your classes?

• Which approaches to learning do you encourage and why?

Cont…

• How do you address diversity in the classroom?

• What particular challenges do your students face?

• How do you use technology in your teaching?

Cont…

•List relevant references from the literature;

•Cross reference any statements you make with documentary evidence and literature citations

Activity

• Draft and revise your teaching philosophy statement.

• Develop criteria for evaluating teaching philosophy statements.

• Evaluate exemplars of teaching philosophy statements using the criteria you have developed.

 1st

 5th

 

9th 2nd

 

 

3rd

7th 

 

4th

6th

 

8th

Image from: http://graphicriver.net/item/double-helix-dna-strand/65979

Your students- who are they and what are their learning needs?

What is your teaching philosophy? What informs it ?

Curriculum design and development

Assessment - how do you know that your planned learning goals for students are being met?

Contribution and participation in institutional T&L activities

Scholarship - what scholarly works have informed your teaching?

Professionalization - teaching & learning workshops presented or attended.

Infusion of technologies

Evaluation of teaching & learning

UWC REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPILING A TEACHING PORTFOLIO

Choosing Items for the Portfolio

• Material from oneself;

• Material from others (collaborative POT);

• The products of good teaching (student publications & conference presentations);

Self –evaluation of teaching-related activities;

Journal editing/ reviewing articles

Examples of graded essays (Seldin, 1993)

Activity

• Portfolios MUST be evidence-based. What evidence would you provide in your Teaching Portfolio, and why?

• Refer to the questions in the document entitled ‘ Teaching Portfolio at UWC’.

Activity

• Portfolios MUST be evidence-based. What evidence would you provide in your Teaching Portfolio, and why?

• Refer to the questions in the document entitled ‘ Teaching Portfolio at UWC’. HODs, SL, etc. to work together in groups.

Use the Portfolio to Improve Teaching

• Faculty /department members reflect on their own classroom practices and how to improve it;

• Collaboration and mentorship >>Community of Practice

• Promote a vibrant culture of teaching-learning

References

• Gelfer, Xu, and Perkins, 2004

• Goodyear & Alchin (1998)

• Schism (1998)

• Seldin, Peter (1997)

• O. Farrel, (1999)