Teaching Documentation Program

Teaching

Documentation

Program

otl.wayne.edu

“There is, in fact, no teaching without learning. One requires the other.” - Paulo Freire

etter from the Office for Teaching &

Learning

Dear graduate students and instructors:

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA), postdoctoral fellows and Part-Time Faculty (PTF)

provide essential contributions to the excellence of our undergraduate education at Wayne

State University (WSU). These contributions can be seen through such endeavors as

teaching, instructing labs, acting as discussion leaders and graders, and tutoring. In addition,

many graduate students and post docs have found that these teaching-related experiences can

be significantly related to the development of discipline-based expertise and content

presentation skills. In an effort to recognize the substantial commitment you make to your

teaching, The Office for Teaching and Learning (OTL) has developed the WSU Teaching

Documentation Program (TDP).

The Teaching Documentation Program offers you a self-paced program in which you can

organize, reflect upon, and document your teaching development efforts while here at the

university. The exercises in the TDP will offer you some immediate support related to your

success in your current responsibilities. Additionally, the outcomes of the TDP are designed

to support your future teaching related career goals.

On a final note, we offer our appreciation to the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School

and graduate students of the OTL for their support of the development of this program. Our

appreciation, and acknowledgement, also extends to the Center for Teaching and Faculty

Development (CTFD) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Center for

Teaching Excellence at Carnegie Mellon University for their generosity in allowing us to

adapt their materials.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Mathew L. Ouellett,

Associate Provost and Director,

Office for Teaching and Learning

Kevin B. Miles,

Graduate Student Assistant,

Office for Teaching and Learning

able of Contents

Teaching Documentation Program .........................................................................1

Introduction ...............................................................................................................1

TDP Requirements ....................................................................................................1

TDP Outcome ...........................................................................................................2

Making Progress .......................................................................................................2

How to Document Activities .....................................................................................3

Planning your TDP Progress .....................................................................................4

Teaching Activity One: Pedagogy ..........................................................................................6

Goals .........................................................................................................................6

Discipline-Based Perspectives on Teaching .............................................................6

Interdisciplinary-Based Perspectives on Teaching. ..................................................6

Other Options ............................................................................................................6

Outcome ....................................................................................................................7

Philosophy of Teaching Statement............................................................................8

Checklist: Activity One - Theory of Teaching ........................................................10

Teaching Activity Two: Linking Teaching and Learning .................................................11

Goals .......................................................................................................................11

Formative Feedback on Teaching ...........................................................................11

Summative Feedback on Teaching .........................................................................13

Outcome ..................................................................................................................14

Checklist: Activity Two – Teaching Assessment ...................................................15

Teaching Activity Three: Development of Specific Teaching Materials ..........................16

Goals .......................................................................................................................16

Reflection on Teaching Development Activities ....................................................16

Notes and Options ...................................................................................................18

Outcome ..................................................................................................................18

Checklist: Activity Three – Development of Teaching Improvement Practices ....20

Teaching Activity Four: Addressing Diversity in Higher Education ................................21

Goals .......................................................................................................................21

Reflections on Diversity in Higher Education ........................................................21

Importance of a Diversity Statement for Teaching Portfolio ..................................22

Outcome ..................................................................................................................23

Checklist: Activity Four – Addressing Diversity in Higher Education ..................24

Completion of the Teaching Documentation Program.......................................................25

Congratulations! ......................................................................................................25

Next… .....................................................................................................................25

Teaching Development Resources ........................................................................................26

eaching Documentation Program

INTRODUCTION

Wayne State University has a long-standing commitment to innovation and

excellence in undergraduate education. In recent years the United States has become

increasingly invested in the ability of its colleges and universities to provide a high

quality and accessible undergraduate education to a wide variety of students, as

evident by the release of the “Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional

College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics” report to President Obama, by the President’s Council of Advisers on

Science and Technology (PCAST, 2012). The ability to teach well, in turn, has

become a particularly sought-after skill and is, in addition to research skills, an

increasingly valued factor in how faculty members are both hired and evaluated. For

example, many search committees now request that candidates discuss teaching

strategies and philosophies as well as research interests during job interviews. Some

have also begun to request a statement of teaching philosophy, sample course

materials, or a teaching demonstration as part of the application process. For junior

and senior faculty members alike, a portfolio that documents teaching development

and provides evidence of teaching effectiveness is frequently used as an important

factor for reaching appointment, tenure, and promotion decisions.

The Teaching Documentation Program (TDP), offered through the Office for

Teaching and Learning (OTL), will contribute to enhancing the excellence in

undergraduate education at Wayne State University, as well as strengthen the overall

breadth of graduate student education. The TDP not only helps prepare graduate

students to teach better now and in the future, it also offers formalized documentation

of an individual’s teaching development efforts and provides WSU graduates a

competitive advantage in future career goals. This document is written with a focus

on graduate students, however we also encourage the participation of postdoctoral

fellows, lecturers, and part-time faculty in the TDP as a means of support for their

future teaching-related career goals.

As a part of their graduate education, most students will work hard at developing a

record of accomplishments related to their academic interests and career goals. Often,

this includes evidence of research, conference papers, and other discipline-related

professional activities. With similar attention, the TDP creates just such a record

related to the graduate student’s strengths and experiences as a teacher.

TDP REQUIREMENTS

In order to complete the TDP, each participant must satisfy requirements in four

areas: theory, assessment, teaching improvement practices, and diversity in higher

education. The TDP is designed to be a self-paced, flexible program that can be

completed over the course of your graduate studies. Each component of the program

emphasizes learning via active participation, developmental feedback, and critical

self-reflection. Briefly, the requirements include:

1. Theory—Participate in a discipline-based or interdisciplinary one-credit seminar or

completing 14 hours of an equivalent, structured discussion on the theory of teaching.

The goal of this experience is to provide an introduction to relevant theory and

practices for core teaching activities. At conclusion, write a philosophy of teaching

statement (see description under “Teaching Activity One”).

2. Assessment—Receive and discuss individualized feedback about your teaching

strengths and areas for growth. This can be accomplished through student feedback,

peer or faculty feedback, or a consultation with an OTL staff member. The goal of

this experience is to gather developmental feedback on how you can best apply your

teaching philosophy and skills to positively impact student learning. At conclusion,

write a brief, reflective report describing your assessment process (see description

under “Teaching Activity Two”).

3. Discipline Specific Teaching Practices—Identify discipline-based teaching resources

and develop and/or collect materials that reflect your individual teaching goals. This

requirement also helps participants to document teaching development efforts.

Complete two self-selected activities and write brief reports on each (see description

under “Teaching Activity Three”).

4. Addressing Diversity in Higher Education – Review the increasing role of diversity

in higher education, and reflect on how you would approach and adjust your teaching

for a diverse student body. This requirement will help you write a Diversity Statement

to include in your Teaching Portfolio.

TDP OUTCOME

At the conclusion of the TDP, participants will receive a formal letter of

documentation from the OTL that inventories and describes your teaching

development efforts. You will also have an organized collection of materials that

documents these efforts. These materials will be useful when seeking a position with

teaching responsibilities, preparing a formal teaching portfolio, and/or articulating

future teaching development goals.

MAKING PROGRESS

 Get started. While there is no required progression within the requirements, it does

make sense to begin some components before others. We suggest that starting with

grounding the theory and research on pedagogy is useful for creating a framework

upon which to build the rest of your efforts. Furthermore, we also suggest you begin

the process of making an Individual Development Plan (IDP), and discussing your

plans with your adviser. An IDP can help you guide your studies and extracurricular

activities to better focus on your post-graduate school goals.

 Begin early and stay in touch. The staff at the OTL is dedicated to helping you

succeed with the program. We welcome the opportunity to consult with you about

your progress, to answer questions, and to offer suggestions or feedback on your

work-in-progress. The OTL also hosts pedagogy-centered workshops every semester,

for instructors and Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) looking to learn new

methods of improving student learning, that they can apply to their classrooms

immediately.

 Plan ahead. Many pedagogy courses, including the OTL’s, are only offered annually.

You can use the table on the next page to sketch out a logical schedule for fitting the

TDP requirements into your graduate program.

 Keep records. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to provide the OTL with

appropriate documentation of completed activities. Progress record forms are located

at the end of each section of the handbook to help you maintain your own records.

 Be flexible. The TDP is designed to offer some individual flexibility in fulfilling the

requirements. If you have an idea about how to tailor an activity to better address

your teaching development goals or discipline-based interests, please contact the

associate director or director of the OTL to discuss it.

HOW TO DOCUMENT ACTIVITIES

The next four sections describe the four key areas of the TDP. These sections offer

guidelines and activities for the TDP assignments and explain how to document your

completion of the program. Information on additional resources related to each of

these four activities is available by request through the OTL by calling (313) 577-

0001 or through the OTL website otl.wayne.edu. Please contact the associate director

or the director of the OTL for more information. The OTL is available to answer any

questions you may have and can provide you with support in completing the TDP.

lan Your TDP Progress

Name ________________________________________________________________

Access ID: _____________ School/College: _____________________________

Department ___________________________________________________________

Date of Initial Consultation: ______________________________________________

 Doctoral Candidate  Postdoctoral Fellow

Anticipated date of graduation: ___________________________________________

Please describe your key goals for participating in this program:

(For example, is there a specific goal you hope to achieve related to gaining new

knowledge, learning new skills, or developing teaching-related materials?)

Sketch Out Your Schedule

Where are you in your graduate career? What do the next few years look like? (Consider

coursework, exams, thesis writing, teaching and other possible assistantships.) Where

might you fit in the TDP requirements?

Tentative Schedule for completion of the TDP:

Fall 20____

Winter 20____

Sp/Summer 20____

Teaching Activity One:

Pedagogy

GOALS

An introduction to current research on how learning takes place provides instructors

with a wealth of information, including strategies and tools related to pedagogy. An

overview of such theory may also help you to adopt specific new skills, practices, and

methods that have been identified as contributing positively to an excellent teaching

and learning environment. Such theory can also train you to better link specific

teaching strategies with a discipline or learning objectives. The Teaching

Documentation Program requires that participants in the program document a

minimum of 14 hours of participation in activities that address teaching theory. This

requirement can be met by taking a credit-based teaching development course in

either a discipline-specific or an interdisciplinary context, or an alternative experience

agreed upon by the OTL, such as a disciplinary teaching-related intensive workshop.

DISCIPLINE-BASED PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHING

Efforts to enhance the quality of teaching in discipline-specific arenas are

increasingly visible, both nationally and locally. Today there are opportunities at

nearly every major discipline-specific conference to discuss teaching strategies and

skills with peers. Interested students should reach out to the Chairs of their

departments to learn more.

INTERDISCIPLINARY-BASED PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHING

Some participants in the TDP may prefer to participate in these kinds of opportunities

in a more interdisciplinary, campus-wide context. The annual Graduate School

Orientation for GTAs holds pedagogy training for students from all GTA-holding

departments at WSU. Additionally, the OTL occasionally offers a 1 credit seminar

through the Graduate School, Introduction to College Teaching. It provides an

introduction to the research, practices, and skills which foster teaching excellence.

OTHER OPTIONS

The theory requirement can also be fulfilled by attendance at an approved

course/program other than those offered through the OTL by providing evidence that

the course was successfully completed. For example, some departments offer their

graduate students a discipline-specific pedagogy course.

For greater flexibility, this requirement can also be fulfilled by participating in a

series of “stand alone,” non-credit workshop/seminars if they are department-based

and directly address teaching-related issues. This option requires participants to

provide the OTL with documentation of the name of the program, the length of the

program, the date and place attended, and the signature of the presenter or instructor

for each program attended. This option also requires the equivalent of one credit

hour of participation (generally regarded as fourteen hours). *If the

presenter/instructor is not available, the signature of your department chair/ program

director can be substituted. Students may also be interested in pedagogy-focused

workshops offered by the OTL, such as the STEM Journal Club. More information

can be found at otl.wayne.edu, and in the “Additional Resources” section below.

OUTCOME

At the conclusion of this portion of the TDP, participants will prepare a one to two-

page (double-spaced) philosophy of teaching statement. While there are no rules

about what a philosophy statement should contain, some general guidelines are

discussed below. The OTL also offers materials that may be useful guides in

preparing this reflective statement; you can contact the OTL for this packet once you

have completed requirements for your teaching activity one: theory of teaching.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Several helpful resources are available through the OTL and online, and these can

help you learn more about evidence-based teaching methods (EBTMs), how to write

a Philosophy of Teaching Statement, what to include in a teaching portfolio, and how

to organize these materials into a cohesive portfolio. The OTL hosts monthly

meetings of the STEM Journal Club, where graduate students interested in greater

exposure to EBTMs can come discuss recent peer-reviewed papers describing the

outcomes of implementing EBTMs, and how these students might implement EBTMs

in their future classes. More information on the STEM Journal Club can be found

here.

For a comprehensive guide that lists numerous possible components of a teaching

portfolio, see the guide provided by the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching

found here.

hilosophy of Teaching

Statement

As you continue to develop your interests and skills as a teacher, you might find the

idea of summarizing all of your goals, strategies, hopes and accomplishments in one

brief document daunting, even discouraging. However, OTL staff are here to help

this process be as seamless as possible. Developing a philosophy of teaching

statement is not only required by many interviewers as an essential part of your

application package, it is also a chance for you to fully articulate your most important

priorities as a teacher—for yourself as well as for your audience—and it is a useful

opportunity to stand out among the application pool.

In “Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement,” Nancy Van Note Chism (1998)

offers a few helpful guidelines for your composition process. (This essay is available

at the OTL, as are sample philosophy of teaching statements.) First and foremost,

there is no “standard” way to construct your statement; like a personal statement, your

philosophy of teaching will be and should be marked by its individuality. A number

of different tones and content material can be appropriate depending on your focus.

However, Chism notes that there are some basic characteristics of the genre.

 Your philosophy of teaching statement should be brief, 1-2 single-spaced

pages at the most.

 Your statement should be accessible and clear, written with a broad audience

in mind.

 Your statement should be personal (most likely written in first-person

narrative form), and it should reflect the deep thinking that you have put into

your teaching.

You may still feel overwhelmed by the task of articulating your thoughts and feelings

about teaching in such a brief format. Chism asks the following questions, which

might help you to organize your thoughts:

 How do you conceive of learning; that is, how do you think that learning is

facilitated?

 How do you conceive of teaching? How do you encourage learning to occur?

 What are your goals for students?

 How do you implement your philosophy of teaching?

 What are your future plans for growth as a teacher?

Remember, the best work that you can do to prepare your teaching philosophy is the

work that you are doing right now as a participant in the TDP. Your insights,

reflections, and commitment, will come through as you compose your philosophy of

teaching statement.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The citation for the article authored by Nancy Van Note Chism is below. This early

article provides a brief discussion on how constructing a philosophy of teaching

statement can help students develop a scholarly approach to teaching.

Chism, N. V. N. (1998). Developing a philosophy of teaching statement. Essays on

Teaching Excellence 9 (3), 1-2. Professional and Organizational Development

Network in Higher Education

Dr. Brian Coppola from the University of Michigan, has authored a paper titled

“Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy” that discusses the importance a

philosophy of teaching statement plays in a scholarly approach to teaching, and

provides guidelines for students to write their own statements. Dr. Coppola’s article is

available here.

The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown University

offers a great handbook for designing a teaching portfolio, found here. Specifically,

the handbook discusses how to build a portfolio and select materials by crafting a

narrative of how your selected materials fit into your philosophy of teaching.

A paper authored by Dr. Mathew Ouellet and titled “Your Teaching Portfolio:

Strategies for Initiating and Documenting Growth and Development” provides

substantial guidance for writing a philosophy of teaching statement and constructing

an entire teaching portfolio as well: WSU students can access his article here.

O’Neal, Meizlish, & Kaplan from The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching

at the University of Michigan authored a brief Occasional Paper titled “Writing a

Statement of Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search.” Included in the

paper is a rubric for self-evaluation of your statement. Click here to access the paper.

hecklist

ACTIVITY 1: THEORY OF TEACHING

The requirements for this activity can be fulfilled by either a one credit course

(via the OTL or your department) or by the completion of 14 hours of discipline-

based teaching-related seminars and workshops and by completing a philosophy

of teaching statement.

 Completion of a discipline-based or interdisciplinary-based pedagogy

course (1 credit minimum). Attach documentation of successful course

completion if not an OTL sponsored course.

 Complete fourteen hours of discipline-based, teaching-related workshops/

seminars.

Date: __________________________________

Signature: _______________________________

AND

 Complete a philosophy of teaching statement

Date: __________________________________

Signature:________________________________

Teaching Activity Two:

Linking Teaching & Learning

GOALS

Often, instructors think “I’m not ready for student feedback yet” or “I need more

experience before I’d feel comfortable being videotaped” or “I’m nervous to hear

what students think about the course.” However, teaching improvement is an

ongoing process, not a finite goal. By waiting to collect such feedback from students

and colleagues, you deprive yourself of valuable and accurate information on whether

your classroom behaviors support your pedagogical goals. Regularly gathering

feedback sharpens and clarifies your efforts to improve your teaching by providing

you with the perspectives of your students and other instructors.

The goal of this cluster of activities in the TDP is to learn useful formative and

summative methods of assessing your strengths and challenges as a teacher and to

experience receiving and responding to feedback from students and/or other

instructors. It is our hope that all teachers at the University will regularly seek out

feedback on their teaching and its impact on student learning. Participants in the TDP

will have access to the full range of teaching consultation services the OTL offers.

Often, graduate students’ attention is appropriately focused on mastery of the content

and establishing expertise. Being knowledgeable is an essential part of success as a

teacher, and knowing how students will successfully learn is the other side of this

coin.

FORMATIVE FEEDBACK ON TEACHING

This component of the TDP requires you to engage in a formative assessment activity

in order to learn how student feedback can contribute to a successful learning

environment. You can participate in the Mid-semester Assessment Program in which

students are asked to provide feedback on their experience in the course, have a

classroom observation by an OTL consultant using the COPUS protocol, or to be

videotaped while in the role of instructor in the classroom. In this context,

“instructor,” is broadly defined. For example, instructor can mean lab instructor,

discussion section leader, or guest lecturer, as well as instructor of record for a

course.

Mid-semester Assessment Program (MAP)

The MAP provides instructors with a unique opportunity to gather student feedback

on a selected course while the course is in progress. Feedback is gathered from

students, assessed thematically, and provided to the instructor in an individual,

confidential consultation process. A MAP allows you to gain a more thorough

understanding of how students experience your course and to make meaningful

adjustments during the semester in which the data is collected.

This process requires three meetings. In the initial meeting, you will discuss your

course and your teaching of it with the consultant. The consultant will then visit your

class to collect data. This will require that you set aside approximately 15-20 minutes

of class time. An OTL consultant will ask students to form small groups and to try to

reach consensus on what aspects of the course are working best for them and what

elements may merit attention. Finally, usually within the week, the consultant will

meet with you to discuss the results, focusing on what is going well with your

teaching and the suggestions students have that they feel would enhance their

learning. The OTL typically offers their MAP consultations in the middle of the

semester, and you can contact (313) 577-0001 or [email protected] to schedule a

MAP.

COPUS

The Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS) allows

instructors, via third party classroom observers, a chance to determine how they

spend their time in the classroom. A third party classroom observer comes to a typical

class day, takes regular notations on how you and the students spend class time (i.e.,

whether you are lecturing, leading an active in-class assignment, showing a video,

etc.) in 2-minute intervals. The data allows you and the OTL consultant to

characterize how you divide your class time between various student centered

methods of teaching over the course of a class. As an instructor, you can use this data

to determine if your class could benefit from rebalancing the distribution of lecturing,

learning activities, or other strategies. Additionally, the COPUS process allows you to

better understand how your students are spending their class time and, most

importantly, if they’re engaged in the material.

OTL consultants are trained on how to watch for different faculty and student

behaviors, and on the short-hand coding methods to make recording class/instructor

actions easier. As with MAPs, the OTL consultant typically first meets with the

instructor outside class for a brief chat to explain the process and clarify any

questions. Based on the observations detailing instructor/students’ behaviors, the

consultant constructs a graphic that summarizes how the instructors and students are

spending their time in class. Next, an OTL instructional designer meets with the

instructor to discuss the results and consider steps going forward. More information

on the COPUS can be found here. To setup training for classroom observers, or to

discuss the COPUS, please contact [email protected].

Video Recording

To see yourself teach via video offers a unique and valuable teaching improvement

exercise. Video allows you to view the class through the eyes of your students, to

study how students respond to your teaching style, and to revisit the same interactions

repeatedly, thereby enabling you to gain greater insight into the complex dynamics of

teaching and learning. The process of being videoed can be especially useful when

coupled with feedback from an experienced faculty member in your graduate

program, a senior graduate student, or a consultant from the OTL.

A video-based consultation generally requires three meetings. First, you meet to

discuss your goals and expectations of the process and to suggest any areas on which

you want specific feedback. Next is to do the actual recording of your teaching. At

your discretion, your consultant may or may not be present during the actual

recording. Finally, you schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss the video. In this

third meeting, you determine the focus of the discussion.

Increasingly, departments are offering a video recording and review of teaching

service to their graduate students. If your department offers a video recording and

review process for graduate students, you can fulfill the data-gathering portion of this

exercise via your department. You will need a letter with the date(s) and the signature

of the faculty member or senior TA who conducted the session. If the instructor is not

available, the signature of your department chair/ program director can be substituted.

Participants also have the opportunity have an OTL consultant, course design leader

at the department level, or a faculty member review and provide feedback on a

microteaching session, where you teach a short lesson in a small amount of time. For

more information, contact the OTL at [email protected]. (You will still be required to

complete the reflective statement described in the checklist of Activity Two.)

Arranging a MAP, COPUS, or video recording of your class

Contact the OTL to arrange a MAP, COPUS, or video recording. Once you contact

us, we will provide you with materials that more concretely describe the steps for

each process. We strongly suggest that you contact the OTL early in the semester, and

at least three weeks in advance of the selected class, to make sure a consultant is

available at the desired time. Also, more advanced planning may be needed toward

the middle of the semester when the demand for such feedback activities is usually

greatest.

SUMMATIVE FEEDBACK ON TEACHING

The goal of formative feedback is to determine how your students are learning (and

thus how you’re teaching) during the course, so that you can tweak and optimize your

lesson and delivery for maximum learning. As a compliment to formative feedback,

summative feedback provides data on your teaching once the course has ended.

Combining formative and summative feedback will allow you to form a more holistic

description of how your teaching affects student learning.

Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET)

The SET is administered at the end of each semester at WSU, and asks students to

provide feedback on a number of areas of teaching and learning, such as clarity of

material delivery and student interest in material covered. Interested students can

learn more about the data gathered via the SET at Testing, Evaluation and Research

Services at WSU (their website is located here). For more detailed information about

the SET, click here to watch a brief video. Additionally, instructors with SET data

can discuss how to use their SET results to improve their teaching during a

confidential, developmental consultation at the OTL (contact OTL@wayne.edu).

OUTCOME

At the conclusion of this portion of the TDP, participants will prepare a one to two-

page (double-spaced) description of the teaching assessment process. This brief

report should describe the assessment technique you chose and why you selected it,

address what you expected to learn about your teaching as a result of the exercise,

and, finally, what you learned and how this information has impacted (or will

impact) your teaching.

ADDITONAL RESOURCES

You can find a plethora of resources on the web that guide you in assessing your

teaching abilities to better construct a teaching portfolio. Specifically, Carnegie

Mellon University (CMU) provides a detailed guide to constructing your portfolio,

and specifically describes the types of resources to include to assess your teaching.

You should visit CMU’s site here, but a curated list of possible materials from

CMU’s site are below:

Materials generated by yourself:



Reflections on your own teaching or learning experiences (course

journal/log)



Participation in an association concerned with the improvement of teaching

and learning



Teaching related courses you are taking or auditing



Research on the impact of changes you made to a course



Instructional and assessment materials you have developed (Note: if you

haven't taught before, make sure you focus on this area)

Materials generated by colleagues, administrators, and organizations



Statements from colleagues or department heads



Records from OTL - MAP participation



Records of participation in seminars and workshops to improve in the

development of your teaching

When deciding on what to include in your teaching portfolio, it is important to think

back to your philosophy of teaching statement, and link the materials to this central

theme. It could be helpful to write a reflective paragraph about each piece, to help

you organize your thoughts and make a better decision about how the piece relates

to your teaching philosophy. Similarly, determine how each piece of assessment

evidence fits with your views on teaching specifically in your discipline.

hecklist

ACTIVITY 2: TEACHING ASSESSMENT

This activity can be fulfilled by either a Mid-semester Assessment (MAP) or

Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS) or by being

videoed while teaching. Each option usually requires three meetings with your

choice of either a faculty member from your department or with a consultant at the

Office for Teaching and Learning.

 MAP OR  COPUS OR  Video

 Initial meeting with consultant/faculty member to determine goals

and objectives for the class session to be video recorded/have a

MAP/COPUS conducted and to clarify the kind of feedback

requested by participant.

 Record a class you are teaching (e.g., you are the instructor, the lab

instructor, the discussion leader, etc.) or conduct the MAP or

participate in COPUS.

 A final consultation meeting to review and discuss the results of the

video recording/MAP/COPUS.

Date: __________________________________

Signature: ___________________________________

AND

 Complete a reflective statement on your teaching assessment process

(one to two pages double-spaced).

Date: __________________________________

Signature: __________________________________

Teaching Activity Three:

Development of Specific Teaching

Materials, Course Design, etc.

within your Discipline

GOALS

The goals of this third section are to prompt further critical reflection, to explore

individual teaching development interests, and to encourage you to organize and

collect discipline-specific materials that help document your teaching development

efforts and readiness. (Ideally, much of this work will also provide the foundation for

a formal teaching portfolio).

REFLECTION ON TEACHING DEVELOPMENT (ACTIVITIES)

This section requires you to choose two or more activities from the list below (or of

your own choosing) and to write brief papers (two to three pages) reflecting on each

activity. These exercises are designed to allow you to explore in greater depth

individual teaching development topics and how the decisions you make as a teacher

can enhance the learning environment for students. Be sure to select the two topics

that are most meaningful for your teaching goals at this point in time.

 Adapt or Design a syllabus for a three-credit entry-level course in your discipline that

you would like to teach. Describe its scope and learning outcome goals, explain how

the course would fit into your department’s curriculum, and identify any academic

prerequisites you would require and explain why. Finally, describe the key principles,

values, and tools you used to develop this syllabus and how you would use these to

also critically evaluate any other syllabi.

 Describe an example of a learning activity you created and explain how you used it

in a teaching experience (e.g., an exercise, a writing assignment, or a lab experiment).

Describe your learning goals for the assignment (i.e., what was it designed to teach).

Next, describe what questions, knowledge, and assumptions about teaching and

learning guided how and why you produced this material in the manner that you did

(student readiness, fit with prior learning, etc.). Next, describe how well it worked in

meeting your goals. How did the students respond to the material (did it enhance

student learning?). And, finally, describe how you might change it in the future or

why you would keep it the same. If possible, include a copy of the actual exercise or

material with your statement.

 Reflect on ways in which you do, or you would, use instructional technology in the

classroom. What is your experience in traditional, hybrid, and online teaching

environments to enhance student engagement and establish presence as an instructor

(e.g., presenting content, self-study modules, exercises, etc.)? Describe how you use

(or would use) instructional technology to enhance student learning while

maintaining an interactive, student-centered environment. Provide concrete examples

to illustrate your strategies. Finally, identify the key principles or guiding values you

use (or would use) to determine when and how the use of instructional technology is

suitable for your course content, student learning goals, and teaching style.

 Reflect on teaching inclusively. As the student and faculty population in higher

education becomes increasingly diverse, it is now common for institutions to ask

instructors to discuss and demonstrate how well suited their approach to teaching is

for meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. Prepare a statement

that offers your perspective on the skills related to creating inclusive classroom

environments. This statement should address your preparation around specific issues

(e.g., gender, race, class, sexual orientation, etc.) as well as a more general overview

of your perspective on teaching and learning in the diverse classroom. Please provide

concrete examples that demonstrate what you would do, or currently do, in the

classroom.

 Interview individuals (students, staff, or faculty) from three different student

support programs on this campus and write an introduction to student learning

issues. These programs should be related to supporting student learning and academic

success (e.g., Academic Success Center, the Student Disability Services, or the Office

of Multicultural Student Engagement). Describe the set of questions or the plan for

conversation that guided your interviews (i.e., what questions related to teaching did

you ask? What did you hope to learn about how to enhance students’ learning?).

Finally, describe what new things you learned about the students who use these

resources and then analyze how the services offered by these programs could help

you to be a better teacher.

 Critique a syllabus. Select a syllabus that you are currently using (or one you intend

to use) and describe your perspective of its strengths and weaknesses. For example,

was it handed down to you from a prior instructor, or did you construct it? Does this

syllabus reflect the scope of information necessary for students to succeed in the

course such as a “blueprint” of essential course information, your learning outcome

goals for students, and your performance expectations? What changes might you

make? Finally, describe what principles, values, and tools you used to evaluate the

syllabus.

 Visit, describe, and critically evaluate at least three web-based sources related to

college and university teaching development. These sites can be discipline-specific or

interdisciplinary. Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the contents

of each of these three websites. In general, explain what you perceive to be the

greatest benefits and drawbacks of internet-based teaching development resources

and why. Finally, identify one site that offered information most likely to improve

your teaching and explain how and why.

 Observe a class taught by a faculty member in your department and interview the

faculty member. Your paper might include reflections on the following questions:

o Why did you select this faculty member to interview/observe?

o Why did this faculty member choose teaching as a profession?

o What is the faculty member’s philosophy of teaching?

o What are/have been this faculty member’s greatest strengths in the

classroom?

o What are/have been this faculty member’s greatest challenges in the

classroom?

o What did you most like about this faculty member’s teaching?

o What areas of the faculty member’s teaching might merit improvement?

NOTES AND OPTIONS

If you have a suggestion for an activity that better suits your teaching development

interests or is more appropriate to your discipline-based teaching goals, please see the

associate director or the director of the OTL. We will be happy to work with you to

tailor the requirements of this section.

OUTCOME

At the conclusion of this section of the TDP, you will prepare two reflective writing

assignments, each of which will be two to three pages (double-spaced) in length, on

any two of the above listed teaching development topics. Attach a copy of any

collateral materials you develop related to the two activities as well.

These reflective writing assignments are an important investment in your own

continuing ability to articulate your goals, insights, triumphs and struggles as a

teacher. Consider these common interview questions:

 “What do you do well in the classroom?” How do you know it works?

 “Describe an activity that you do in class and that works particularly well.”

 “Tell us about your best and worst classroom moments.”

 “Describe a syllabus that you would like to teach for an upper level course in

your area.”

 “What do you struggle with as a teacher?”

Having reflected on your two teaching development topics and composed your

reflective writing assignments, you will have thoughtful and articulate answers to

some of these questions right at your fingertips.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

All students constructing a teaching portfolio should also fill out an Individual

Development Plan (IDP). The IDP was designed by the American Association for the

Advancement of Science (AAAS) to assist graduate students in setting goals for their

career path. Specifically, an IDP provides exercises that can help you examine how

your skills, interests and values fit with various career paths; tools for setting strategic

goals for the upcoming years of study; and articles and resources that guide you

through your career examining process. There are clear parallels between the process

of constructing a teaching portfolio, and an IDP:

 Both require you to reflect on your goals and the experiences you have

achieved in a structured process.

 Both ask you to apply the same scholarly approach to your reflection on your

current skills.

 Both help you determine what areas of your professional life require more

work and experience.

Completing an IDP can help you identify areas of improvement that can be addressed

in the teaching portfolio. To begin the IDP process, visit the site here.

hecklist

ACTIVITY 3: DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHING IMPROVEMENT

PRACTICES

This activity requires you to complete two activities designed to promote further

reflection on your teaching and students’ learning and then to write a brief (two to

three pages, double-spaced) reflective statement on each activity.

 Reflective writing assignment one:

Topic:

 Reflective writing assignment two:

Topic:

Attach a copy of any collateral materials you developed related to each of the

exercises above (e.g., a syllabus).

Date: __________________________________

Signature: ________________________________

4 Teaching Activity Four:

Addressing Diversity in Higher

Education

GOALS

The goal of this fourth section is to reflect on the increasing diversity of the higher

education landscape and to provide a platform for students to articulate their readiness

for teaching diverse students. Moreover, this section will show you what materials

you can collect and include in your teaching portfolio that demonstrate your attention

to teaching in diverse classrooms.

REFLECTIONS ON DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Diversity can refer to differences such as race, ethnicity, sex, gender, age, religion,

language, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and

more. University campuses attract students with a variety of personal experiences,

values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance.

Many university campuses across the country are becoming more diverse, or are

spearheading initiatives to increase their diversity: it is only natural for these

institutions to recruit faculty who acknowledge the increasing diversity of their

student body, and have a plan to teach to it. Luckily, WSU is one of the most diverse

campuses in the nation, and our graduates are in a perfect position to engage diverse

groups of student during their studies. WSU graduate teaching assistants have

opportunities to instruct undergraduates from multiple backgrounds, as well as

interact with many international students.

There are many types of activities that contribute to diversity and inclusivity, and

some examples include:



Service towards the removal of barriers to higher education facing women,

minorities, veterans, people with disabilities or other individuals who are

underrepresented in higher education.



Increasing the participation of historically underrepresented groups in

science, engineering, medicine, business and other fields.



Developing or using pedagogies that address different learning styles or

learning disabilities.



Research that contributes to understanding and removing barriers to higher

education, or that otherwise contribute to diversity and inclusion, to promote

cultural diversity.

IMPORTANCE OF A DIVERSITY STATEMENT FOR TEACHING

PORTFOLIO

To recruit faculty who are aware of the importance of teaching diverse classrooms,

some universities have begun to require prospective faculty submit a Contributions to

Diversity Statement during the hiring process. University of California, Davis, for

example, asks applying faculty to submit a Contributions to Diversity Statement, and

more information regarding their process can be found by clicking here. Suggested

guidelines for writing a Contributions to Diversity Statement will vary depending on

the institution, but some basic requirements are below:

Past experience:

Describe any past experiences that have increased your awareness of challenges faced

by historically underrepresented populations, or describe how your background

makes you aware of these challenges.

Past activities:

Describe activities where you interacted with students of different backgrounds, or in

a diverse setting. Activities will vary from person to person, but could include:



Mentoring students:

If you mentored undergraduate students, or anyone else

from an underrepresented group, describe the context and the personal efforts

you contributed to the mentoring. Include relevant details, such as the number

of people who may have benefitted (you are of course one of those people),

duration, and outcomes (i.e., was there an expected outcome of the mentoring?

Was it part of an official program? How was success defined?).



Serving on a Committee:

If you served on a board or committee that

promoted a climate of inclusion or diversity, describe the context. Focus on the

committee's accomplishments, and how you helped achieve them.



Research Activities:

If your research activities specifically contributed to

diversity and inclusion, describe the context of the work, and the resulting

impact on the university or community. If you mentored students from

underrepresented groups, this information belongs in the "Mentoring Students"

category above.



Community Service:

Describe the activities you've performed related to

community growth and inclusion. What was your role in the effort?

Planned activities:

For students without substantial experience working in settings exclusively to

promote inclusion and diversity, stating your planned activities for a future faculty

role is essential. As with the description of past activities in promoting inclusion and

diversity, you are welcome to include a broad range of various types of activities, so

long as you describe specifically how these activities promote diversity and inclusion.

To start the process of designing future inclusive activities, try gathering some

information on the programs and activities offered at the institution you are applying

to. Determine how you could participate in these activities, and how your

participation (and any other new ideas you bring to the table) could promote further

participation of historically underrepresented groups in higher education. For each

activity you propose, describe how you would participate and what you would like to

accomplish in the next two to five years as a faculty member. Be as specific as

possible, but also realistic in terms of your effort and time commitment.

OUTCOME

At the conclusion of this portion of the TDP, participants will prepare a one to two-

page (double-spaced) Contributions to Diversity Statement. This brief statement

should discuss experiences you have had promoting diversity and inclusion and

supporting historically underrepresented groups in your classroom. If you have

limited experiences, you can also focus on what you plan to do in the future.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

UC San Diego also provides some sample diversity statements, available here.

hecklist

ACTIVITY 4: ADDRESSING DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

This activity requires you to draft a Contributions to Diversity statement (two to three

pages, double-spaced).

 Completed Contributions to Diversity statement

Date TDP completed: __________________________

Date documentation letter sent:___________________________

ompletion of the Teaching

Documentation Program

CONGRATULATIONS!

You are at the last step of the TDP. To receive your TDP documentation letter

from the OTL, you will need to submit the assignments required for each of the four

teaching activities. These submissions must be completed to the satisfaction of the

OTL staff and include the following:

 Theory. A one to two page (double-spaced) statement of your philosophy of teaching

and appropriate documentation of the equivalent of one-credit hour of

coursework/seminars related to teaching theory. (This can be discipline-based or

interdisciplinary.)

 Assessment. A one to two page (double-spaced) reflection on your learning

experiences of assessment. This reflection is related to either a MAP or a class video.

(If accomplished outside of the auspices of the OTL, appropriate documentation of

the videotape and review session must be provided.)

 Development Practices. Two, two to three page (double-spaced) reflective writing

assignments on teaching development topics of interest to you.

 Diversity. A two to three page (double-spaced) draft of a Contributions to Diversity

statement.

NEXT…

When the materials described above have been collected, organized, and accepted as

complete by the OTL you will be given a formal letter of documentation (signed by

the director) describing your teaching development efforts.

Additionally, the materials you have developed over the course of the TDP become

an excellent foundation upon which to build a formal Teaching Portfolio. By

successfully completing the Teaching Documentation Program you now have the

primary and essential components of a teaching portfolio.

eaching Development Resources

The OTL offers teaching development resources and materials designed to

support University instructors at any level of expertise or comfort. For example, the

OTL provides print and video resources, a small lending library of teaching-related

materials, and workshops. Listed below is a selected overview of resources that may

also be of help to you.

1. Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation. The Graduate School hosts an

annual all-campus teaching orientation for new graduate teaching assistants

just before the launch of the fall semester. This event combines practice-

based workshops with frequent opportunities to interact with faculty and

graduate student peers, many of whom have been recognized as outstanding

teachers themselves.

2. Print and Video Resources. The OTL provides access to a wide variety of

teaching-related print and video materials. At the OTL, you can review

books and journals related to teaching or view the best videos available on

teaching-related topics. The OTL has a small viewing library of teaching

development videos. These are generally brief videos that emphasize

practical strategies.

3. Department-Based Workshops. In addition to regularly scheduled OTL

workshops, the OTL offers a range of workshops on teaching development

topics to department-based groups of graduate students and/or faculty, as

invited.

4. Individual Consultations with OTL staff. The OTL offers a variety of

one-on-one confidential, voluntary consultations for full and part-time

instructors, graduate teaching assistants, and post-doctoral fellows on topics

such as assessment, diversity, evidence-based learning methods, and

instructional technologies. Our individual consultations are designed to

provide opportunities to reflect on and improve teaching and learning

practices. We are available to meet in person, via phone, or virtually using

Skype or Blackboard Collaborate. Contact (313) 577-0001 or

[email protected] to schedule a consultation.

Purdy/Kresge Library

5265 Cass Ave

Detroit, MI 48202

Tel: 313-577-0001

Fax: 313-577-6777

Email: [email protected]