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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
Writing a Successful Teaching Statement
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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
9
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
Writing a Successful Teaching Statement
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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
Writing a Successful Teaching Statement
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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?
Writing a Successful Teaching Statement
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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