Writing an effective statement of teaching philosophy

Transcription

1 Writing an effective statement of teaching philosophy May 12, 2015 Megan Mittelstadt, PhD Lecturer of Genetics Landry Cancer Biology Curriculum Fellow

2 Outline 1. Teaching philosophy basics 2. Getting started 3. Constructing the statement of teaching philosophy 4. Expert tips

3 What is the purpose of a statement of teaching philosophy? Introduce yourself, as a teacher, to your reader (future colleagues) Demonstrate that you are reflective about your teaching In addition to formal teaching, what else could be applied? Communicate your goals and actions A personal assessment to be used in your professional growth Is your teaching congruent with your beliefs? Lstringfellow.com An exercise in concisely gathering together your beliefs about teaching and learning so that you can easily articulate them to students, peers, search committees

4 What does a statement of teaching philosophy look like? Unless otherwise requested: one page, single spaced, 12 pt font, one inch margins. Place a header on each page with your name Use a narrative, first-person writing voice Use a confident, professional tone (don t qualify every statement) Be sincere and unique but not overly emotional. Avoid clichés. Evolllution.com Use terminology but always explain it Do NOT simply restate your CV

5 What should it communicate? 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 interest in new techniques, activities, and types of learning Adapted from Chism 1998

6 II. Getting started Evolllution.com

7 General protocol for writing a statement of teaching philosophy 1. Begin by generating ideas for your teaching philosophy based on your attitudes, values, and beliefs about teaching and learning. Reflect on your teaching style / Determine your teaching values Evolllution.com

8 Teaching style What you do in the classroom and how you do it.

9 A. Reflect on your teaching style What are your likes/dislikes in the classroom? Pixshark.com Consider this in terms of an ideal as well as a typical student s knowledge & behavior.

10 B. Determine the teaching goals that you value Angelo and Cross, 1993: Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers Please rate the importance of each of the [ ] goals listed 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. 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) Develop analytical skills (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Develop problem solving skills (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Develop ability to draw reasonable inferences from observations (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Develop ability to synthesize and integrate information and ideas (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Learn terms and facts of this subject (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Learn concepts and theories of this subject (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Develop skill in using materials, tools, and/or technology central to this subject (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Learn techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge in this subject (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Learn to evaluate methods and materials in this subject (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Learn to appreciate important contributions to this subject (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Improve writing skills (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Develop study skills, strategies, and habits (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Develop a capacity to think for oneself

11 B. Determine your teaching style For part B, consider these two questions in the context of a particular class/audience. What are your goals in the classroom? What skills should students obtain as the result of your teaching?

12 B. Determine your teaching style What are your methods in the classroom? What methods will you consider to reach the goals mentioned above? Mention specific strategies you would use such as case studies, group work, simulations, interactive lectures, etc.

13 Teaching values Upon what core values are our teaching goals and methods based?

14 C. Determine your teaching values (Think about what happens in a successful learning situation) How would you describe yourself as a teacher? What is your role as a teacher - are you a coach, a drill sergeant, a guide, an evangelist, a choreographer, an entertainer? How would an observer see you interact with students?

15 III. Constructing the statement of teaching philosophy Evolllution.com

16 General protocol for writing a statement of teaching philosophy 1. Begin by generating ideas for your teaching philosophy based on your attitudes, values, and beliefs about teaching and learning. Reflect on your teaching style, then determine your teaching values. 2. Organize your ideas and create a working draft. Be sure you ve illustrated your personal beliefs with specific examples of classroom practice. Evolllution.com

17 Identify specific and unique practical examples In a teaching philosophy, you should ground your ideas in 1-2 concrete examples, whether experienced or anticipated. Peterpappas.com How are these values and beliefs realized in classroom activities (ie, course materials, lesson plans, assignments, assessment instruments, etc)?

18 General protocol for writing a statement of teaching philosophy 1. Begin by generating ideas for your teaching philosophy based on your attitudes, values, and beliefs about teaching and learning. Reflect on your teaching style, then determine your teaching values. 2. Organize your ideas and create a working draft. Be sure you ve illustrated your personal beliefs with specific examples of classroom practice. 3. Assess your first draft by comparing it to a rubric. Teaching philosophy rubrics (U Minnesota)

19 General protocol for writing a statement of teaching philosophy 1. Begin by generating ideas for your teaching philosophy based on your attitudes, values, and beliefs about teaching and learning. Reflect on your teaching style, then determine your teaching values. 2. Organize your ideas and create a working draft. Be sure you ve illustrated your personal beliefs with specific examples of classroom practice. 3. Assess your first draft by comparing it to a rubric. 4. Rework your draft in subsequent revisions Proofread: by a trusted colleague within your discipline, by another trusted colleague NOT within your discipline

20 IV. Expert tips Taking your philosophy from good to great

21 Your statement should be... evidence based. Don t tell a story; instead, make statements supported by evidence. Describe a course, a specific teaching strategy you used and why, what the outcomes were, and the feedback from students that was illuminating. Evolllution.com

22 Your statement should be... evidence based. Don t tell a story; instead, make statements supported by evidence. Describe a course, a specific teaching strategy you used and why, what the outcomes were, and the feedback from students that was illuminating. An example of what NOT to do: I always like to use multi-media materials in the classroom. I first discovered the value of these when I taught Introductory Biochemistry at Framingham State University last spring. In that class I had the opportunity to use a wide range of videos and online materials. Students told me that they really loved these, and I came to feel that these are excellent methods for promoting inclass discussions. I plan to use them in future classes as well.

23 Your statement should be... distinctive and memorable. Do you encourage small group discussion, care passionately about teaching and learning, and strive to educate students for the 21 st century? So do the other 199 applicants.

24 Your statement should be... distinctive and memorable. Do you encourage small group discussion, care passionately about teaching and learning, and strive to educate students for the 21 st century? Instead: So do the other 199 applicants. I assigned emerging nanotechnology strategies in cancer and students shared their findings in a student symposium during the last week of the semester.

25 Your statement should be... consistent with your scholarly personality. The same commitment that propels your research/scholarly pursuits should also inspire your teaching. Demonstrate that you are self-directed, resourceful, innovative and original - just as you would be in your research/writing. Evolllution.com

26 Your statement should be... consistent with your scholarly personality. The same commitment that propels your research/scholarly pursuits should also inspire your teaching. Demonstrate that you are self-directed, resourceful, innovative and original - just as you would be in your research/writing. Examples: Individual performed research in the field of medical bioinformatics. Individual states how they designed an R-based assignment for software-naïve students to model linkage disequilibrium in a genetics and genomics course.

27 Your statement should be... consistent with your scholarly personality. The same commitment that propels your research/scholarly pursuits should also inspire your teaching. Demonstrate that you are self-directed, resourceful, innovative and original - just as you would be in your research/writing. Examples: Individual performed research in the field of medical bioinformatics. Individual states how they designed an R-based assignment for software-naïve students to model linkage disequilibrium in a genetics and genomics course. Individual is dedicated to multidisciplinary infectious disease research. Individual expresses how this value is translated to their students by providing examples from a course where students and faculty are from Epidemiology, Genetics, Ecology, Pathology, Microbiology, Virology, and Veterinary departments.

28 Your statement should be... tailored to the job/institution. You very well may have several separate statements of teaching philosophy for various contexts. Identify key words and statements in the job description and the school s mission statement to identify their teaching culture. Is it a SLAC or a R01? Will you describe teaching methods that work best in small, intimate classes or for lecture courses of over 300 students? Other educational contexts: HBCU/Hispanic serving institutions, religious-affiliated colleges, single sex schools, trade/technical schools,

29 If at all possible, your statement should enable the reader to imagine you in the classroom, teaching. You want to include sufficient information for picturing not only you in the process of teaching, but also your class in the process of learning. Helen G. Grundman, Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement Peterpappas.com Questions?

30 Resources (rubrics are from here) Chism N. V. N. Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement Essays on Teaching Excellence 9 (3), 1-2. Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education Coppola, B. Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy The Journal of College Science Teaching 31 (7) Haugen, L. Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement Center for Teaching Effectiveness. Iowa State University. Accessed at: Montell, G. How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy The Chronicle of Higher Education. March