Recommended Teaching Portfolio Contents

Below is a brief list of the many types of information that might be included or summarized in your teaching portfolio. Note: Lengthy items should be placed in an accompanying appendix and described only briefly in the main document. The items in BOLD are considered essential contents.

Context, Responsibilities, and Goals

· A statement describing your teaching roles and responsibilities

· A reflective statement of teaching goals and approaches (i.e., a teaching philosophy)

· Information from discipline or college/program regarding teaching approach

· A description of the context into which your courses fit (e.g., general education core course required of all students, upper-level course for majors only, etc.)

· A list of courses taught, with enrollments and comments regarding whether the course is new, team-taught, etc.

· Number of graduate and undergraduate advisees

Representative Course Materials

· Syllabi with details of content, objectives, methods, and procedures for evaluating student learning

· Reading lists

· Descriptions and examples of instructional materials used

· Descriptions of uses of computers and other technology in teaching

Evaluations of Teaching

· Summarized student evaluations of teaching, including response rate and relationship to the departmental average

· Formative course evaluations (e.g., mid-semester).

· Results from written formative comments from students (e.g., Minute Papers).

· Videotapes of teaching

· Results of student exit interviews

· Comments from a peer observer or a colleague teaching the same course

· Statements from colleagues in the department or elsewhere, regarding the preparation of students for advanced work

· Letters from students, preferably unsolicited

· Letter from division head or chairperson

· Letter from an external reviewer who has seen other elements of your documentation

Materials Showing the Extent of Student Learning

· Scores on standardized or other tests, before and after instruction

· Students' lab books or other workbooks

· Students' papers, essays, or creative works

· Graded work from the best and poorest students

· Examples of your written feedback on student work

Activities to Improve Instruction

· Reflections on what was learned from teaching/learning analysis

· Development of goals for future teaching/learning

· Description of instructional improvement projects developed or carried out

· Participation in seminars or professional meetings about teaching

· Design of new courses

· Design of interdisciplinary or collaborative courses or teaching projects

· Use of new methods of teaching, assessing learning, grading

· Preparation of a textbook, lab manual, courseware, etc.

Honors or Recognitions

· Teaching awards from department, college, or university

· Teaching awards from your profession

· Invitations based on teaching reputation to consult, give workshops, write articles, etc.

· Requests for advice about teaching by committees or other organized groups

Contributions to Your Institution or Profession’s Teaching Mission

· Service on teaching committees

· Development of student apprentice/internship programs

· Assistance to colleagues on teaching matters

· Reviews of forthcoming textbooks

· Work on curriculum revision or development

· Obtaining funds/equipment for teaching labs, programs

· Participation in training programs for teaching assistants

Modified from Seldin, P. (1999). Changing practices in evaluating teaching : a practical guide to improved faculty performance and promotion/tenure decisions. Bolton, Mass.: Anker Publishing.