Q: Where in the world
will I find the time? A: Ten minutes of written reflection on teaching after each class
would be a good place to start. You might also start a teaching log and
videotape a class.
Q: I didn't document
my teaching early in my career. Now I want to start a teaching portfolio,
how can I make up for this lack of documentation? A: Don't worry too much about this one. You can focus on recent
semesters or even one the development of one particular course. Also,
there more be more materials available to you than you realize. Many departments
keep final evaluations on file and will make copies available to you.
It would also be good simply to reflect on how you believe your teaching
has changed over time. If you have a syllabus from a while back or some
sample paper topics, you can use those to reflect on how you would revise
them if you were to teach the same course again and why.
Q: Do I really have
a teaching philosophy? A: Yes, you do. Participating in reflective activities will enable
you to articulate the themes that underpin your teaching. It is like discovering
your 'pedagogical unconscious'; that is to say, the driving text of teaching
and learning in your classroom.
Q: What parts of
a teaching portfolio should a GSI seeking academic appointments emphasize? A: All aspects of the portfolio are important and a lot depends
on your individual teaching style. However, you might want to begin with
a statement of teaching philosophy and a section in which you discuss
a course you have or would like to develop. Even if you do not send these
items in with your application, they are often topics of discussion in
a job interview.
Q: How honest should
I be about failures in my teaching? A: Try to show how you worked productively to make something that
you initially considered to be a failure into a learning opportunity.
Show how you have made changes based on the situation that positively
impacted teaching and learning.
Q: How much of the
actual student products go into the narrative section? A: A teaching portfolio is a representative sampling of your teaching.
A few documents carefully selected for the appendices and elaborated in
the narrative will suffice.
Q: I have never taught
or had an opportunity to design a course. How can I include course syllabi
etc. in my portfolio? A: Even if you have not yet designed a course, you will probably
be asked to design one later. You could therefore include a discussion
of a course you would like to design and teach, explaining the texts you
would use for the course and the rationale for the choices; the goals
and objectives of the course both in terms of content and learning skills;
the teaching methods you would use etc. You could also include a section
on how you conduct discussion sections. What does the term 'discussion'
mean to you? How have your teaching methods and approaches developed over
time?
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