As I was posting our materials at the end of our last meeting, I managed to kick one of the many cables around the computer which then disconnected the computer (and thus lost our collaborative brainstorming). I’ve been putting together again as much of our list as I could remember over the last week and please do feel free to jump in and edit this post to include additional items, or to edit those already here.
Purposes:
- create a narrative of an individual’s teaching and students’ learning
- record and explain teaching innovation, curriculum development, contributions to disciplinary, program and institutional mission
- to accompany a job application (highlights)
- to make a promotion and/or tenure case
Potential Contents (depending on purpose/audience)
- Table of Contents
- Executive summary of portfolio as a whole (on the basis of the “tell them what you are going to tell them” theory)
- Overarching narrative, reflective and analytical, explaining the evidence in the portfolio
- Teaching philosophy
- Curriculum vitae
- Syllabi
- Sample Assignments
- Learning materials (could include also web sites, online repositories of learning materials created, etc.)
- Examples of student work (perhaps with narrative to help readers understand the significance of such work)
- Development/revisions of courses/learning communities, with explanations of why, how and success of development or revision
- Collaborative teaching/curriculum development
- Publications on teaching and learning
- Awards, plaudits, prizes related to teaching, nominations for awards, etc.
- Relevant prizes, awards, etc. awarded to students who have studied in your learning communities/classes
- Grants related to teaching, curriculum development, student learning
- Mentorship of students (undergraduate research assistants, independent studies supervised, etc.)
- Institutional student evaluations (no data dumps – provide guidance and highlights of numbers)
- Samples of, and comments from, individual teacher designed evaluations (mid-semester. end-of-semester) Example from Center for Teaching Excellence (others via e-mail)
- Unsolicitied e-mails, “thanks yous” etc. from students
- Peer observations of classes/learning communities (a series of these over time is very helpful)
- Letters of recognition from peers, collaborators, departmental/program heads, etc. for teaching and learning
- Service related to teaching and learning, such as committee work within program or institution
- Future directions/aspirations