Crafting Teaching Statements and Teaching Portfolios

Teaching statements and teaching portfolios serve a variety of purposes. Instructors are commonly asked to submit these documents at pivotal moments in their careers: for the academic job market, annual reviews, teaching awards, and during the promotions and tenure process. In addition, the process of putting together a teaching portfolio can be intrinsically valuable for instructors, stimulating continuous reflection and growth and reconnecting them to the joy and value of teaching.  

Although teaching statements and portfolios address many different audiences, and practices can vary between academic departments, following a few guidelines can help instructors communicate their values and goals, practices, and indicators of effectiveness. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore and discuss practices for documenting their teaching. University community members at any career stage or level of teaching experience are welcome to attend.

After attending the workshop, participants will be able to:

• describe the format and components of teaching statements and teaching portfolios
• structure a teaching statement around goals, methods and assessment
• identify general strategies for effectively documenting their teaching
• reflect on the story they want to tell about their teaching

Presentation Files

• Presentation
• Handout

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation for the above materials or for inquiries about accessibility, contact drakeinstitute@osu.edu.

Individual Support at Ohio State

Consultation and Feedback

• For feedback on your teaching statement or portfolio, or to discuss any aspect of your teaching, email drakeinstitute@osu.edu
• Graduate students at Ohio State can also contact career services for help with job applications beyond teaching statements and portfolios, including their resume, CV or interviewing skills: https://careers.osu.edu/students/schedule-an-appointment
• Faculty members who have questions about teaching statements for promotion and tenure are encouraged to consult their tenure initiating unit (TIU) head, chair of the P&T committee, chair of the committee of the eligible faculty, the procedures oversight designee (POD) or the Office of Faculty Affairs within the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA).

Ohio State Guidance and Policies

Graduate Associate Teaching Award (GATA)

• https://gradsch.osu.edu/current-students/graduate-student-experience/GATA

Faculty Annual Review and P&T

• Faculty Annual Review and Reappointment policy
  • https://oaa.osu.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/policies/Faculty-Annual-Review-and-Reappointment.pdf
• Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) documents for all colleges and departments
  • https://oaa.osu.edu/appointments-reappointments-promotion-and-tenure
• Promotion and Tenure / Promotion Dossier Checklist
  • https://oaa.osu.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/forms/Form-105-fillable.pdf
• Core Dossier Outline and Instructions
  • https://faculty.osu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/Core-Dossier-Outline-Instruction.pdf
• Annotated Dossier
  • https://faculty.osu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/P-t-screening-form.pdf
• Tell Your Story: Tips for Creating an Interdisciplinary or Transdisciplinary Dossier
  • https://faculty.osu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/Inter-Transdisciplinary-Dossier-Tips-rev-07-2021.pdf
• Promotion & Tenure FAQ
  • https://faculty.osu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/p-and-t-faq-rev-09-2021.pdf
• OAA Office of Faculty Affairs additional resources on promotion and tenure
  • https://faculty.osu.edu/faculty-support/faculty-development/promotion-and-tenure

More on Teaching Statements and Teaching Portfolios

• Drake Institute's page on Teaching Statements, including example statements from past winners of the GATA (Graduate Associate Teaching Award)
• The Drake Institute's page on Teaching Portfolio Development
• You can also find guidance on statement and portfolio development from a variety of teaching and learning centers at other institutions or at websites for instructors in higher ed (e.g., The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed)
  • https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-statements/
  • https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-portfolios/
  • https://www.chronicle.com/article/4-steps-to-a-memorable-teaching-philosophy/

More on Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) serve a variety of purposes in the classroom. In addition to providing feedback on instruction, they can provide instructors with information about what and how students are learning, engage students in opportunities to retrieve or practice course content, and engage students in reflection on their learning. The following resources contain a wide variety of CATs that can easily be adapted for use in a wide variety of disciplines. 

• Drake Institute’s page on Classroom Assessment Techniques
• Classroom Assessment Techniques (available through OSU libraries)
  • Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. https://library.ohio-state.edu/record=b1656672
• Writing to Learn booklet from OSU's Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing
  • https://cstw.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2020-08/CSTW%20WritingtoLearnBookletv2016Booklet.pdf

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