Teaching Portfolios for Academia

Teaching portfolios are used in applying for teaching positions, for promotion and tenure, and for personal and professional development and growth.  Their purposes include:

• Self-reflection and improvement of teaching
• Documenting accomplishments as a teacher
• Demonstrating teaching style
• Providing evidence of success in reaching teaching goals

Teaching portfolios may include a variety of written statements and documents from the instructor, examples of work from students, and observations from others.  They frequently include:

• statement of teaching philosophy
• information about courses taught & responsibilities
• examples of course materials: sample course syllabi, lesson plans, assignments, exams
• samples of student work
• evidence of teaching effectiveness: summary of student feedback, evaluations
• teaching awards and recognition
• professional development efforts

The following websites provide examples of materials that might be included in a teaching portfolio.

• Edgerton, R. (1991) The teaching portfolio: Capturing the scholarship in teaching. American Association for Higher Education.  ED353892 (available in Strozier Library  microfiche)

• Rodriguez-Farrar, H. (2006). The teaching portfolio: a handbook for faculty, teaching assistants, and teaching fellows. 3rd edition. Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, Brown University.

• Seldin, Peter. (1991) The teaching portfolio : A practical guide to improved performance and promotion/tenure decisions.  Boston, MA: Anker Pub. Co.  Strozier Library  LB2333.S46 1991

• Seldin, P., & Miller, J.E. (2009).The academic portfolio: A practical guide to documenting teaching, research, and service.  San Francisco:  Jossey Bass.  Strozier Library LB1029 .P67S45 2009

• Urbach, Floyd. (1992). Developing a teaching portfolio. College Teaching, 40(2), 71-74. doi:10.1080/87567555.1992.10532272