2016-11-02

2016-11-02 (Wed)
1115-1145
503-024

Facilitator: Angela Tsai
Note-taker: Angela Tsai

Agenda

Notes 

1. 30 seconds quiet time: think of one word that you would choose to describe your teaching.

2. Why did you choose this word?

~1 min sharing discussion with a fellow attendee.

Example (paraphrased): "Seeing the outcome of my 'teaching' (supporting students' learning in a completely online format) - and seeing examples of student work that expresses "I've just learned" - is a huge privilege."

Pauline (paraphrased): You should write down what you've just said - because what I heard sounds like a part of a Teaching Philosophy.

3. "Pauline and Fiona's 6-minute activity" - based on Pratt

Think of ONE teaching scenario (e.g. a tutorial for course A). Jot down just keywords / bullet points that intuitively come to mind in response to these prompting questions. 

• Q1. If a colleague was to watch you teach, what would they see? 
  
  Participant: "What you want them to see, or what they would actually see? [laughter]
  Fiona: "What they would actually see. Be as frank and realistic as you can."
   
• Q2. What would a student experience?
   
• Q3. What was your intention?
   
• Q4. What happens from your point of view? (How are you seeing the session)?
   
• Q5. What would you like to change? Why?
   
• Q6. What underpins your thinking?
   

Next step: from these written responses, pull out words, concepts and phrases that you can then use to weave together to form a cohesive explanation of the way you are currently positioned in your teaching practice.

Descriptive ("duty-based") ---> iterative development ---> Substantive & literature-informed

^ Most of us are here - got to start somewhere! :)

4. Teaching Philosophies are deeply personal yet 'shared' (e.g. continuation, promotion, new roles).

When writing it, consider the questions that other people might have about your teaching philosophy.

14 - Teaching Philosophy - exploring and refining.docx

https://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/programs/graduate-students-postdocs/applying-for-academic-positions/writing-a-teaching-philosophy-statement/ 

5. Summary & next steps

Comment from a participant (paraphrased): That it is difficult in a Faculty like ours to talk about our teaching practice when we're so used to doing the "hard science". A feeling that there's a lack of familiarity with the educational language / terminology to descriibe teaching practice.

Pauline and Fiona are here to support if people would like to run their Teaching Philosophy by them. Fiona stressed that they work very closely with Mark Barrow (Associate Dean, Academic), who is keen to see (and support) teaching staff develop their teaching in this way.

Another suggestion would be for members of the TLC to put aside some time and talk about each others' teaching philosophy and continue to polish it.

Pauline highlighted that the text generated by the "6-minute exercise" doubles as specific examples of teaching that can be used as supporting evidence in continuation / promotions documents. Align with academic standards.

Pauline reminded us about the literature that is available on FMHS Everything Teaching - a good place to start. A 'core' set of distilled / primary references that is hopefully not too daunting / overwhelming.