2016-07-26

2016-07-26 (Tue)
1130-1130
501-505

Facilitator: Jenny Sim
Note-taker: Jenny Sim

Agenda

Notes 

Writing about your teaching by Associate Professor Mark Barrow

• Catalyst of this seminar: Promotion workshop conducted by the Dean, Professor John Fraser.
• Writing about teaching: how does one translate teaching practice onto paper?
• The practice of writing about teaching is quite different from writing about research and service. For service and research, you write from the position of an expert.
• In contrast, writing and documenting our teaching practice is quite different. There is an expectation that we reflect at our own practice as a teacher, and that we critically review and reflect not only on our successes but also our failures. There is therefore an inherent expectation that we reflect on our teaching ‘performance’ with the aim of improving our teaching practice.
• This requirement to write about our teaching practice, or indeed the teaching portfolio, is not specific to UoA but across universities.
• This approach has its root from the philosophy of social constructivism.
• In fact, you will find that increasingly, writing about teaching is not only required for promotion and continuation, but also in our APR conversations.
• Thus, the writing is based on the practice of being a reflective teacher/practitioner. It is not just simply thinking about our teaching, but it is important to also add a critical, reflective and intellectual overlay to our teaching practice.
• Resource you may find helpful: Macfarlane and Gourlay (2009). The reflection game: enacting the penitent self. Teaching in Higher Education, 14(4), 455-459.

Q: What constitute good teaching?

A: Nobody around here is able to define what constitutes good teaching. While there are benchmarks, it does not spell out precisely what is good or bad practice. This is the reason why it is so important in your writing to articulate clearly your teaching philosophy. Your philosophy defines what you see as good teaching, and with the rest of the writing reflecting on your teaching against the benchmark the philosophy sets.

Demonstration of the Teaching portfolio website from CLeaR

• There are a number of resources including a section on how to create and maintain an e-teaching portfolio and how to document the effectiveness of your teaching and.
• In a nutshell, you address topics such as:
• What am I trying to achieve in my teaching?
• What are the learning outcomes?
• What excite and challenge me and my students?
• How do I deliver my teaching?
• How do I evaluate my teaching?
• What are my evaluation outcomes?

Demonstration of the FHMS Everything teaching website

• You have all the resources here you need on Writing about teaching:
• It includes information on how to develop teaching philosophy; i.e. how you see yourself as a teacher and how your teaching role relates to your teaching practice
• How to develop your teaching portfolio and support it with literature
• Using the appropriate terminology such as student centredness, active learning and student engagement etc.
• You will have to define your philosophy, and describe how you journey towards the goals you set for yourself

Q: It appears to be very generic?

A: Yes it is, but in FMHS, it tends to be set up that way. You will need to contextualise the writing to the discipline area you are teaching

Q: Is there any point in doing the reflection of our teaching philosophy on our own? Who do I have the conversation with? When and where does this conversation take place?

A: It is almost equivalent to formative and summative assessments; Formative is reflecting about your teaching, summative is giving the writing to someone to discuss about your teaching practice e.g. in APR conversation(s) with your line manager

Angela: there are a number of people within the Faculty who can share and discuss about teaching practice. This can be either a one to one as in peer review discussion. There is a list of reviewers available on the website where you can approach these reviewers.

Lynne: TLC sessions is one such forum of discussion

Angela: Yes, both options are possible.

Q: Would it (discussion about teaching philosophy) fit into peer review process?

A: Yes, there is an element of it.  Often you can showcase your teaching philosophy in a peer review session. Conversations with a peer reviewer can be the starting point to initiate ongoing discussions. Staff mentoring is another way in which such conversations can take place.

FHMS Everything teaching website

What this website does: It helps you to use the appropriate word and language to write about teaching. This website helps to put you in the ‘right’ thinking space and aims to broaden your horizon of teaching.

• For instance, under the section teaching practice, you can see ‘Address diversity’
• This section provides you with a snapshot what it means to address diversity

‘Assessment Criteria’: academic standards for PTFs/STs and Lecturers and above

• At the higher level, teacher practitioner will be required to demonstrate how one keeps up with current research in the discipline
• It is also important to demonstrate that you are not just a doer but are also a leader in practice, moving from course level, to department, school and then faculty and wider University level.
• Upper end of leadership is also about disseminating of good teaching practice and that includes writing about teaching practice
• Refer to U2: Developing a conceptual framework for teaching

Jenny: One additional way of developing a teaching discourse is for teaching team to promote a culture and community of teaching, where teaching practice is discussed at team meetings so that staff can share teaching philosophy and teaching practices.

Q: What about contribution of supervision into teaching?

A: Yes, Butland Award is a good example. Questions ask may include: Where is my student now and what did I do to get the student to where she/he is now? You may wish to refer to Dr Susan Carter’s (CLeaR) and Dr Gina Wisker’s Links to an external site. work on supervision.

Meeting concluded at 1205 hour.