Pursuing an Academic Career Virtual Event Series

Developing Yourself as a Teacher: Teaching Philosophies, Teaching Styles, and Teaching Statements - April 22, 2011

2 pm Eastern | 1 pm Central | 12 pm Mountain | 11 am Pacific (1 hr)

Leaders: Rachel Beane, Bowdoin College, Heather Macdonald, College of William and Mary, and Timothy Bralower, Penn State

Registration deadline: April 15, 2011

This virtual event will focus on approaches to teaching, and how you can most effectively present your teaching philosophy and experience in a teaching statement such as might be submitted as part of an application for a faculty position. After an introduction to teaching philosophies and styles, we will use small group conference calls to review sample teaching statements. Then, we will reconvene to discuss key attributes of effective teaching statements and "red flags" to avoid. We hope you will join us!

Goals for participants are to:

• Reflect on personal teaching styles and philosophies
• Discuss characteristics of effective teaching statements
• Gain ideas for writing a teaching statement

Time - 2 pm Eastern | 1 pm Central | 12 pm Mountain | 11 am Pacific
Duration - 1 hour
Format - Online web presentation via Elluminate web conference software, and small group conference calls. Participants will receive an email with instructions detailing how to log into the event approximately one week prior to the event.
Registration - There is no registration fee, but registration is required to save a space. Space is limited to 30, so please be sure you can commit before registering. Registration closes when the spaces fill or April 15, 2011, whichever comes first. Please complete the registration form if you are interested and able to participate.

Please email Rachel Beane (rbeane AT bowdoin.edu) if you have any questions about this event or Monica Bruckner (mbruckne AT carleton.edu) if you have technical questions.

Presenters

Rachel Beane is an Associate Professor of Earth and Oceanographic Science at Bowdoin College where she has been on the faculty since 1998 and served as department chair. She has been a co-leader for On the Cutting Edge Early Career, Career Prep, and Pursuing an Academic Career workshops. Her introductory and upper-level undergraduate courses emphasize field- and instrument-based laboratories and writing, and incorporate interactive teaching activities and authentic research projects. Her research interests include convergent margin processes, ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism, and microstructural studies using electron backscatter diffraction.

Heather Macdonald is a Professor of Geology at the College of William and Mary where she has been on the faculty since 1983. She has served as department chair, as Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and as co-director of the undergraduate marine science minor. In addition to her undergraduate courses, she also teaches courses for graduate students on college teaching and college science teaching.

Timothy Bralower is Department Head and a Professor of Geosciences at Penn State. A career profile for Dr. Bralower is available from the Career Prep website.

References and Resources

Developing Yourself as a Teacher Presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 3.2MB Apr22 11)

Screencast of the Webinar
Developing Yourself as a Teacher (MP4 Video 109.2MB Apr25 11)

Developing Your Teaching Statement - from the Preparing for an Academic Career module, includes useful information about how to write an effective teaching statement.

Assembling Your Application - from the Preparing for an Academic Career module, includes useful information about writing teaching statements, CVs, and other application statements and materials.

References cited in the presentation:

• Ellis, D.E. & Griffin, G.A. (2000) Developing a teaching philosophy statement: A special challenge for graduate students. Journal of Graduate Teaching Assistant Development, v. 7, pp. 85-92.
• Grasha, A. (1996) Teaching with Style. Alliance Publishers: Pittsburgh, PA.
• Palmer, Parker (1993) Good Talk About Teaching. Change, v.25 (6), pp. 8-13.