Teaching Portfolios

A teaching portfolio is a brief and comprehensive factual description of teaching activities and accomplishments that highlights what is unique or effective about an individual's approach to teaching. Currently, teaching portfolios are being used at colleges and universities across the nation for both hiring and promotion and tenure.

There is no established standard for what a portfolio contains. Each institution (and departments within institutions) must decide what teaching "artifacts" and evidence are most important to include. For those of you who want to compile a teaching portfolio for your job search, we recommend contacting the faculty development center at the institution to which you are applying and asking for portfolio guidelines.

TEP can assist in the design and development of a teaching portfolio. Portfolios may contain samples of syllabi, assignments, exams, and student work. You may include lesson plans and course development materials accompanied by commentary that reveal not only what was done, but why--the thinking behind the teaching. A portfolio might also document your professional development activities, student evaluations, peer and/or departmental observations and statements regarding your teaching and grading philosophies.

If you want to know more, here are some books and websites you might find interesting:

• Websites : (NOTE: The below links will open in a new browser tab or window)
  
  • Designing Teacher Portfolios
    A joint project of The College of Education and Psychology North Carolina State University and Public Schools of North Carolina
  • The Teaching Portfolio at Washington State University
  • Electronic Teaching Portfolios
    By Dr. Helen Barrett, Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Alaska Anchorage
  • Technology and Your Teaching Portfolio
    From the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Summer Web Workshops by Washington University
    
• Books
  These books are available through TEP. To arrange a checkout, contact us at tep@uoregon.edu.
  • Successful Use of Teaching Portfolios
    Written by Peter Seldin and Associates.
  • The Teaching Portfolio: Capturing the Scholarship in Teaching
    Written by Russel Edgerton, Patricia Hutchings, and Kathleen Quinlan.
  • Recording Teaching Accomplishment; A Dalhousie Guide to Teaching the Dossier
    Written by Carol O'Neil and Alan Wright.