“Under no circumstances will a tenure commitment be made unless there is clear documentation of ability and diligence in the teaching role.” This statement from the University of California Academic Personnel Manual is a reminder of how important good teaching is at Berkeley. For an understanding of the kinds of evidence you should gather to demonstrate your proficiency in teaching, we suggest both the relevant part of the Personnel Manual as well as the Berkeley campus Policy for the Evaluation of Teaching (1987).

Traditionally, end of semester evaluations have been the primary focus for evaluations of teaching. To provide the broadest picture possible of your teaching, you may want to include other sources of information such as:

Statement about Teaching or Statement of Teaching Philosophy. Some departments require these as part of your submission for merit and promotion cases. Whether or not you’re asked for such a statement, it’s to your benefit—and ultimately your students’ benefit—if you have attempted to articulate your philosophy. As with Teaching Portfolios/Dossiers, the Teaching Philosophy can take many different forms. For a wide variety of examples, we suggest reading through What Good Teachers Say About Teaching, a collection of statements from past recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award at Berkeley, as well as the more recent statements that can be found on the Distinguished Teaching Award website.

Teaching Portfolio or Teaching Dossier. This document gathers in one place information about your teaching (e.g., syllabus, exams, exercises, samples of graded student work). Whether or not you choose to include an entire portfolio as part of your promotion case, the portfolio can be an excellent way for you to personally reflect on your teaching. For information on how to assemble a portfolio, see Preparing a Teaching Portfolio, a handbook prepared by the Center for Teaching Effectiveness, UT Austin.

Instructional Improvement Efforts. You may want to include information on any of the following: Grants you have received to improve one of your courses. If you have been observed by a colleague or someone from the Office of Educational Development, and/or been videotaped in order to analyze your teaching. If you have attended workshops or seminars related to teaching and instructional improvement. If you have consulted with the staff of the Office of Educational Development on teaching issues. Be sure to refer to any concrete changes you’ve made to your courses as a result of these efforts.

If you would like help developing a Teaching Portfolio or Teaching Philosophy, or would like more information about Peer Observation, consultation or videotaping, contact Steve Tollefson.