8 Taking an Aligned and Reflective Approach
Alignment refers to how various elements within your portfolio create a unified, consistent, and coherent presentation. Organize your teaching portfolio around a central theme or set of beliefs or values that you can make explicit in your teaching philosophy statement and then reinforce within the other sections of your portfolio.
Alignment also enables you to tailor your portfolio to specific audiences and contexts. By articulating your core values, you can align your teaching with McMaster’s longstanding culture of teaching excellence, as well as where you situate yourself in relation to some of the University’s strategic priorities. Learning about the teaching culture in your Faculty and department can also help you demonstrate familiarity with the specific context in which you teach.
Identifying the core values of your teaching requires reflection, which refers to an ongoing process of thoughtful and critical examination of one’s teaching practice, experiences, and outcomes. It goes beyond merely describing what happened in the classroom; instead, reflection delves into the why and how of teaching, exploring the underlying beliefs, values, and assumptions that inform pedagogical decisions and interactions with students. This reflective process not only enriches your portfolio but also enhances your teaching effectiveness and professional competency over time.
| Questions to Consider: Identifying Your Teaching Values and Beliefs | ||
|---|---|---|
| By reflecting on these questions and then reviewing your answers, you will likely be able to identify several beliefs you hold about teaching and learning. | ||
| What do you believe about students and how students learn? | What do you believe to be your primary responsibilities as an educator? | What is a critical incident – positive or negative – that shaped your development as an educator? |
| What does excellent teaching look like? | When are you particularly satisfied with your teaching? Think of a specific occasion and identify why you view it positively. | What do you do, in class or outside of it, to create conditions that optimize student learning and growth? How does this change with different groups and settings? |
| How do you know you are an effective teacher? Consider methods of self-assessment. | Do you engage with scholarly literature on teaching and learning? If so, how does this inform your teaching practice? | How do you support the integration of international students, disabled students, and students from other equity-seeking groups? |
| How do you support student health and wellbeing? | How do you approach working with a teaching team, including co-instructors or teaching assistants? | Do you participate in professional development opportunities related to your teaching practice? |
This process of reflection should:
| 1. Be honest, introspective, and critical, acknowledging both successes and areas for improvement. | 2. Inform the rationale behind each evidence that you choose to include in your teaching portfolio. | 3. Offer a way to describe your future teaching goals based on your experiences and values. |
Once you have chosen your central values or beliefs to orient your teaching portfolio, you can begin to write the descriptive sections of your portfolio and make a purposeful selection of evidence. Remember – your reflection helps to align these components. Further recommendations on tackling these various sections of your portfolio are articulated in the Start with your Teaching Philosophy section, as well as in Chapter IV: Fulfilling McMaster’s SPS B2 Requirements and Chapter V: Selecting Evidence for your Portfolio.