Evaluating Teaching

Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search

This Occasional Paper is designed to help experienced graduate students write a statement of teaching philosophy. The paper contains four sections. First, we offer suggestions for making a philosophy of teaching explicit and getting it on paper.  Second, we discuss research on characteristics of effective statements. Third, we introduce a rubric that can guide the development and crafting of a teaching statement that search committees will value.  Finally, we address questions that job candidates often raise about this sometimes perplexing document. 

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The Importance of Teaching at the University of Michigan

This Occasional Paper presents the 2010 U-M Faculty WorkLife Study survey data on teaching. The specific questions addressed here include: How much time do faculty spend working and how is their workload divided among teaching, research and service? What are the challenges that U-M faculty encounter in managing their heavy workloads? How satisfied are faculty with their teaching and their perceptions of the tenure process? Data are presented for all tenured and tenure-track faculty (except those in the Medical School because of the unique character of their work).

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