Review and Reflection

7

Figure 2. Rubric for composing and evaluating a statement of teaching philosophy

Categories Excellent Needs Some Revision Unsatisfactory

Goals for student learning:

What knowledge, skills, and attitudes are

important for student success in your discipline?

What are you preparing students for? What are

key challenges in the teaching-learning process?

Goals are clearly articulated, specific, and go

beyond knowledge level, including skills,

attitudes, career goals, etc. Goals are sensitive

to the context of the instructor’s discipline.

They are concise, not exhaustive.

Goals are articulated but may be too

broad or not specific to the discipline.

Goals focus on basic knowledge,

ignoring skills acquisition and

affective change.

Articulation of goals is

unfocused, incomplete, or

missing.

Enactment of goals (teaching methods):

What teaching methods do you use? How do

these methods contribute to your goals for

students? Why are these methods appropriate

for use in your discipline?

Enactment of goals is specific and thoughtful.

Includes details and rationale for teaching

methods. The methods are clearly connected to

specific goals and are appropriate for those

goals. Specific examples of the methods in

use within the disciplinary context are given.

Description of teaching methods not

clearly connected to goals, or if

connected, not well developed (seems

like a list of what is done in the

classroom). Methods are described,

but generically; no example of the

instructor’s use of the methods within

the discipline is communicated.

Enactment of goals is not

articulated. If there is an

attempt at articulating teaching

methods, it is basic and

unreflective.

Assessment of goals (measuring student

learning):

How do you know your goals for students are

being met? What sorts of assessment tools do

you use (e.g., tests, papers, portfolios, journals),

and why? How do assessments contribute to

student learning? How do assessments

communicate disciplinary priorities?

Specific examples of assessment tools are

clearly described. Assessment tools are

aligned with teaching goals and teaching

methods. Assessments reinforce the priorities

and context of the discipline both in content

and type.

Assessments are described, but not

connected to goals and teaching

methods. Description is too general,

with no reference to the motivation

behind the assessments. There is no

clear connection between the

assessments and the priorities of the

discipline.

Assessment of goals is not

articulated or mentioned only

in passing.

Creating an inclusive learning environment, addressing one or more of the following questions: How do your own and your students’ identities (e.g., race, gender, class), backgrounds, experiences, and levels of privilege affect the classroom? How do you provide opportunities for students to connect course material to their goals or interests? How do you integrate diverse perspectives into your teaching?

Portrays a coherent philosophy of inclusive

education that is integrated throughout the

statement. Discussion of roles is sensitive to

historically underrepresented students.

Demonstrates awareness of issues of equity

within the discipline.

Inclusive teaching is addressed but in a

cursory manner or in a way that

isolates it from the rest of the

philosophy. Author briefly connects

identity issues to aspects of his/her

teaching.

Issues of inclusion are not

addressed or addressed in an

awkward manner. There is no

connection to teaching

practices.

Structure, rhetoric and language:

How is the reader engaged? Is the language

used appropriate to the discipline? How is the

statement thematically structured?

The statement has a guiding structure and/or

theme that engages the reader and organizes

the goals, methods, and assessments

articulated in the statement. Jargon is avoided

and teaching terms (e.g., critical thinking) are

given specific definitions that apply to the

instructor’s disciplinary context. Grammar and

spelling are correct.

The statement has a structure and/or

theme that is not connected to the

ideas actually discussed in the

statement, or, organizing structure is

weak and does not resonate within the

disciplinary context. The statement

contains some jargon.

No overall structure present.

Statement is a collection of

disconnected statements about

teaching. Jargon is used

liberally and not supported by

specific definitions or

examples. Needs much

revision.

Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT), University of Michigan

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