Teaching Portfolios

It is now fairly common practice in higher education internationally, for academic staff members to compile reflective summaries of their teaching experience in the form of a 'Teaching Portfolio'.

These documents usually contain examples of teaching materials, an exposition of the individual's philosophy and approach to teaching and learning, and examples of feedback or evaluation of their teaching.  Such documents are often required for applications for lectureships, promotions or awards, but they can also be a very useful means of reflecting on experience, identifying training needs, and of gathering thoughts for future innovation.  Many staff, therefore, see value in keeping a teaching portfolio as a 'living document' updating it annually or from time to time.

CELT has extensive experience of supporting staff in the construction and updating of teaching portfolios. Our original portfolio model was based largely on that developed with our partners in UMass, Amherst. However, we now recommend a revised format for the portfolio which matches closely with the wider institutional and national HE strategy as well as offering more scope for staff to highlight achievements in applications for promotion.

Teaching Portfolios at NUI Galway (pdf)

For those considering promotion applications, we also provide a checklist whereby you can quickly highlight particular items or aspects of the portfolio.

Teaching Portfolio Checklist (docx)