Donald Halstead & Michelle Bell

Office for Educational Programs

Harvard School of Public Health
 Characteristics of teaching & research
statements
 Statement components
 Examples
 Advice from the field
 Outcome – to be able to write
creative statements that have impact
“…your conception of teaching and learning,
a description of how you teach, and
justification for why you teach that way.”
*University of Ohio, Center for the advancement of teaching, downloaded on Dec, 2010 from http://ucat.osu.edu/teaching_portfolio/philosophy/philosophy2.html

A realistic, compelling narrative that charts your

pathway towards independence by summarizing
your current research and findings, direction you
are moving in, and future goals and contributions
to the field.
To get you an interview and
job talk!
Need to tell a coherent, evidence-based story
 That focuses on your research or students
 Avoid too many “I” sentences: focus instead on the
subject of your research (e.g., health disparities, malaria)
and on students, creating a learning environment, etc
 In a maximum of 1-2 pages (Teaching statements)
and 3-5 pages (Research statements)
 That fits the needs of the institution/department
but is not overtly tailored to them
 Is distinctive, stand-alone, and has a conclusion
 Consider using the 5-paragraph model or a variant
 Introduction
1. Introduction-Background
 Known > Not known
 Significance for field, health Overview
3-5 years
2. Overview next 3-5 years (and more)
 Key areas-hypotheses to investigate
 Include any preliminary data
Innovative
3. Innovative Strategy or Methods Methods
 How you plan to accomplish goals
 Have you received a grant?
Outcomes
4. Expected outcomes from work and +
Impact on knowledge, field, health Impact

5. Wrap it up, looking forward

Conclusion
 Introduction

1. Introduction-Background
 Known > Not known
Projected
 Significance for field, health Research
3-5 years:
2. Overview next 3-5 years (and more)
Areas,
 Key areas-hypotheses to investigate Hypotheses,
 Include any preliminary data
Innovative
 Innovative strategies or methods Methods
 How you plan to accomplish goals
 Have you received a grant?
Outcomes
3. Expected outcomes from work and +
Impact on knowledge, field, health Impact

4. Wrap it up, looking forward

Conclusion
 Excellent
Goals for Student Clearly articulated, specific, goes
Learning beyond knowledge level (Bloom).
Sensitive to own discipline. Concise
– not ex.
Enactment of Goals Enactment is specific & thoughtful.
(teaching methods) Incl. detail& rationale for teaching
methods, clearly connected to
specific goals with specific examples
Assessment of Specific examples of clearly
Goals (outcome described assessment tools that align
with teaching goals & methods.
measures) They reinforce priorities & context
of discipline in content & type
Creating an Coherent phil. of inclusive education
Inclusive that is integrated throughout
statement. Space for diverse ways of
Environment knowing & learning. Demo
awareness of issues of equity within
discipline.
Structure, Rhetoric Has a guiding structure or theme to
and Language engage reader. Organized, jargon
avoided, used teaching terms
(critical thinking). Grammar &
spelling correct
Needs Some Work
Broad goals not specific to discipline.
Focus on basic knowledge ignoring skill
acquisition and affective change
Description teaching methods not
clearly connected to goals/not well
developed. Generic methods
description, no example of use within
discipline
Assessments not connected to teaching
goals & methods. Describe too general
with no reference to motivation behind
assessments. No clear connect to
priorities of discipline
Inclusive teaching addressed but in
cursory way that isolates from rest of
phil. Brief connects identity issues to
aspects of teaching
Has a guiding structure or theme but not
well connected to ideas discussed
above. Organization weak, jargon, little
use of teaching terms (critical thinking).
Grammar & spelling correct
Developing
Poorly articulated goal –
unfocused, incomplete or missing
Description of goals not
articulated. Methods basic, non-
reflective or non-existent.
No assessment of goals, or not
adequately described
Issues of inclusion not addressed
or done in awkward manner. There
is no connection to teaching
practices
No structure present, disconnected
statements about teaching, jargon
used liberally. Needs revision
Professors & Administrators say:
1. Research institutions
2. Do not repeat your CV
3. Do not make empty statements
4. Keep it short (refer to #1)
5. Ground philosophy in discipline
6. Well written
7. Teaching is about the students
8. Include research
9. Get others to review
10. Be genuine
* Montell, Gabriela, (2003). How to write a statement of teaching philosophy. The Chronicle of Higher Education, downloaded
December 13, 2010 from http://chronicle.com/article/How-to-Write-a-Statement-of/45133/.
OSU Center for the Advancement of Teaching
http://ucat.osu.edu/teaching_portfolio/philosophy/philosophy.html
#samples

Teaching portfolio Resources, University of Washington Center for

Instructional Development and Research
http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/portfoliotools.html

University of Michigan Center for Research on Teaching and

Learning: examples of statements categorized by discipline
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstpum.php

Science Careers article by Rachel Narehood Austin

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issu
es/articles/2006_04_14/writing_the_teaching_statement
Science Careers: Article by Jim Austin
 http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/prev
ious_issues/articles/1820/writing_a_research_plan
Science Careers: Academic Scientists’ Toolkit
 http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previou
s_issues/articles/2004_04_29/noDOI.9200335458625575487
University of Washington: Job Hunting and Statement
 http://modular.math.washington.edu/edu/basic/laura/jobhan
dout.pdf

The Professor Is In (Dr. Karen Kelsky): Research Statement Rules

 http://theprofessorisin.com/tag/how-to-write-a-research-
statement/