For promotion and tenure, and for most awards, you are asked to write some sort of a statement about your teaching. Although there is considerable overlap, the requirements do vary from award to award (TTA, FACET, Distinguished Teaching) and for the promotion dossier.

We have a number of resources to help you, but there is no substitute for having others read your draft statement! It is particularly helpful if your reader has experience in reviewing applications/dossiers.

One important distinction--a teaching philosophy is a relatively brief (1-2 page) statement talking about your goals and beliefs for teaching in relatively abstract terms, often with reference to educational theorists. These are often requested with job applications. These philosophy statements are NOT what we use at IUSB for awards and promotions! When we say "teaching statement" we generally mean a 4-10 page statement that talks about your teaching beyond the philosophy--we want to know how you implement that philosophy in your classrooms and how it works. We want to know about other teaching activities such as community education and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. And we want short concrete examples so that we have a flavor of what it is like to be taught by you. Finally, these statements are usually fairly personal, with the use of "I" and contractions. Sharing your passion for teaching is expected.

Resources:

An overview of the statements Statements Teach Research Serv.docx
Questions to help you reflect for your teaching statement Developing philosophy teaching questions.pdf
An essay from the Teaching Professor that could serve as a starting point. Understanding Our Strengths and Weaknesses as Teachers
A thorough PPT slideshow from Deb Marr's workshop at UCET. TeachingStatements_Marr_October 2017.pptx
A great booklet of essays on teaching statements from the Chronicle of Higher Ed.Write a teaching statement that sings.pdf
Essay on talking about your teaching. This is aimed at interviews, but would also be helpful in writing your statement.

Here are a number of statements to give you an idea of how they can vary. These are not necessarily the best statements--they are a convenience sample, and they may not be from the person's area of excellence. (That is why so many are "Mettetal.")

Samples of teaching statements

Samples of research statements

Samples of service statements