Final Session of the Teaching Portfolio Course: 17 PhD Candidates Complete their Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education in Yehuda Elkana Center

Recently we said goodbye to PhD students in the course Creating a Teaching Portfolio, who are completing the Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education this year. Throughout the six-week course, participants worked collaboratively in peer groups formed at the beginning of the semester to develop the core components of their teaching portfolios, including course syllabi, teaching philosophy statements, assessment rubrics, and teaching materials. 

As this was the final session of the course, participants joined small groups with their peers to review and comment on the materials they had developed throughout the course. Working in groups of three to four, doctoral students engaged in lively discussions and reviewed one another’s portfolios, providing their peers with detailed comments, critiques, and suggestions.  

One of the central topics that students found important to discuss was the alignment between their teaching philosophy and courses they have designed. As a teaching philosophy outlines an educator's beliefs, values, and goals regarding teaching and learning, it became a central focus of the discussions. Students were also interested in discussing one another’s teaching diversity and inclusion statements, in which they reflected on their commitment to fostering an inclusive teaching, learning, and working environment that promotes equality, values diversity, and respects the rights and dignity of all community members.  

As we moved through the groups, it became clear that our future teachers were deeply engaged with the practical and pedagogical details of course design. Discussions revolved around assessment strategies and suggested readings, the range of group activities, and the rationale behind course workload. Participants also critically reflected on the feasibility of their proposed courses and discussed the different pedagogical approaches they have explored in various courses offered by the Yehuda Elkana Center. 

This semester, Creating a Teaching Portfolio brought together 17 doctoral students from different departments in Central European University. The six-week course serves as the final component of the Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education offered by the Yehuda Elkana Center and provides an opportunity to create a teaching portfolio. 

A teaching portfolio is a collection of materials that provide insight into an academic’s approach to teaching and showcasing their strengths, skills, achievements, and overall development as a scholar-teacher. Teaching portfolios are valuable and often required for job applications, reviews and promotions, and other professional situations in which one’s approach to teaching, examples of teaching materials, and evidence of teaching effectiveness are documented. 

Students finishing the Certificate have multiple materials available for their job applications and academic careers, including the following:  

• Summary of teaching experiences 
• Teaching philosophy statement 
• Course syllabus 
• Sample class session/lesson plan and associated materials
• Sample assessment instructions and rubric 
• Other teaching-related materials created in elective courses or elsewhere, such as an inquiry-based learning project, and if applicable, summaries of student evaluations, (anonymous) samples of student work, or prizes. 

Find out more about the Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education offered by Yehuda Elkana Center.