Recently, I requested suggestions on writing effective teaching and research statements for a talk I was preparing. Thanks to those of you who provided input. I used a variety of sources to put together a list of guidelines, including feedback from some of you.
I also received many requests to provide a summary of this information, which I have done below. It's a bit long, but I hope you find it useful. 1. Seek out useful resources. For this summary, I used information from the following sources: -Online resources, including a number of articles in The Chronicle of Higher Education or on blogs like The Professor is In. Here are a few useful links. http://theprofessorisin.com/2013/01/18/the-weepy-teaching-statement-just-say-no/ http://chronicle.com/article/How-to-Write-a-Statement-of/45133/ http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/careerprep/jobsearch/application.html http://smallpondscience.com/2013/05/08/applying-for-faculty-positions-the-teaching-philosophy/ -Books, including: Hofmann, A.H. (2009) Scientific Writing and Communication: Papers, Proposals, and Presentations. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA. Chandler, C.R., L.M. Wolfe, D.E.L. Promislov (2007) The Chicago Guide to Landing a Job in Academic Biology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, USA. Other good resources include talking to colleagues or peers who have successfully navigated the job market and to your mentors who regularly serve on search committees. Check for resources available on your campus, including Centers for Teaching and Learning. 2. Many job ads ask for both a Statement on Research and a Teaching Philosophy. These statements should be stand-alone documents that avoid referencing other application materials (i.e., avoid "As my CV demonstrates..." or "As my Research Statement indicates..."), but should complement each other by demonstrating the ways in which your teaching and research inform each other. 3. Take these statements seriously. Committees really do read them, and they can be the means for you to stand out from the rest of the applicant pool. Research Statements: The Basics -Overall Goal: Document your research achievements, aims, and goals - Talk about the research, not about yourself. The Professor is In has some good tips on this. -Committees look for: a. Clear research focus b. Independence c. Funding potential d. Accomplishments e. Fit f. Resources needed for success (what kind of start-up package might be required) g. Ability to communicate (well-written) -Typical Organization - introduction, what you've done, what you're doing, what you plan on doing, why it matters Research Statements: Do's 1. Tailor your statement to the particular job posting and institution (but not overtly). Make sure your research is described in a way that complements what you know about that institution and the specific job being advertised. For example, if it's a large research institution, you may be one of many ecologists and will want to describe your work so that it's clear you research is complementary, but not redundant. On the other hand, at small liberal arts college, you may be the only ecologist, and you will want to describe your research in a way that non-ecologists can understand and that demonstrates you have a breadth of ecological knowledge. 2. Put your research in a broader context; leave no room for doubt about its relevance. Where does it fit? What are you contributing? What hypotheses are you testing? What gaps are you addressing? 3. Provide specific examples and evidence of accomplishments, collaborations, and potential for funding. 4. Distinguish yourself from your advisor. 5. Provide evidence, not emotion. 6. Be confident and direct. Say "These results were the first to demonstrate..." rather than "I feel these results made a significant contribution..." 7. Proofread and get feedback. Research Statements: Don'ts 1. Describe overly ambitious proposals that fail to highlight specific, testable hypotheses or coherent research questions. 2. Be vague or unclear when describing your accomplishments and goals. 3. Sell yourself short. 4. Focus on the negatives. Point out what you've contributed, not what others have failed to accomplish. 5. Mention others by name. (Instead, say "I co-authored a paper on...") 6. Be formulaic. Teaching Philosophy: The Basics -Overall Goal: Describe your philosophy on teaching and learning, and provide evidence -Talk about the students and learning, not yourself. -Committees look for: a. Clear philosophy or belief about learning. You may have to think about this, but you have one... (e.g., The best way to learn something is to discover it for yourself.) b. Experience (traditional or non-traditional examples can be included) c. Variety of methodologies or approaches d. Evidence of "trial and error" or change based on assessment e. Fit f. Ability to communicate (well written) - Typical Organization - general philosophy, strategies that manifest that philosophy, specific examples, evidence you were effective, conclusion Teaching Philosophy: Do's 1. Tailor your statement to the particular job posting and institution, but not overtly. Requires research. Should you talk about teaching large introductory classes or small seminars? Will you be teaching graduate students? May need different statements for different institutions. 2. Be consistent with your research persona, and keep it grounded in your discipline. 3. Be factual, not emotional. 4. Make it evidence-based. It's about showing, not telling. 5. Familiarize yourself with some basic terms (e.g., student-centered, learning outcomes, assessment), but don't go overboard with jargon. 6. Be confident, and don't be afraid to show that you've tried things that didn't work and then made adjustments. 7. Keep it short. 8. Be distinctive. 9. Wrap it up with a conclusion. 10. Proofread and get feedback. Teaching Philosophy: Don'ts 1. Simply list what you've done when teaching. 2. Suggest changing the focus of the curriculum or focus on the negatives of a program. 3. Include empty statements like "I'm passionate about teaching." 4. Be presumptuous, but don't sell yourself short either. 5. Use hyper-emotional language. (See http://theprofessorisin.com/2013/01/18/the-weepy-teaching-statement-just-say-no/) 6. Be vague or formulaic. Julia A. Cherry, Ph.D. Associate Professor University of Alabama New College and Biological Sciences [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> 205-348-8416
