Preparing a Teaching Dossier

Preparing a Teaching Dossier

 A teaching dossier is a professional document that contains evidence of teachers’ beliefs, abilities, and experiences.

Included in a teaching dossier is:

• A statement of teaching philosophy.
• A summary of the teacher’s professional experiences and responsibilities.
• Any records of the teacher’s commitment to professional development and growth.
• Proof of teaching effectiveness. This includes documents like evaluation reports, letters of recommendation, certification and professional awards.
• A sample of teaching materials and course outlines.

Dossiers are prepared using a narrative style of writing and also include an index and reference page.

Preparing Teaching Dossiers

In recent years, there has been an increase in use of teaching dossiers. As dossiers reflect the professional lives of teachers, they must be prepared with care. Here are some tips that can help teachers prepare their teaching dossiers:

Purpose: Teachers may use dossiers:

• To record and reflect upon their teaching practices.
• For job applications, promotions and tenure reviews.

Before preparing dossiers, teachers must decide on the purpose and tailor them accordingly.

Dossiers Represent Teachers: Dossiers convey information about teachers to readers. Teachers must therefore ensure that information provided clearly reflects the teachers and their abilities.

Being Prepared: Preparing dossiers can be easier if teachers already have sufficient evidence to choose from. Teachers can use journals to record their teaching experiences, use of strategies, and accomplishments.

Effective Teaching Philosophies: Writing good teaching philosophies can be challenging for teachers, as these statements convey the beliefs and convictions of teachers. Teachers may also have different philosophies for various activities or courses they are responsible for. When multiple philosophies are present, it is advisable for teachers to prepare separate write-ups for each philosophy.

Be Concise and Selective: Typically, dossiers are lengthy and may be up to 20 pages long, including an index page. While this is acceptable, teachers must take care not to exceed this limit. This is because readers are more likely to be attentive to shorter texts. Teachers must therefore carefully select information to include, and this information should highlight their strengths and accomplishments.

Content Layout: After gathering information, teachers must arrange and organize it into sections. For example, teaching philosophy is placed first. Teachers can have a separate section dedicated to teaching evaluations, listing statements from both students and colleagues. Teachers must take care to note each section on the index page to help readers access the information with ease.

Write and Review: When preparing dossiers teachers must remember to:

• Use clear and simple sentences that are accessible to readers.
• Avoid jargon and use of abstract or vague terms to describe teaching practices and abilities.
• Proofread the dossier and obtain a peer review before submitting it.

These tips can help teachers efficiently prepare their teaching dossiers.

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