Certificates in University Teaching

In cooperation with CTLO, CFAM is expanding and improving upon the long-running certificate of interest program to offer three tiers of certification.

• The Certificate of Interest (CoI) program aims to inspire participants to develop as educators through the submission of reflective journal entries addressing the content and application of teaching workshops and seminars.
• The Certificate of Practice (CoP) program helps participants develop as teachers by providing them with the knowledge and support necessary to improve their educational practice in various teaching environments. Please note that you do not have to complete the Certificate of Interest program before participation in the Certificate of Practice.
• The Postdoc Pre-Faculty Pedagogy Preparation Program (5P) is designed to help familiarize and prepare you for the teaching-related aspects of your role as a future faculty member, whether that is at a large research-focused university, a small teaching-focused college, or anything in-between.
• Please note: These certificate programs are available to Caltech-affiliated graduate students and post-doctoral fellows only.

The Certificate of Interest in University Teaching provides an introduction to various facets of teaching and learning through topical seminars and workshops. The journal entries written for each event are intended to assist participants in the development of their teaching philosophy. Please contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in participating in the Certificate of Interest program.Requirements for the Certificate of Interest in University Teaching:

• Participate in six CFAM seminars or workshops, or other approved Caltech programs.
• Write and submit a journal entry for each seminar or workshop detailing what you learned and how you will apply it to current or future teaching. CFAM Co-directors will review journal entries as they are submitted; participants will receive feedback and information on further opportunities related to the content of the journal.
• Write and submit a brief overview letter when finished with your seminars/workshops summarizing key outcomes and insights from your Certificate of Interest experience.

To start the Certificate of Interest, please email the CFAM Co-Directors at [email protected].
More information about the program and a journal template are available in the links below.

The Certificate of Practice in University Teaching is designed to assist participants in their evolution as instructors by providing a framework for their professional development. Only current Caltech graduate students are eligible to participate (Caltech postdocs should instead join our 5P program).

The Certificate of Practice program seeks to achieve three major outcomes for participants:

1. synthesis and application of effective methods for teaching and learning
2. assessment and implementation of a teaching philosophy
3. refinement of pedagogy through feedback and self-evaluation

Participants in this program progress through several phases as outlined below:

• Plan a program to develop your teaching skills.
• Learn about approaches to teaching and factors influencing student outcomes by participation in a class on pedagogy.
• Apply your knowledge in a teaching environment with feedback from CTLO and/or CFAM.
• Reflect on and Refine your teaching through evaluation, feedback, and mentoring by an experienced educator.
• Record the development of your teaching pedagogy and practice through a teaching portfolio, incorporating a teaching philosophy and representative documents from teaching. 

To enroll in the Certificate of Practice program, please email the Associate Director of University Teaching, Melissa Dabiri. The CTLO Associate Director will schedule a meeting with you to create your Plan and enroll you in the Certificate of Practice Canvas site.

More details about this program as well as templates for each phase of the program are available in the links below.

Please note that the portfolio must be completed and returned for review by May 16th in order to receive a transcript notation before commencement.

A complete description of the CFAM Certificate of Practice in University Teaching is available below:

Plan Certificate Form - A written record of your plan for the Certificate, to be submitted before the initial meeting with the CTLO Associate Director.

Learning Experience Form - Reflection on your learning experience (ex. E110, etc.). Due two weeks after the course ends.

Teaching Experience Form - Description of and plan for your teaching experience. Must be completed for each teaching experience. Due before your teaching experience start date. See the below table for examples of valid teaching experiences.

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Teaching Reflection Form - Reflection on your chosen teaching experience. Must be completed for each teaching experience. Due 2 weeks after your teaching experience end date.

Feedback Reflection Form - Reflection on feedback collected during your teaching experience (ex. Student survey, classroom observation by CTLO). Due two weeks after you receive feedback results.

Some potential Refine experiences are:

• Implement a course assessment strategy that utilizes student feedback or other resources to make improvements in a course.
• Design and carry out a mid-quarter survey for your students which assesses specific aspects of your teaching (i.e., not just "What is going well?" and "What can be improved?").  This may refer to getting feedback on specific active learning techniques you are incorporating, evaluating the impact of inclusive teaching practices you have implemented, etc.  Reflect on how this midterm feedback affected your teaching for the remainder of the term.  
• Receive feedback on your teaching through observation of a classroom session by members of CFAM or CTLO. Document how this review is utilized to improve your teaching.

The following guidelines and resources can be used to develop your Teaching Portfolio (Phase 5 of the Certificate of Practice).

Your Teaching Portfolio has 4 components:

1. Statement of Teaching Philosophy: The statement of teaching philosophy (or teaching statement) serves as the foundational document for your teaching portfolio. It gives the reader an overview of your approach to teaching and provides evidence of how you have implemented that approach in your own experiences.  If you took E110 to complete the Learn requirement, then you already have a Statement of Teaching Philosophy -- however, you should update it to reflect where you are now.  If you did not take E110, the CTLO regularly offers workshops on how to write an effective teaching statement.
2. Teaching Activities: This section describes your experience doing activities related to Teaching – these can be formal teaching, research or service-oriented activities.  This is essentially your teaching CV -- include all of your teaching-related activities, not just those completed during the Certificate of Practice.
3. Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness: This goal of this section is to demonstrate what you do and give evidence that your strategy works. You can include summaries of student/peer/mentor evaluations, certificates, awards, etc. Complete evaluations and copies of certificates and awards can be placed in the Appendices. Share the general themes and patterns that you see in student or observers comments and give concrete examples (quotes or numbers) to support your themes/ patterns.
4. Appendices:  This section may include copies of evaluations, certificates, awards, authored questions, course notes, slides, or any other information that would support the previous sections of your teaching portfolio. Be sure to give some context for any materials that you have developed that you include here (e.g. how and why you developed them, for what course, what pedagogical strategies you included)

CoP Teaching Portfolio Guidelines - A resource to help you prepare your teaching portfolio. [pdf]

Teaching Statement Resources - Helpful links with information on writing a Teaching Statement and examples of Teaching Statements. [pdf]

The Postdoc Pre-Faculty Pedagogy Preparation Program (5P) is designed to help familiarize and prepare you for the teaching-related aspects of your role as a future faculty member, whether that is at a large research-focused university, a small teaching-focused college, or anything in-between. 5P consists of five components listed below. Please contact the Associate Director of University Teaching & Learning ([email protected]) with questions or for enrollment information.  

• Pedagogy:  Introduction to STEM university teaching through coursework on foundational principles and strategies.  Complete either 1.  E110: Principles of University Teaching and Learning in STEM, 2.  "Transforming Your Research Into Teaching" (TYRIT) AND "How Learning Works" workshop series, or 3. Online courses "An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching" PLUS either "Advancing Learning Through Evidence-Based STEM Teaching" or "Inclusive STEM Teaching Project". 
• Practice:  Lead a guest lecture/workshop using what you learned in "Pedagogy", under the observation of a CTLO staff member. 
• Project:  Incorporate what you learned in "Pedagogy" into an independent project -- Create an annotated full course syllabus OR design and lead a workshop on a topic of your choice. 
• Professional Planning:  Prepare for your career search by attending workshops/panels on topics such as teaching careers or writing teaching statements.
• Portfolio:  Create a teaching portfolio to showcase who you are as an instructor.