STLHE 2016 SAPES

Throughout academia, the value of developing a strong CV is pervasive, while teaching dossiers are often overlooked. Teaching dossiers offer insight into an individual’s teaching philosophy and catalogue concrete evidence supporting the scope and quality of teaching experience2. In addition to their use in academic hiring/promotion decisions1, their development is useful for promoting self-reflection2,3, and enhancing the quality of teaching2,4. There are however barriers to establishing this practice as the process is labour-intensive and ongoing, and although participating in a teaching assistantship is often required, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are rarely mentored in teaching-related skills, or in understanding their importance in future career success and satisfaction. As a result, GTAs are often unsure how to articulate and qualify their teaching experience in a meaningful way. This poster seeks to support participants in harnessing a TA/faculty partnership to implement teaching dossier workshops in their institutions. Specifically, conference attendees can look forward to being able to 1) Describe the importance of teaching for GTA development in both research and teaching settings, with specific reference to transferable skills acquired1 2) List the key content and structure of a teaching dossier1-3, and formulate a framework for its development and 3) Create actionable strategies for implementing faculty/TA partnerships in teaching to support GTAs beyond a one-time workshop4. Developing teaching dossiers offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen TA/faculty collaboration and our goal is that faculty and graduate students can return to their institutions ready to empower GTAs to take responsibility for their professional development as teachers.


1. Seldin et al. (2010). The Teaching Portfolio (Fourth). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.


2. Sidhu (2015). Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, 43(3), 328–334.


3. Foote & Vermette (2001). Journal of Instructional Psychology, 28(1), 31–37.


4. Kurita (2013). International Journal for Academic Development, 18(1), 74–88.