University Teaching Certificate Program
The Department of Political Science has developed a University Teaching Certificate (UTC) program to assist Ph.D students in developing skills and credentials related to university instruction. The Certificate includes four components, all of which must be completed within three years of entering the graduate program. For more information contact Prof. Renee Johnson.
A. Workshops/Sessions:
Students will be expected to attend each of the following workshops at least once. These workshops are offered annually by the Office of Instructional Resources (OIR) (http://www.at.ufl.edu) and/or the University Center for Excellence in Teaching (UCET) (http://www.ucet.ufl.edu). When workshops are offered by both OIR and UCET attendance can be at either site.
Students should have attendance at each of the following workshops verified by a faculty organizer/presenter at the workshop, or by any faculty member in attendance. Faculty signatures on the lines below will certify completion of the workshop portion of the UTC.
- Getting Started (OIR)
- Lecture Planning (OIR)
- Testing and Grading (OIR)
- Psychology of Learning (UCET)
- Legal Issues in the Classroom (UCET)
- Diversity in the Classroom (OIR, UCET)
- Student Feedback (OIR)
- Creating a Teaching Portfolio (OIR, UCET)
- Leading Discussions (OIR)
- Dealing with Classroom Problems (OIR)
B. Texts:
Each graduate student will be required to purchase a text on college teaching and a UTC custom copies reader as resources for undergraduate instruction. The reader will be available from Goering's Book Store on University Avenue. Students will be expected to read both the book and the reader in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the UTC. In addition, students will draw upon these required readings to compose a teaching statement of approximately 5 pages. This statement will be included in the Teaching Portfolio, and it may be included in nomination packets for the departmental awards for instructional excellence.
Text: Joseph Lowman. 1995. Mastering the Techniques of Teaching, 2nd Edition. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Reader (Sections):
- Teaching Skills
- Course Construction
- Classroom Dynamics
- Introductory Course Syllabi
The following web sites are recommended, but not required, for graduate student instructors seeking information about undergraduate teaching:
- Teaching Portfolios. Center for Teaching Excellence at Iowa State University
- Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Kansas
- H-Teachpol at H-net (Humanities and Social Sciences Online). Michigan State University.
- PS: Political Science and Politics. American Political Science Association.
- University of Florida's University Center for Excellence in Teaching teaching links.
C. Faculty Teaching Evaluation:
Each graduate student instructor will be evaluated by a faculty member in his or her sub-field, preferably a faculty member who is or is likely to be a member of the student's dissertation committee. Each graduate student instructor will be responsible for soliciting an evaluation of the student's teaching from a faculty member during each semester of instruction. Evaluation requires attendance at one class meeting, a follow-up meeting between the faculty member and the graduate student instructor to discuss the faculty observations and feedback, and a faculty letter of evaluation for the student's file/teaching portfolio. A copy of each faculty letter of evaluation will also be filed in the Department. In the case of a substandard evaluation, a second faculty visit can be arranged as a basis for the letter of evaluation. Students are encouraged to prepare for this teaching evaluation by contacting a faculty member and securing a commitment to the evaluation well in advance of the end of the semester.
D. Creation of a Teaching Portfolio:
Each student enrolled in the UTC program will create a teaching portfolio. The teaching portfolio will demonstrate experience in college teaching and will be a useful tool for entry into the academic job market.
Although these items are not exhaustive, the Teaching Portfolio will contain the following materials:
- Copies of syllabi for all courses developed and taught by the graduate student instructor.
- Copies of teaching materials developed by the student instructor.
- Copies of course evaluations.
- A curriculum vitae.
- A faculty letter of course evaluation.
- A personal statement of teaching philosophy of approximately 5 pages in length.
- A departmental statement on the UTC program.
E. Citations:
Section 1. Teaching Skills:
- Jackson, M.W. "Skimming the Surface or Going Deep?" PS. September, 1995. 512-524.
- Kassiola, Joel J. "Rationally Persuasive Writing Is Like House Painting: It's All in the Preliminaries." PS. September, 1992. 534-537.
- King, Charles. "Battling the Six Evil Geniuses of Essay Writing. PS. March, 1998. 59-63.
- Cohen, Mel. "Making Critical Thinking a Classroom Reality." PS. June, 1993. 241-244.
Section 2. Course Construction:
- Wahlke, John C. "Liberal Learning and the Political Science Major: A Report to the Profession." PS: Political Science and Politics. March, 1991. 48-60.
- Young, Jerome. "Computers and Course Construction: Evolution of a Cyberclass." PS. September, 1998. 568-572.
- Ball, William J. "Using the Internet as a Teaching Tool: Why Wait Any Longer?" PS. December, 1995. 718-720.
Section 3. Classroom Dynamics:
- Langbein, Laura I. "The Validity of Student Evaluations of Teaching." PS. 545-553.
- Sandler, Bernice Resnick, Lisa A. Silverberg, and Roberta M. Hall. "How the Classroom Experience is Different for Women and Men." In The Chilly Classroom Climate: A Guide to Improve the Education of Women. Washington, D.C.: National Association for Women in Education. 7-28.
- Schneider, Alison. "Insubordination and Intimidation Signal the End of Decorum in Many Classrooms." The Chronicle of Higher Education. March 27, 1998.
Section 4. University of Florida Political Science Department Syllabi:
- "The Political Science Course Syllabi Project: Selections from the Editors' Introductions to Five Introductory Course Collections." PS. September, 1992. 541-545.
