Are you looking for ways to demonstrate your teaching skills and commitment to pedagogy? Academic job and grant listings often ask applicants to provide “evidence of teaching excellence,” which might include student evaluations of teaching, letters of recommendation, a teaching portfolio, or credentials in pedagogical professional development.
The Graduate Student Teaching Initiative at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Teaching and Learning provides a credential in pedagogy for Pitt graduate students. Attend six qualifying Teaching Center workshops in three of five possible focus areas (two in each area), such as “Pedagogy” or “Online Teaching,” then complete assignments associated with each workshop, like developing a lesson plan, to earn the University Center for Teaching and Learning’s “Achievement in Pedagogy” badge. Participants also compose a final 2-3 page reflective essay on the impact of the badge on their teaching.
In addition to being able to reference this pedagogy credential in a c.v. or teaching resume, participants will also earn a “digital badge”—an electronic credential specifying the work completed for the badge, which you may share with hiring and grant committees or other third parties.
Register for Pedagogy Badge Online
The following indicates qualifying Teaching Center workshops and the focus areas which they satisfy.
1. Pedagogy | 2. Educational Technology | 3. Professional Development | 4. Online Teaching | 5. Diversity |
Assessing and Developing Writing Assignments | Teaching with (and without) PowerPoint | Developing a Teaching Philosophy Statement | Best Practices in Online Teaching | Teaching Inclusively |
Developing a Lesson Plan | Teaching with Prezi | Developing a Teaching Portfolio | Using Blackboard to Engage Your Students: Communcation and Collaboration | Teaching International Students |
Getting Started in the Classroom | Panopto Video Hosting and Streaming | Role of the TA | ||
Encouraging Student Participation | Audience Response Systems | Teaching Beyond Higher Ed 1 | ||
Syllabus Construction/Development | ||||
Cheating and Plagiarism |
*Please consult our workshops schedule to identify which workshops are offered each semester.
1 Teaching Beyond Higher Ed is a semester-long mentorship program.
Workshop | Deliverable (see content areas for more details) |
Assessing and Developing Writing Assignments | Writing Assignment Rubric |
Developing a Lesson Plan | Lesson Plan |
Getting Started in the Classroom | First Day Lesson Plan |
Encouraging Student Participation | Participation Activity |
Syllabus Construction | Syllabus (excluding calendar of readings) |
Teaching with PowerPoint | PowerPoint Presentation |
Teaching with Prezi | Prezi Presentation |
Cheating and Plagiarism | Personal Academic Integrity Statement |
Panopto Video Hosting and Streaming | Panopto Presentation |
Audience Response Systems | Poll Question Activities |
Developing a Teaching Philosophy Statement | Teaching Philosophy Statement |
Developing a Teaching Portfolio | Teaching Portfolio Prospectus |
Role of the TA | TA Plan |
Best Practices in Online Teaching | Online Course Flowchart |
Using Blackboard to Engage Your Students: Communication and Collaboration | Discussion Board Activity |