The Teaching Transcript Program provides Princeton graduate students and post-doctoral researchers opportunities to develop as self-reflective teachers who identify what they want their students to learn and then create strategies to promote and assess that learning.

The program includes workshops on a wide range of issues related to teaching and academic careers, lunchtime discussions with faculty who are distinguished teachers, and a teaching observation. It culminates with the preparation of an original course syllabus and a statement of teaching philosophy, which is increasingly important in academic job searches.

Upon completion of the program, participants receive a certificate and a letter of completion that documents their pedagogical training. As a demonstration of a commitment to effective teaching, the transcript certificate and letter of completion may be included with application materials for academic positions, added to a Graduate School dossier, or added to a departmental job placement folder.

Graduate students typically complete the five components of the program below within one to two years.

Graduate students who wish to complete this program must:

1. Attend the University-wide AI Orientation (offered by the McGraw Center each semester) and receive a certificate of participation.

2. Complete a minimum of one semester as an AI. The appointment should include direct interaction with students.

3. While serving as an AI, have a class visit and feedback session with a consultant from the McGraw Center. This should be within the first nine weeks of the semester. Normally, this class observation will include videotaping for personal use and reflection. Requests for class visits can be made online from our website.

4. In no particular order, participate in at least five structured pedagogy programs sponsored by the McGraw Center or other academic departments or units on campus, such as the Princeton Writing Program and the Council on Science and Technology. Three of the five required programs may be in an academic department or other campus units. See our Programs and Workshops page for sessions identified as "Pedagogy," for those which are related to the Teaching Transcript Program.

5. Draft and revise a statement of teaching philosophy and an original syllabus for an introductory or lower-level disciplinary course.

For further information about the program, please contact Jeff Himpele, associate director of the center, at jhimpele@princeton.edu or 8-8158. To begin the process of establishing a Teaching Transcript, contact our office manager, Sandy Moskovitz at smoskovi@princeton.edu.

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