TeaCHE FAQ
General Questions
5. In what form should I turn in my final packet? Electronically or in a physical binder?
6. Is TeaCHE a formal certification program or a credentialed degree? Is there a cost?
7. For which Categories do I need to fill out the Activity Tracking Forms?
Category 1
8. Is my department's training course for Teachers of Record (TORs) approved to fulfill Category 1?
Category 2
11. Where do I sign up for the Teacher of Record Training to fulfill Category 2?
Category 3
Category 4
16. Do I need to go through the ATL to set up a teaching observation?
Category 5
20. How do I document attending a conference for points in Category 5 (Item D)?
22. May I count activities that I completed before beginning TeaCHE toward points in Category 5?
23. Do you have any sample Activity Tracking Forms for Category 5 that I could look at?
General Questions
Of course, the answer is different for everyone. But we generally recommend waiting until the latter part of your graduate program, probably the last year or two. By this time many students will have already completed a number of the requirements for TeaCHE and will have the opportunity to teach as Teachers of Record (TORs) in their own departments, which will facilitate the completion of the remaining TeaCHE requirements. Check and see how your department's requirements correspond to those of TeaCHE.
2. Is there a penalty for declaring my intention to pursue the teaching capstone but not completing it? Will my attempt appear on my transcript?
No, there is no penalty for not completing TeaCHE. If you complete the program you will receive a sentence on your transcript stating your completion, but if you do not complete the program your transcript will not be affected. Of course, we would like you to finish, but we understand that circumstances can be unpredictable. If you are unable to finish, we hope that at least some of what you accomplished was worthwhile for your future career as an educator. You may withdraw at any time.
3. What are the deadlines to turn in the TeaCHE Intent to Participate form and submit the final TeaCHE portfolio in order to have TeaCHE appear on my transcript in time for graduation?
The deadline to submit the TeaCHE Intent to Participate form is four weeks after the first day of classes in the fall semester. You then have the remainder of the academic year to complete the requirements. If you are graduating, the final TeaCHE packet is due two weeks before the last day of classes in the Spring semester. Otherwise, final packets must be submitted by the last day of Spring classes of the academic year in which you signed up.
4. What if I will not be able to complete all my TeaCHE requirements before the deadline? May I ask for an extension?
Unfortunately we cannot grant extensions on the TeaCHE deadline. Please plan your schedule accordingly so that you will be able to complete the program in time.
5. In what form should I turn in my final packet? Electronically or in a physical binder?
Please turn in your completed TeaCHE portfolio as a single PDF file. Submit the packet to atl@baylor.edu. Exercise your best attention to detail and thoughtfulness when sequencing your final packet according to the program completion page and Submission Checklist. Sloppy or unclear submissions will be returned.
6. Is TeaCHE a formal certification program or a credentialed degree? Is there a cost?
No, TeaCHE is not a formal certification program or a credentialed degree. It is not accredited by an outside board. It is a program offered by the Academy for Teaching & Learning in cooperation with the Graduate School to help you prepare for teaching in higher education and to increase your marketability upon graduation. As such, there are no continuing education requirements to do after completing TeaCHE nor is there a cost to participate in TeaCHE.
7. For which Categories do I need to fill out the Activity Tracking Forms?
The Activity Tracking Form is versatile form designed for reporting activities you complete in Category 5. The other Categories (1-4) either have their own forms or do not need a tracking form (that is, attendance is sufficient). It is always a good idea, however, to keep your own record of what you attend and tasks you perform, in case there are any discrepancies with our records.
Category 1
8. Is my department's departmental training course for Teachers of Record (TORs) approved to fulfill Category 1?
Please see the list of Graduate School-approved departmental training courses for preparation of Teachers of Record (TORs). If your department's training course is not listed, please review our guidelines and contact us to see if it can be approved.
9. If I am attending five SETs to fulfill Category 1, do I need to fill out an Activity Tracking Form for each one?
No, if you are fulfilling Category 1 by attending five Seminars for Excellence in Teaching, then your attendance at the SETs is all that is required. But please note that to receive points in Category 5 for any SET that you attend after these first five, you must fill out an Activity Tracking Form, beginning with the sixth SET. SETs you attend to fulfill Category 1 cannot be used for points in Category 5.
10. If I am using an option other than SETs to fulfill Category 1, does that mean that any SET that I attend counts immediately toward my points for Category 5?
Yes! If you fulfilled Category 1 either by participating in your department's training course for Teachers of Record (TORs) or by taking EDL 6302 or by participating in the ATL's Foundations for Teaching Workshop, then every Seminar for Excellence in Teaching that you attend can count for points toward Item I of Category 5 (so long as you fill out an Activity Tracking Form for each SET). If, however, you are using five SETs to fulfill Category 1, then only SETs you attend after your first five may count for points in Category 5.
Category 2
11. Where do I sign up for the Teacher of Record Training to fulfill Category 2?
These training sessions generally occur once or twice per semester. Notifications for upcoming sessions are sent to new TORs and to TeaCHE participants with links and instructions for registering. You can also learn about scheduled sessions and how to register by contacting Alanna Martinez at the Graduate School.
Category 3
12. I can't find a peer reviewer for my Statement of Teaching Philosophy or my Syllabi. What should I do?
Graduate students are asked when they submit the Intent to Participate for TeaCHE if they are willing to serve as peer reviewers. Contact the ATL for help finding one of these volunteer peer reviewers.
Category 4
13. I am not currently teaching a course. How can I arrange a teaching observation of myself to fulfill Category 4?
Perhaps there is a faculty member in your department who would be willing to allow you to give a lecture in their place for one class period. Or perhaps one is going out of town or attending a conference and could use a substitute for a day. Or perhaps a fellow graduate student would be willing to give you their class session for a day. (You could always remind them about the time it will save them!)
14. May I have another graduate student, rather than a faculty member, observe my teaching to fulfill Category 4?
No, unless the graduate student is a Graduate Fellow of the Academy for Teaching and Learning assigned to observe you by the ATL. Otherwise you must make arrangements with a faculty member to observe your teaching. We recognize that you can benefit from having a peer observe your teaching, but to ensure the quality and consistency of the capstone we require that you be observed by a credentialed faculty member to receive TeaCHE credit for Category 4.
15. Whom do I contact at the Academy for Teaching and Learning to arrange for someone to observe my teaching to help me fulfill Category 4?
Please contact the ATL Office to set up an observation.
16. Do I need to go through the ATL to set up a teaching observation?
No, the observation does not need to be done by someone from ATL to fulfill the TeaCHE requirement. You can have any faculty member observe you, including someone from your own department. Remember to provide them with the appropriate observation forms.
Category 5
17. Do items I completed for other Categories (like SETs for Category 1 or Teaching Observations for Category 4) count toward my points for Category 5?
No, items used to complete Categories 1-4 do not count for points in Category 5. In other words, if you take five SETs to complete Category 1, those five SETs do not count for points in Category 5 (Item I). But every SET you take after five begins counting. Likewise, the first time you observe a faculty member to fulfill the requirement of Category 4, it will not also count as points in Category 5 (Item B). But every time thereafter (up to three) that you observe a faculty member you will receive points for Category 5. Similarly, if your department offers its own training session for Teachers of Record and you use this to complete Category 1, then you cannot receive points for it in Category 5. But this means that any SET you take will immediately count for points in Category 5, since you are not using them to fulfill Category 1.
18. For Category 5, do I need to fill out an Activity Tracking Form for each activity I complete or just one form for each section listing all the activities I completed in that section?
To receive points you need to fill out an Activity Tracking Form for each activity you complete, explaining what you learned and why it was beneficial to your growth as an educator. In other words, if you attend three SETs, you need to fill out three separate Activity Tracking Forms (one form for each SET, not one form for all three).
19. Do Graduate Pathways for Success workshops offered by the Graduate School count toward points for Category 5 (Item A)?
Currently, two GPS workshops count for points in Category 5 (Item A)
- In a Class of Your Own: Writing Your Statement of Teaching Philosophy
- Primed for Success: Becoming a "Quick Starter" in Your First Academic Job
The teaching philosophy is part of the requirements for Category 3, so this could be a very beneficial session to attend because it will help with Category 3 and count as Category 5 points (perhaps the closest thing to a "double dip" in all of TeaCHE). The quick starters workshop addresses balancing teaching load with the other expectations of a new faculty member. The other GPS sessions are directed toward career and professional development and, therefore, do not count for TeaCHE credit.
20. How do I document attending a conference for points in Category 5 (Item D)?
If you attend multiple sessions of the conference (at least 2-3), you can earn 5 points total by keeping a record of what you attended and discussing what you learned at each session using a single Activity Tracking Form. Please note, you do not earn points for each session you attend, but 5 points total for attending the "whole" conference (i.e., multiple sessions).
21. Is there a limit to the number of points I can earn through the same item in Category 5? For example, could I earn all 50 of my points by attending SETs?
While there is nothing to prevent you from earning all your points from the same item in Category 5, we would, of course, encourage you to build your points from a wide range of activities (SETs, readings, observations, etc.) because this will be most beneficial to you as a future professor. Please also note that some of the items have limits imposed on them that would make earning all your points from that single item impossible. Others have no limits. The detailed description for each category indicates whether it has limits or not.
22. May I count activities that I completed before beginning TeaCHE toward points in Category 5?
The answer is yes, but with restrictions. All activities must have been completed while pursuing your current degree at Baylor. Activities done under a previous degree or at a previous institution cannot count. You must still fill out an Activity Tracking Form for each activity, and if you find yourself having trouble remembering what you did or what you learned, that may be a sign that you are stretching the limits of Category 5's intention. For instance, if you won a teaching award or presented in a conference on higher education as a Baylor graduate student the year before you signed up for TeaCHE, then you may count these activities toward your 50 points by writing up an Activity Tracking Form for each. But if you once attended a SET at the beginning of your graduate education at Baylor and remember next to nothing about it, we ask that you not count this toward your 50 points. We expect the bulk of your 50 points to come from activities you complete after signing up for TeaCHE, but we do not wish to keep you from being able to count significant activities that occurred before signing up.