Teaching Principles
Montclair’s Teaching Principles articulate the teaching values and practices recognized by the University and serve as a guide for faculty teaching development and professional advancement.
The Montclair Teaching Principles were written by the Office for Faculty Excellence Advisory Board in consultation with the University’s Provost, deans, and faculty who provided suggestions and feedback during the drafting process, in college meetings, through surveys, and in University Senate reviews. The Dean’s Council and the Provost approved these Principles in April 2021.
Montclair faculty are advised to use these Principles to guide their teaching development and professional advancement. They reflect our values as well as research in teaching, and they are a useful guide to both self-evaluation and evaluation of other instructors.
The University’s Teaching Principles are listed below, with each principle’s title linking to a detailed page that explains the principle, its rationale, and provides resources to assist faculty in incorporating these principles into their teaching practices.
Teaching Principles At-a-Glance
Clear Course Design
Provide clear expectations and explicit course learning goals to foster student success.
Pedagogical Strategies That Support Learning
Use appropriate teaching strategies to build and foster an inclusive learning climate that allows for transformative learning for each student.
Inclusivity and Diversity
Develop and teach courses through inclusion of content from multiple perspectives, considering diversity in all its forms, as understanding differing experiences is critical for all students’ deep learning.
Universal Design for Learning
Design and deliver all course elements for maximum accessibility to give every student equitable opportunities for success.
Teaching as Reflective Practice
Reflect on your teaching practices and beliefs to maximize self-awareness and continual improvement.
Disciplinary Excellence
Create and deliver a coherent course of study with activities and assessment strategies that are consonant with current best thinking in the discipline.
