UC SANTA BARBARA CERTIFICATE IN COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY TEACHING

TEACHING PORTFOLIO

The Certificate in College and University Teaching (CCUT) at UC Santa Barbara is a professional credential that demonstrates my advanced preparation for teaching in higher education. It affirms my pedagogical expertise across five competencies: integrating research-based teaching methods, fostering inclusive learning environments, evaluating instructional design, independently leading a course, and articulating a reflective teaching philosophy.

The following is an online version of my comprehensive teaching portfolio submitted in completion of the CCUT. This culminating dossier includes a teaching philosophy statement, syllabi, instructional materials, student evaluations, and a reflection on my pedagogical growth. It has been reviewed and approved by a four-person Faculty Advisory Board as well as the director for the Center for Innovative Teaching, Research, and Learning.

Teaching Philosophy Statement

My teaching philosophy is centered on a commitment to accessible, inclusive, interactive, and student-driven pedagogy, grounded in the Universal Design for Learning framework. By empowering diverse learners through scaffolded assignments, flexible evaluation, and multimodal, discussion-based course design, I foster critical thinking, student agency, and equitable learning outcomes.

Diversity Statement

As a Latino academic at a public research university, I am committed to enriching teaching and scholarship by drawing on a wide spectrum of backgrounds and decentering Eurocentric narratives in history and related disciplines. My work expands research contexts and reframes course content to highlight marginalized voices.

Evidence-Based Teaching Project

“Educating through Earbuds: Implementing the Activating Podcast Method in University Humanities Classrooms” is a research paper on my implementation and refinement of the “Activating Podcast Method” within university-level History courses, transitioning from traditional lectures to a flipped classroom model that prioritizes active discussion.

Teaching Narrative

My teaching practice has evolved over my five years of university teaching. In that time, I adopted and realized Universal Design for Learning principles as the foundational framework enabling me to move beyond intuitive practices to intentional, theoretically grounded course design that meets diverse student needs.