Teaching Philosophies &
Statements
Some useful information about the ins and
outs of a Teaching Philosophy
How to start - How to finish
FAQ’s About The Philosophy
Of Teaching Statement
• What is the purpose of a Philosophy of
Teaching Statement?
• How do I begin writing a teaching
philosophy statement?
• How should one put together a
philosophy of teaching statement?
• What are the major components of
a philosophy of teaching
statement?
How should one put together a
philosophy of teaching statement?
• The way in which a statement of teaching
philosophy is structured and worded is
individual.
• Disciplinary preferences can also affect the
way in which a statement is presented in
terms of length, content, and format.
• Despite these differences, some common
rules of thumb for formatting such a
document have emerged over the years.
• 1. Philosophy of teaching statements
are usually brief, one or two pages long.
For some purposes, an extended
description is appropriate, but length
should suit the context.
• 2. Most statements avoid technical
terms and favor language and concepts
that can be broadly appreciated. A
general rule is that the statement should
be written with the audience in mind.
• 3. Narrative, first-person approaches are
generally appropriate. In some fields, a more
creative approach, such as a poem, might be
appropriate and valued. But in most
situations, a straightforward, well-organized
statement is preferred.
Some Examples of Format are:
• * Essay
• * Questions & Answers
• * Creative: poem or extended metaphor
• 4. The statement should be reflective
and personal. What brings a teaching
philosophy to life is the extent to which it
creates a vivid portrait of a person who
is intentional about teaching practices
and committed to his/her career.
What is the purpose of developing
a philosophy of teaching?
Why do teachers need to articulate their philosophy of
teaching? What purposes does a philosophy of
teaching serve? In his book, The Skillful Teacher
(1990), Stephen Brookfield points out that the
development of a teaching philosophy can be used
for four purposes:
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Personal Purposes
Political Purposes
Professional Purposes
Pedagogical Purposes
• 1. Personal purpose: “... a distinctive
organizing vision–a clear picture of why
you are doing what you are doing that
you can call up at points of crisis– is
crucial to your personal sanity and
morale.” (p. 16)
• 2. Political purpose: “... a sense that your
position is grounded in a well-developed and
carefully conceived philosophy of practice....
You are more likely to gain a measure of
respect for your thoughtfulness and
commitment, which is important both for your
self-esteem and for your political survival.” (p.
17)
• 3. Professional purpose: “... a
commitment to a shared rationale for
college teaching is important for the
development of a collective identity and,
hence, for the development of
professional strengths among teachers.”
(pp. 17-18)
• 4. Pedagogical purpose: “Teaching is about
making some kind of dent in the world so that
the world is different than it was before you
practiced your craft. Knowing clearly what
kind of dent you want to make in the world
means that you must continually ask yourself
the most fundamental evaluative questions of
all–What effect am I having on students and
on their learning?” (pp. 18-19)
What are the major
components of a philosophy of
teaching statement?
• each statement of teaching philosophy is very
personal by nature. Therefore, it should be up
to instructors to decide what components to
include in their own statements. However,
here is some general information:
• In her article (Chism, 1998), “Developing a
Philosophy of Teaching Statement,” Nancy
Chism, former Director of the Office of Faculty
and TA Development at The Ohio State
University, suggests five major components.
They are:
1. Conceptualization of
learning
• Ask yourself such questions as “What
do we mean by learning?” and “What
happens in a learning situation?” Think
of your answers to these questions
based on your personal experience.
1.Conceptualization of Learning
• Here are some exemplary metaphors of
learning (Grasha, 1996):
Containers: “Knowledge is viewed as a
substance and the instructor is a
container filled with content and facts.
The student is perceived as a vessel
wanting to be filled up.” (p. 35)
Conceptualization of Learning
Journey-Guide: “Knowledge is perceived as a
perspective on the horizon. The teacher
guides students on their journey. Students
need to follow a course, must overcome
obstacles and hurdles, .... they will come to
the end of their journey.” (p.35)
1. Conceptualization of
learning
Master-Disciple: “Knowledge is a skill or habit to
be learned. The instructor trains students and
the students ideally do what they are told
without questioning the master.” (p.35)
1. Conceptualization of
learning
How do you perceive learning? What do you
see happening in a learning situation? What
is your metaphor of learning?
2. Conceptualization of
teaching
• Ask yourself questions such as “What
do we mean by teaching?” and “How do
I facilitate this process as a teacher?”
• Again, the metaphor format can be
used, but a common practice is a more
direct description of the nature of a
teacher with respect to motivating and
facilitating learning.
2. Conceptualization of
teaching
• You may also address such issues as how to
challenge students intellectually and support
them academically and how the teacher can
respond to different learning styles, help
students who are frustrated, and
accommodate different abilities. Furthermore,
you may talk about how you as a teacher
have come to these conclusions (e.g.,
through past experience as a student or
teacher, or result of literature reading or
taking classes).
2. Conceptualization of
teaching
• How do you perceive teaching? What
role(s) do you see yourself playing as a
teacher in the teaching-learning
process?
3. Goals for students
• The description of what skills the teacher
expects her/his students to obtain as the
results of learning. You may address such
issues as what goals you set for your classes,
what is the rationale behind them, what kind
of activities you try to implement in class in
order to reach these goals, and how the goals
have changed over time as you learn more
about teaching and learning.
3. Goals for students
• For instance, you can describe how you
have expected students to learn not
only the content, but also skills such as
critical thinking, writing, and problem
solving, followed by elaboration on how
you have designed/planned individual
sessions towards accomplishing the
goals.
3. Goals for students
• What goals have you set for your
class(es)? Why so? Has reading this
section made you rethink goal setting
for your students?
4. Implementation of the
philosophy
• An important component of the
statement of a teaching philosophy
should be the illustration of how one’s
concepts about teaching and learning
and goals for students are transformed
into classroom activities.
4. Implementation of the
philosophy
• Ask yourself, “How do I operationalize my
philosophy of teaching in the classroom?”
and “What personal characteristics in myself
or my students influence the way in which I
approach teaching?” To answer these
questions, you may reflect on how you
present yourself and course materials, what
activities, assignments, and projects you
implement in the teaching-learning process,
how you interact with students in and outside
class, and the consequences.
4. Implementation of the
philosophy
• Ask yourself, “How do I operationalize my
philosophy of teaching in the classroom?”
and “What personal characteristics in myself
or my students influence the way in which I
approach teaching?” To answer these
questions, you may reflect on how you
present yourself and course materials, what
activities, assignments, and projects you
implement in the teaching-learning process,
how you interact with students in and outside
class, and the consequences.
5. Professional growth plan
• It is important for teachers to continue
professional growth, and to do so,
teachers need to set clear goals and
means to accomplish these goals. Think
about questions such as “What goals
have I set for myself as a teacher?” and
“How do I accomplish these goals?”
There are other suggestions
for structuring the statement
of teaching philosophy in a
somewhat different way
1. Integration of responsibilities. Goodyear
and Allchin feel strongly that teaching, research,
and public service are the main missions of
university faculty. Each teacher therefore should
explicitly describe what they do in carrying out
these three missions in their statements of
teaching philosophy.
•2. Expertise. Goodyear and Allchin suggest
that it is important for faculty to link their special
knowledge or expertise in the field to ways of
helping their students learn that knowledge and
communicate with students effectively during this
teaching-learning process.
•3. Relationships. Goodyear and Allchin see a
healthy relationship between the teacher and
students as “essential to successful teaching.”
Ways in which a teacher establishes such a
relationship, such as getting to know students,
specific ways of building rapport with students,
and special teaching techniques used, should be
explicitly described in his or her statement of
teaching philosophy.
•4. Learning environment. In conjunction with
the previous issue, Goodyear and Allchin
suggest that teachers can illustrate what they
have done to create a supportive learning
environment in their classes socially,
psychologically, and physically to help students
learn.
•5. Methods, strategies, and innovation.
Goodyear and Allchin believe that faculty should
use teaching philosophy statements to reflect
their teaching practice, both past and present, as
well as to illustrate how special teaching
techniques they use are in compliance with their
teaching philosophy.
•6. Outcomes. Goodyear and Allchin suggest
that teachers can demonstrate in their
statements of teaching philosophy how the
previous efforts have produced anticipated
outcomes, i. e., students have learned the
subject matter and they are able to use the
knowledge learned in class to solve the realworld problems.
References
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Brookfield, S. (1990). The skillful teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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Chism, N. V. N. (1998). Developing a philosophy of teaching
statement. Essays on Teaching Excellence, 9 (3), 1-2.
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Fuhrmann, B. S., & Grasha, A. F. (1983). A practical handbook for
college teachers. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
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Grasha, A. F. (1996). Teaching with style: A practical guide to
enhancing learning by understanding teaching and learning styles.
Alliance Publishers.
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Goodyear, G. E. & Allchin, D. (1998) Statement of teaching
philosophy. To Improve the Academy, 17, 103-22. Stillwater, OK: New
Forums Press.
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O'Neil, C., & Wright, A. (1993). Recording teaching accomplishment.
(4th ed). Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA: Dalhousie University.
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Seldin, P., & Associates (1993). Successful use of teaching
portfolios. Bolton, MA: Anker.