Why You Need a Statement of Teaching Philosophy and How to

Develop One

Marie Kendall Brown, Ph.D.Assistant Director for Teaching and Learning

October 22, 2013SIGS PLAN Workshop

Consider your own assumptions about teaching and how these assumptions inform your philosophy of teaching

Identify key components of successful teaching philosophy statements

Compare and contrast sample teaching philosophy statements from a range of disciplinary perspectives

Begin writing your own teaching philosophy statement

Session Objectives

GROUP 1

Consider your best teacher.

What characteristics describe this individual?

What do these characteristics represent?

Getting Started…Reflection

GROUP 2

Consider your best learning experience.

What characteristics describe the experience?

What do these characteristics represent?

“Just because you have never written a statement of your teaching philosophy does not mean you do not have a philosophy. If you engage a group of learners who are your responsibility, then your behavior in designing their learning environment must follow from your philosophical orientation… What you need to do is discover what [your philosophy] is and then make it explicit.” -- Coppola (2000)

What is your teaching philosophy?

Requests for teaching philosophies are common in the academic marketplace

“A survey of 457 search committee chairs in six disciplines (English, history, political science, psychology, biology, and chemistry) found that 57% requested a teaching statement at some point in the job search”

SURPRISE! Requests for teaching philosophies were most frequent in the natural sciences!

Why You Need a Teaching Philosophy Statement

Reference: O’Neal, Meizlish, & Kaplan (2007)

The Teaching Perspectives Inventory

ACTIONS - What do you do when instructing or teaching?

INTENTIONS - What do you try to accomplish in your instruction or

teaching?

BELIEFS - What do you believe about instructing or teaching?

Access the Teaching Perspectives Inventory here: http://www.teachingperspectives.com

Five Different Perspectives on Good Teaching

Transmission• Effective teaching requires a substantial commitment to

the content or subject matter. Good teachers have mastery of the subject matter or content.

Apprenticeship• Effective teaching is a process of socializing students into

a set of social norms and ways of working. Good teachers are highly skilled at what they teach.

Developmental

• Effective teaching must be planned and conducted “from the learner’s point of view.” Good teachers must understand how their learners think and reason about the content.

Nurturing

• Effective teaching assumes that long-term, hard, persistent effort to achieve comes from the heart, as well as the head. People are motivated and productive learners when they are working on issues or problems without fear of failure.

Social Reform

• Effective teaching seeks to change society in substantive ways. From this point of view, the object of teaching is the collective rather than the individual. Good teachers awaken students to the values and ideologies that are embedded in texts and common practices within their discipline.

In general, how do you see your primary role as a teacher?

1. Teaching students facts and principles of the subject matter

2. Providing a role model for students3. Helping students develop higher-order thinking skills4. Preparing students for jobs/careers5. Fostering student development and personal growth6. Helping students develop basic learning skills

Another Perspective… Teaching Goals Inventory

http://fm.iowa.uiowa.edu/fmi/xsl/tgi/data_entry.xsl?-db=tgi_data&-lay=Layout01&-view

Access the Teaching Goals Inventory here:

A kind of “mission statement” for anyone committed to teaching

A unique and personal statement that introduce you, as a teacher, to your reader

A description of “how it is you go about teaching”

A writing sample (so make sure it is well-written)

A mirror that reflects the changes in thought and practice that occur during a teacher’s career journey

What is a teaching philosophy statement?

Demonstrates that you are reflective and purposeful about your teaching

Helps to communicate your goals as a teacher Articulates the teaching approaches you use to

achieve your teaching goals Describes how you want to make a difference in

the lives of your students Documents your progress and development Outlines a path of professional improvement

In short: It stimulates genuine reflection about teaching.

What it does…

◦ Individuals who will be entering the job market◦ Individuals who are actively on the job market◦ New instructors◦ Experienced instructors◦ Individuals who are seeking promotion◦ Individuals who are preparing for their annual

review

In short: Every practicing educator can benefit.

Who should have one?

1. Your goals for your students2. Your values as a teacher3. Description of how you teach—approaches

and methods you use to achieve your teaching objectives

4. Assumptions about teaching and learning—your justification for why you teach the way you teach

5. Discussion of how you measure your effectiveness vis-à-vis your objectives and methods

Five Key Elements

Be brief… 1-2 pages (at most) is best Avoid technical terms, favor language that

can be broadly appreciated Write with your audience in mind Use a narrative, first-person approach Be straightforward and well-organized Use this as an opportunity for reflection and

introspection: Strive to create a vivid portrait of your teaching practices

Some tips…

You care for students You desire to challenge students You run a student-centered classroom You use of a mixture of lecture and discussion You put students first You are available to students outside of the

classroom You love teaching You have learned a lot from teaching You seek to integrate your research and

teaching

Ideas and buzzwords… (that will not necessarily distinguish your statement)

• A strong opening (e.g., begin with the story of how you developed your teaching philosophy)

Making distinctions between the way you teach different types of courses (e.g., content-oriented vs. skills-oriented, introductory vs. upper-level)

Offering specific descriptions:◦ How your objectives have played out◦ An enlightening moment in the classroom◦ A moment of failure that led to a new way of

teaching◦ A creative strategy or assignment you have used

• Citing your sources: It reflects well to credit individuals and resources who have shaped your teaching

Elements that will distinguish your statement

As a group, let’s choose a statement from the “Faculty Focus” article that we can read and critique:

A Teaching Philosophy Built on Knowledge, Critical Thinking and Curiosity: Health Care Management

A Dynamic Interaction Between Pedagogy and Personality: Psychology

Teaching Philosophy and Assumptions: Education Education as Becoming: English A Nurse Educator’s Philosophy of Teaching: Nursing Teaching and Advising Philosophy and Style: Animal

Science Make Learning Fun: English

Take a few minutes to read the statement carefully, then complete the evaluation rubric.

Sample Teaching Philosophies

Please spend 10 minutes QUICKLY jotting down notes and ideas on the Teaching Philosophy Template.

Be prepared to share your thoughts with your neighbor.

Your Turn!

What are the key insights you gathered from today’s session?

What is one step you will take to toward completing your teaching philosophy statement?

Wrap Up and Next Steps

Thank you!

I am happy to review your work and offer constructive feedback. I can be reached at: marie.brown@louisville.edu

Questions?