personal philosophy of teaching essay

4 Teaching Philosophy Statement Examples

Develop Your Own Teaching Philosophy

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An educational philosophy statement or teaching philosophy statement is a brief essay that all nearly prospective teachers are required to write. Vanderbilt University explains:

"A teaching (philosophy) statement is a purposeful and reflective essay about the author’s teaching beliefs and practices. It is an individual narrative that includes not only one’s beliefs about the teaching and learning process but also concrete examples of the ways in which he or she enacts these beliefs in the classroom."

A well-crafted teaching statement gives a clear and unique portrait of the author as a teacher. Ohio State University's Center for the Advancement of Teaching further explains that a teaching philosophy statement is important because a clear philosophy of teaching can lead to a change in teaching behavior and foster professional and personal growth.

Examples of Teaching Philosophy Statements

This passage is an example of a strong statement of teaching philosophy because it puts students where they belong in education: at the front and center of a teacher's focus. An author who writes such as a statement is likely to continuously examine and verify this philosophy by always ensuring that student needs are the primary focus of all lessons and schoolwork.

"My philosophy of education is that all children are unique and must have a stimulating educational environment where they can grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. It is my desire to create this type of atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. I will provide a safe environment where students are invited to share their ideas and take risks.

"I believe that there are five essential elements that are conducive to learning. (1) The teacher's role is to act as a guide. (2) Students must have access to hands-on activities. (3) Students should be able to have choices and let their curiosity direct their learning. (4) Students need the opportunity to practice skills in a safe environment. (5) Technology must be incorporated into the school day."

The following statement is a good example of a teaching philosophy because the author emphasizes that all classrooms, and indeed all students, are unique and have specific learning needs and styles. A teacher with such a philosophy is likely to ensure that she spends time helping each student achieve her highest potential.

"I believe that all children are unique and have something special that they can bring to their own education. I will assist my students to express themselves and accept themselves for who they are, as well embrace the differences of others.

"Every classroom has its own unique community; my role as the teacher will be to assist each child in developing their own potential and learning styles. I will present a curriculum that will incorporate each different learning style, as well as make the content relevant to the students' lives. I will incorporate hands-on learning, cooperative learning, projects, themes, and individual work that engage and activate students learning." 

This statement provides a solid example because the author emphasizes the moral objective of teaching: that she will hold each student to the highest expectations and ensure that each one is diligent in her studies. Implied in this statement is that the teacher will not give up on even a single recalcitrant student.

"I believe that a teacher is morally obligated to enter the classroom with only the highest of expectations for each and every one of her students. Thus, the teacher maximizes the positive benefits that naturally come along with any self-fulfilling prophecy. With dedication, perseverance, and hard work, her students will rise to the occasion."

"I aim to bring an open mind, a positive attitude, and high expectations to the classroom each day. I believe that I owe it to my students, as well as the community, to bring consistency, diligence, and warmth to my job in the hope that I can ultimately inspire and encourage such traits in the children as well."

The following statement takes a slightly different tack: Classrooms should be warm and caring communities. Unlike the previous statements, this one minimizes the individuality of students and emphasizes that, essentially, it take a village to foster truly community-based learning. All teaching strategies then, such as morning meetings and community problem solving, follow this philosophy.

"I believe that a classroom should be a safe, caring community where children are free to speak their mind and blossom and grow. I will use strategies to ensure our classroom community will flourish, like the morning meeting, positive vs. negative discipline, classroom jobs, and problem-solving skills.

"Teaching is a process of learning from your students, colleagues, parents, and the community. This is a lifelong process where you learn new strategies, new ideas, and new philosophies. Over time, my educational philosophy may change, and that's okay. That just means that I have grown and learned new things."

Components of a Teaching Philosophy Statement

A teaching philosophy statement should include an introduction, body, and conclusion—just as you would expect of your students if they were writing a paper. But there are specific components that you need to include in any such statement:

Introduction: This should be your thesis statement where you discuss your general belief about education (such as: "I believe all students have a right to learn") as well as your ideals in relation to teaching. You should "begin with the end," says James M. Lang in an Aug. 29, 2010, article titled, " 4 Steps to a Memorable Teaching Philosophy " published in "The Chronicle of Higher Education." Lang says you should consider what the students will have learned once they depart your class, after having been guided by your teaching philosophy and strategies.

Body: ​In this part of the statement, discuss what you see as the ideal classroom environment and how it makes you a better teacher, addresses student needs, and facilitates parent/child interactions. Discuss how you would facilitate age-appropriate learning , and how you involve students in the assessment process . Explain how you would put your educational ​​ideals into practice.

Lang says that you should clearly state your goals and objectives for students. Layout specifically what you hope your teaching will help students to accomplish. Be specific by telling a story or offering "a detailed description of an innovative or interesting teaching strategy you have used," says Lang. Doing so, helps your reader understand how your teaching philosophy would play out in the classroom.

Conclusion : In this section, talk about your goals as a teacher, how you have been able to meet them in the past, and how you can build on these to meet future challenges. Focus on your personal approach to pedagogy and classroom management, as well as what makes you unique as an educator, and how you wish to advance your career to further support education.

Lang notes that, while you don't need to use official citation style, you should cite your sources. Explain where your teaching philosophy originated—for example, from your experiences as an undergraduate, from a faculty mentor you worked with during your teacher-training program, or perhaps from books or articles on teaching that had a particular influence on you.

Formatting Your Statement

In addition to considering the type of teaching philosophy to write, Ohio State University offers some general formatting suggestions. The Ohio State University Center for the Advancement of Teaching states:

Statement Format

"There is no required content or set format. There is no right or wrong way to write a philosophy statement, which is why it is so challenging for most people to write one. You may decide to write in prose, use famous quotes, create visuals, use a question/answer format, etc."

There are, however, some general rules to follow when writing a teaching philosophy statement, says the university's teacher-training department:

Keep it brief. The statement should be no more than one to two pages, according to the Ohio State University Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

Use present tense , and write the statement in the first person, as the previous examples illustrate.

Avoid jargon. Use common, everyday language, not "technical terms," the university advises.

Create a "vivid portrait" that includes "strategies and methods ... (to help) your reader take a mental 'peek' into your classroom," adds the Ohio State University Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

Additionally, make sure you talk about " your  experiences and  your  beliefs" and ensure your statement is original and truly describes the methods and philosophy you would employ in teaching, the university adds.

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Your teaching philosophy is a self-reflective statement of your beliefs about teaching and learning. It's a one to two page narrative that conveys your core ideas about being an effective teacher in the context of your discipline. It develops these ideas with specific, concrete examples of what the teacher and learners will do to achieve those goals. Importantly, your teaching philosophy statement also explains why you choose these options.

+ Getting Started

Your reasons for writing a teaching philosophy may vary. You might be writing it as an exercise in concisely documenting your beliefs so that you can easily articulate them to your students, peers, or a search committee. It might serve as the introduction to your teaching portfolio. Or, it can serve as a means of professional growth as it requires you to give examples of how you enact your philosophy, thus requiring you to consider the degree to which your teaching is congruent with your beliefs.

Generating ideas

Teaching philosophies express your values and beliefs about teaching. They are personal statements that introduce you, as a teacher, to your reader. As such, they are written in the first person and convey a confident, professional tone. When writing a teaching philosophy, use specific examples to illustrate your points. You should also discuss how your values and beliefs about teaching fit into the context of your discipline.

Below are categories you might address with prompts to help you begin generating ideas. Work through each category, spending time thinking about the prompts and writing your ideas down. These notes will comprise the material you’ll use to write the first draft of your teaching philosophy statement. It will help if you include both general ideas (‘I endeavor to create lifelong learners’) as well as specifics about how you will enact those goals. A teaching philosophy template is also available to help you get started.

Questions to prompt your thinking

Your concept of learning.

What do you mean by learning? What happens in a successful learning situation? Note what constitutes "learning" or "mastery" in your discipline.

Your concept of teaching

What are your values, beliefs, and aspirations as a teacher? Do you wish to encourage mastery, competency, transformational learning, lifelong learning, general transference of skills, critical thinking? What does a perfect teaching situation look like to you and why? How are the values and beliefs realized in classroom activities? You may discuss course materials, lesson plans, activities, assignments, and assessment instruments.

Your goals for students

What skills should students obtain as a result of your teaching? Think about your ideal student and what the outcomes of your teaching would be in terms of this student's knowledge or behavior. Address the goals you have for specific classes or curricula and that rational behind them (i.e., critical thinking, writing, or problem solving).

Your teaching methods

What methods will you consider to reach these goals and objectives? What are your beliefs regarding learning theory and specific strategies you would use, such as case studies, group work, simulations, interactive lectures? You might also want to include any new ideas or strategies you want to try.

Your interaction with students

What are you attitudes towards advising and mentoring students? How would an observer see you interact with students? Why do you want to work with students?

Assessing learning

How will you assess student growth and learning? What are your beliefs about grading? Do you grade students on a percentage scale (criterion referenced) or on a curve (norm referenced)? What different types of assessment will you use (i.e. traditional tests, projects, portfolios,  presentations) and why?

Professional growth

How will you continue growing as a teacher? What goals do you have for yourself and how will you reach them? How have your attitudes towards teaching and learning changed over time? How will you use student evaluations to improve your teaching? How might you learn new skills? How do you know when you've taught effectively?

+ Creating a Draft

Two ways of organizing your draft.

Now that you've written down your values, attitudes, and beliefs about teaching and learning, it's time to organize those thoughts into a coherent form. Perhaps the easiest way of organizing this material would be to write a paragraph covering each of the seven prompts you answered in the Getting Started section. These would then become the seven major sections of your teaching philosophy.

Another way of knitting your reflections together—and one that is more personal—is to read through your notes and underscore ideas or observations that come up more than once. Think of these as "themes" that might point you toward an organizational structure for the essay. For example, you read through your notes and realize that you spend a good deal of time writing about your interest in mentoring students. This might become one of the three or four major foci of your teaching philosophy. You should then discuss what it says about your attitudes toward teaching, learning, and what's important in your discipline.

No matter which style you choose, make sure to keep your writing succinct. Aim for two double-spaced pages. And don't forget to start with a "hook." Your job is to make your readers want to read more; their level of engagement is highest when they read your opening line. Hook your readers by beginning with a question, a statement, or even an event from your past.

Using specific examples

Remember to provide concrete examples from your teaching practice to illustrate the general claims you make in your teaching philosophy. The following general statements about teaching are intended as prompts to help you come up with examples to illustrate your claims about teaching. For each statement, how would you describe what happens in your classroom? Is your description specific enough to bring the scene to life in a teaching philosophy?

"I value helping my students understand difficult information. I am an expert, and my role is to model for them complex ways of thinking so that they can develop the same habits of mind as professionals in the medical field."

"I enjoy lecturing, and I'm good at it. I always make an effort to engage and motivate my students when I lecture."

"It is crucial for students of geology to learn the techniques of field research. An important part of my job as a professor of geology is to provide these opportunities."

"I believe that beginning physics students should be introduced to the principles of hypothesis generation, experimentation, data collection, and analysis. By learning the scientific method, they develop critical thinking skills they can apply to other areas of their lives. Small group work is a crucial tool for teaching the scientific method."

"As a teacher of writing, I am committed to using peer review in my classes. By reading and commenting on other students' work in small cooperative groups, my students learn to find their voice, to understand the important connection between writer and audience, and to hone their editing skills. Small group work is indispensible in the writing classroom."

Go back to the notes you made when getting started and underline the general statements you’ve made about teaching and learning. As you start drafting, make sure to note the specific approaches, methods, or products you use to realize those goals.

+ Assessing Your Draft

Assessing your draft teaching philosophy.

According to a survey of search committee chairs by the University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, there are five elements that are shared by strong teaching philosophy statements:

• They offer evidence of practice (specific examples)
• They are student-centered
• They demonstrate reflectiveness
• They demonstrate that the writer values teaching
• They are well written, clear, and readable

Now that you’ve completed an initial draft, ask whether your statement captures these elements and how well you articulate them.

You might find it useful to compare your draft to other teaching philosophies in your discipline. It can also be useful to have a colleague review your draft and offer recommendations for revision. Consider printing out a teaching philosophy rubric from our “Rubrics and Samples” tab to provide your reviewer with guidelines to assess your draft. These exercises will give you the critical distance necessary to see your teaching philosophy objectively and revise it accordingly.

+ Rubrics and Samples

Rubrics and sample teaching philosophies.

Here are links to three teaching philosophy rubrics to help you assess your statement. We have included four different rubrics for you to choose from. These rubrics cover similar elements, and one is not necessarily better than the other. Your choice of which to use should be guided by how comfortable you feel with the particular instrument and how usable you find it. 

• Teaching Philosophy Rubric 1   This rubric allows a reader to rate several elements of persuasiveness and format on a scale of 1 to 5.
• Teaching Philosophy Rubric 2   This rubric contains prompts for assessing purpose and audience, voice, beliefs and support, and conventions.
• Teaching Philosophy Rubric 3   This rubric contains prompts for assessing content, format, and writing quality.
• Rubric for Statements of Teaching Philosophy  This rubric was developed by Kaplan et. al. from the University of Michigan.
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What Is a Teaching Philosophy? Examples and Prompts

The life of a teacher is an extremely busy one. From early morning until long after dark, teachers dedicate the better part of their day to their students. Amid the lesson planning, the snack breaks, the recess duty, grading and the myriad other daily tasks, it can be easy to lose sight of the why of teaching. 

Why are you drawn to the classroom, and what is it about your love of teaching that makes it a fulfilling career? What’s the overarching philosophy that guides your teaching practice? Even on the busiest school days, every teacher should be able to explain their “why” by returning to their teaching philosophy.

What Is a Teaching Philosophy Statement?

Teaching philosophy prompts, components of a teaching philosophy statement, formatting your teaching philosophy statement [plus best practices], teaching philosophy examples , faqs about teaching philosophies, helpful resource links.

Simply put, a teaching philosophy is a written statement that includes: 

• Your core belief(s) about the purpose of teaching and learning 
• A high-level description of how you teach 
• An explanation of why you teach that way
• Any primary specializations 
• Examples of your teaching philosophy in practice in the classroom (if space allows)

A teaching philosophy statement should demonstrate that you are purposeful, reflective and goal-oriented each time you stand at the front of your class. Not only does committing this statement to writing help to solidify your own beliefs — it can help you collaborate with other teachers, apply for jobs and even write grant proposals. Ideally, evidence of your philosophy will be apparent in your resume and portfolio content. 

Depending on the context, a teaching philosophy statement can be several sentences or several pages long. You will occasionally be asked to provide some form of this statement when applying for certain academic or administrative positions. Versions of it may also appear as the introduction to your teaching portfolio, as your LinkedIn bio, your resume objective statement or your bio for any accreditations (such as for contributions to a publication, awards, volunteer work, etc.). 

You will likely never be asked to recite it. That said, when sitting for interviews, teaching applicants should demonstrate a clear teaching philosophy through their answers.

Think about your teaching philosophy as your teaching portrait. 

Portraits can look different depending on the subject’s age and life experiences, and a teaching philosophy is no different. Younger teachers may focus on their goals and any areas of interest they studied in college. More senior teachers may update their philosophy statements to reflect their lived experiences in the classroom and how those experiences informed (or resulted from) their teaching philosophy.  

The clearer and more crystallized your teaching philosophy is, the easier it will be to draw upon it in the classroom. Use any combination of the following prompts — organized from immediate to future-facing — to begin writing your own philosophy statement.  

The basics 

Why did you decide to become a teacher? 

What teaching methods do you use?

How do you assess your students’ learning and growth?

Do you follow certain standards?

What are your strongest qualities as a teacher?

Do you have an academic specialization?

Why do you like to teach certain subjects?

How do you use technology in the classroom ?

How do you incorporate new techniques, activities, curriculum and technology into your teaching?

Student advocacy  

How do you motivate your students?

How do you think students learn best? 

How do you approach learners who are struggling?

How do you promote and maintain educational equity ?

How would you describe your interactions with your students?

Preservation in the classroom

What’s your classroom management style ? 

How do you handle stress ?

Describe a time you handled a challenging situation.

The Big Questions 

How do you define learning? 

How do you define teaching? 

What is the purpose of education?

How does education improve society?

Do you believe all students can learn?

What does it take to be a good teacher?

Looking ahead

What goals do you have for your students?

What goals do you have for yourself?

What achievements do you like to see at the end of every school year? 

Why do you continue to want to teach?

How will you continue to grow professionally?

Just like leading students through an essay prompt, begin by creating an outline around a single thesis statement. Build a case for your core belief by giving specific examples and demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of pedagogy. Be sure to connect philosophical statements to practical outcomes or examples; otherwise, you risk the “word salad” problem, wherein the statement sounds nice but means very little to the average reader. (See Formatting Your Teaching Philosophy Statement [Plus Best Practices] below for more tips.)

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Be prepared for your philosophy to change over time — it’s not meant to live in stone! If you feel you need to re-write it, follow the prompts above to recrystallize your beliefs and objectives.

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In a one- or two-sentence teaching philosophy statement, you’ll likely touch on your experience, grade and subject specialization, preferred methods and high-level goals. When crafting a longer statement, it should contain some specific components that paint the clearest picture of your teaching style. 

According to the University of Minnesota , strong teaching philosophy statements share the following elements:

• Offer evidence of practice (specific examples)
• Are student-centered
• Demonstrate reflectiveness
• Demonstrate that the writer values teaching
• Are well written, clear and readable

Long-form teaching philosophy statements should follow the same tried-and-true format as a well-crafted student essay:

Introduction

This first section should include mention of: 

• Your teaching methods
• Any subject or pedagogical specialties
• Your preferred method of assessment
• Your high-level goals for all students

As you go into more detail about your experience and teaching practice, it’s a good idea to give examples that support your philosophy. If you choose to cite any educational researchers or studies, be sure you credit your sources. You may want to touch upon:

• A list of courses you have taught
• A list or short descriptions of effective learning engagements
• What you consider the ideal classroom environment
• Your personal approach to classroom management
• How you facilitate age-appropriate learning
• How you facilitate learning for students of differing abilities
• How you involve students in their own learning and assessment
• An example of a challenge you solved in the classroom 

Conclusion 

A good teacher is never done growing and learning. Wrap up your philosophy statement by describing your objectives, which should include student-oriented academic goals, professional development goals and the ideal outcomes of your teaching career. Your conclusion could include: 

• content mastery
• discovery and knowledge generation
• critical thinking
• problem solving
• individual fulfillment
• self-directed learning
• experiential learning
• engaged citizenship
• …or something else?
• The goals you’ve already achieved as a teacher, as well as those in progress
• What makes you unique as an educator

If you are asked for supplemental materials as part of a teaching job application, you can provide: 

• Peer reviews
• Letters of recommendation
• Students’ comments
• Performance ratings
• Lesson plans
• Teaching activities

Your teaching philosophy is unique to you, so there is no right or wrong way to go about it. That said, there are some best practices to follow when it comes to formatting and readability to make it easy for potential employers and others to read. 

Write in the first person: You’re writing about your own goals, vision and philosophy — it’s okay to use “I” statements! 

Write in the present tense: Your philosophy statement should reflect your current views and experience level, not those you hope to have someday.

Avoid wordiness: Your teaching philosophy should be easy enough for an eighth-grade reader to understand, barring any pedagogical terminology. Making simple concepts more complicated for show is an easy way to lose your reader. Unless you’re going for a university lecturer position, avoid the AP-level vocabulary words on principle. 

Use specific examples: Potential employers — or readers of your academic papers — want to know how your philosophy plays out in the classroom. Your expertise in project-based learning (PBL) will carry more weight if you can describe a specific assignment you designed around PBL, and what the outcome was. 

Skip the clichés: If you say you want to teach to “change the world,” or that you believe “children are our future,” be prepared to give concrete examples of what you mean. Teaching philosophies are not meant to be abstract or even overly aspirational — leave this to motivational posters. 

If you find you are struggling to craft your ideal philosophy statement, ask a colleague to review and highlight possible areas for expansion or clarification. You can even ask this colleague to note any recurring themes they notice, so you can mention them briefly in your introduction. Compare your draft to others in your field with similar specialities or levels of experience and make changes as necessary.

The easiest way to maintain and share your philosophy statement and portfolio is to keep everything in a digital format. Whether that’s an editable PDF you can make small changes or updates to, or a cloud-based folder you can invite others to view, digital is the safest and most portable format.  

Here are some examples of teaching philosophy statements from real teachers. Note that each statement will not follow all of the prompts above, but this is because each statement should be unique and personal to each educator. 

“My philosophy of education is that all children are unique and must have a stimulating educational environment where they can grow mentally, emotionally, and socially. It is my desire to create this type of atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. I will provide a safe environment where students are invited to share their ideas and take risks. They should be able to have choices and let their curiosity direct their learning as I operate as a facilitator.” Mr. B., Language Arts, 5th & 6th grade

Do I need a teaching philosophy to get a teaching job?

Most teachers who earn master’s degrees are asked to write a philosophy statement as part of their program. Whether or not you have a master’s degree in education, you may be asked to provide some form of a teaching philosophy statement when applying for certain academic or administrative positions. You may also want to craft a version of this statement as the introduction to your teaching portfolio, as your LinkedIn bio, your resume objective statement or your bio for any accreditations (such as for contributions to a publication, awards, volunteer work, etc.).

You will likely never be asked to recite your teaching philosophy, and a lack of a formal written philosophy should not bar you from consideration for teaching jobs. That said, when sitting for interviews, teaching applicants should demonstrate a clear teaching philosophy through their answers.

Can I change my teaching philosophy?

Yes! In fact, teachers should expect their philosophy to change with time, experience, and professional and personal development. If at any point you feel you need to re-write your philosophy statement, follow the prompts in this article to recrystallize your beliefs and objectives.

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Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement for the Academic Job Market

Resource overview.

Basic information about writing successful teaching philosophy statements for the academic market.

The Teaching Philosophy Statement is a concise and specific personal essay that describes your core approach(es) to teaching and learning and expresses how you understand your role in the classroom.

Basic Stylistic Conventions

The statement should be single spaced and one-two pages in length (unless otherwise specified for a particular job ad). In the essay, you’ll use the first person (“I” pronouns) and stick with the present tense (I do “x” when I teach “y”), whenever possible. You should limit technical jargon that may not be accessible to everyone on the committee, and be sure to define any needed technical terms clearly. The tone should be professional but conversational. In terms of formatting, it’s a good idea to match the rest of your job market documents (If you’ve written in Times New Roman 12pt for your CV and your job letter, then stick with that for this document as well).

Note that a teaching statement is not simply a list of your past teaching experiences or a list of what you can teach at the job you are applying too (these items will find there way into your job market materials through your CV, teaching portfolio, and other documents). It is also not an article on teaching, or a commentary on the general state of teaching today.

Purpose and Audience

When you write your teaching philosophy statement for an application for a faculty position, think about the reasons a search committee may request the document and try to anticipate questions the committee may have about your teaching, such as the following:

• Is this candidate qualified for the teaching responsibilities of the position?
• Does her approach to teaching suggest that she would be a good “fit” for our department and our students?
• Does this candidate want to teach? If so, why?
• If I were to step into a classroom and observe this candidate teaching, what would I see?
• How do this candidate’s research interests shape their teaching?
• What will this candidate add to our department? What will our students gain from their classes? What will our department gain in terms of specific courses, new opportunities for students to develop their skills and knowledge, and interesting pedagogical approaches?
• How does this candidate respond to the perennial challenges of teaching, such as motivating students to learn, evaluating student work, maintaining high standards in the classroom, and juggling teaching with other responsibilities?

What a Teaching Statement is Not:

• A list of your past teaching experiences and/or a list of what you can teach at the job you are applying to (Instead, do this more subtly by weaving in examples from your previous teaching that might highlight the ways that you are especially qualified for the teaching in this new position.)
• A summary of all your student evaluations (This goes in a teaching portfolio. That said, if  students consistently describe you in a way that is critical to your overarching teaching philosophy, choose a representative example or two that can demonstrate evidence of how your philosophy plays out in your teaching practice.)
• A summary of feedback from colleagues and mentors (See second bullet point.)
• An article on teaching
• A general philosophy about the state of teaching today

What Do Successful Statements Do?

Successful statements are forward and backwards looking. They draw on your previous teaching experiences with an eye towards the kind of work you may be asked to do in the role that you are applying for. They also demonstrate a narrative of progress, illustrating the ways that you’ve reflected on past experiences and intend to grow as a teacher in the future.

The best statements provide a clear and specific-to-you opening that guides the essay that follows. They also highlight concrete examples of specific course topics, assignments, assessments, and teaching methodologies that demonstrate how the overarching principles involved in your teaching philosophy are at work in particular contexts. They include representative examples which describe the breadth of your teaching experiences, relying particularly on those experiences which have most informed your practice.

Successful statements are also student-centered–they explain not just what you will do but also what students do in your courses. They are also attuned to the particular challenges associated with teaching in your discipline.

What Kinds of Experiences Can Be Drawn on?

Choose teaching experiences which showcase most clearly your teaching philosophy. If you haven’t had many opportunities for formal instruction, draw on your years of experience as a student and the informal teaching situations that you’ve be a part of: mentoring, leading study groups, community service, tutoring, etc. Explain how these experiences will influence your approach to teaching a college-level course.

Further Assistance

The Center for Teaching and Learning offers teaching philosophy statement workshops each semester for those at WashU on both the Danforth and Medical campuses. Consult our events page for more information. In addition, the CTL also offers the Jump-Start to Writing a Teaching Philosophy Stat Program, a month-long guided peer review opportunity that builds on the material from the initial workshop, while helping to facilitate the drafting and revision of the teaching statement. The Jump-Start program offers the opportunity for graduate students and postdocs to work in guided small groups to begin and advance the writing process. This program takes place in the fall and in the late spring each year.

Individual consultations with our staff on writing, revising, or tailoring your statements are also available for Washington University faculty, graduate students, and postdocs.

We also encourage graduate students and postdocs to consult with faculty advisors, mentors, and peers in your discipline about your teaching statement. Those in your discipline can provide specialized feedback that will help you improve your statement’s effectiveness and clarity.

Austin, Rachel Narehood. “Writing the Teaching Statement.” Science Careers. April 14, 2006. http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/art…  .

Chronicle of Higher Education, How to Write a Teaching Statement that Sings.  https://chroniclevitae.com/news/1114-how-to-write-a-teaching-statement-that-sings?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Haugen, Lee. “Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement.” Center for Teaching Effectiveness. Iowa State University.

Kearns, Katherine D. & Sullivan, Carol S. Resources and practices to help graduate students and postdoctoral fellows write statements of teaching philosophy. 2011.  http://advan.physiology.org/content/35/2/136.short

Lang, James M. “4 Steps to a Memorable Teaching Philosophy. The Chronicle of Higher Education. August 29, 2010.  http://chronicle.com/article/5-Steps-to-a-Memorable/124199/ .

Mangum, Teresa. “Views of the Classroom.” Insider Higher Education. October 28, 2009. http://www.insidehighered.com/advice/academic_career_confidential/mangum10 .

Montell, Gabriela. “How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. March 27, 2003.  http://chronicle.com/article/How-to-Write-a-Statement-of/45133 .

Montell, Gabriela. “What’s your Philosophy on Teaching, and Does it Matter?” The Chronicle of Higher Education. March 27, 2003.  http://chronicle.com/article/Whats-Your-Philosophy-on/45132/ .

O’Neal, Chris, Meizlish, Deborah, and Kaplan, Matthew. “Writing a Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search.” CRLT Occasional Papers. No. 23. University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. 2007. http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no23.pdf .

Van Note Chism, Nancy. “Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement.” Ohio State University. 1998.  http://ftad.osu.edu/portfolio/philosophy/Philosophy.html .

Vick, Julie Miller and Furlong, Jennifer S.. “Writing Samples and Teaching Statements”, The Chronicle of Higher Education Dec. 20, 2010. http://chronicle.com/article/Writing-SamplesTeaching/125726/ .

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How to Write a Philosophy of Teaching Statement

5 easy steps on how to write an authentic and effective philosophy of teaching statement to help your job application get noticed.

Karen Quevillon

If you’re like most scholars, your philosophy of teaching statement is one of the more difficult parts of your portfolio. Also called a teaching philosophy statement, it’s a standard component of academic job postings, and is required for tenure and grant applications. Yet it remains the Appalachian cousin of the dossier—overlooked, misunderstood and underappreciated.

While a teaching statement is not likely to make your candidacy, it can certainly break it. Here’s a guide on how to write an authentic and effective philosophy of teaching statement to help your job application get noticed.

1. What is a teaching philosophy statement? 2. Why write a teaching philosophy statement? 3. What goes into a statement of teaching philosophy? 4. Best practices for writing a statement of teaching philosophy 5. Helpful resources and examples of teaching philosophy statements 5.1. Sample teaching statements 5.2. Help with the writing process 6. References

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1. What is a teaching philosophy statement?

A teaching philosophy statement is a one-to-two page narrative essay that lays out the what, why and how of your teaching practice, including:

• Your conception of teaching and learning;
• A description of how you teach;
• A rationale for your approach.

Notice that providing a philosophy of teaching statement implies that you have a philosophy of education. More on that shortly.

With the teaching statement, you are (1) communicating your goals as an instructor and (2) tying your work in the classroom to your professional development, research and other aspects of your career.

2. Why write a teaching philosophy statement?

The teaching philosophy statement is the opportunity for your audience to imaginatively inhabit your classroom and experience your particular brand or style of teaching.

In the first place, it demonstrates you are taking a purposeful and thoughtful approach to teaching. You care about and value teaching; you are designing your students’ classroom experiences to support their success; you can deal effectively and sensibly with the inevitable challenges involved in the learning process; you are committed to continuous improvement as an educator.

If you have little to no teaching experience, the statement gives your audience a sense of how ready, willing and able you are to teach. If you already have teaching experience, the statement maps your learning and accomplishments.

As Caukin and Brinthaupt (2017) show, the teaching philosophy statement can be viewed as a professional development tool. Even if you don’t need a teaching philosophy statement for an application, it’s a good idea to write one. Writing one will help you to organize your priorities and goals as well as to discover and examine the assumptions you have about teaching and learning.

3. What goes into a statement of teaching philosophy?

Fortunately, you don’t need a background in educational theory to have a teaching philosophy. Even if you’ve never thought about teaching in a systematic way, you’ve been a learner for almost as long as Survivor has been airing, and you’ve likely had some experience as a tutorial leader or lecturer. “Think deeply about more and less productive episodes of learning,” advises Professor Brian Coppola, “…then try to capture the essence of those experiences to guide your thinking about designing instruction” (2002, p. 450). Sometimes a metaphor is helpful for articulating how you understand the teaching/learning relationship.

In your statement, include:

• Your conceptualization of teaching and learning;
• The goals you have for your classes (informed by your conceptualization);
• How you design and implement the learning environment to achieve your goals;
• How you can tell whether you’ve accomplished those goals (i.e. assessment and evaluation practices you use);
• What you have learned about your own teaching and how you are progressing.

There is no single or predominant format in which to communicate your philosophy of teaching. This makes the task aggravating, or creatively liberating, depending on your personality. Do include a title, an introduction that presents the purpose of your statement, and a conclusion that ideally leaves a powerful image or idea with your reader.

Alexander et. al. (2017) argue for a “remediation” of the teaching philosophy statement that integrates the teaching technologies with which we already work. This would mean transforming the statement into perhaps a multi-layered website, a slideshow presentation, or a digital-visual collage. Though we are not quite there yet in the academy, this kind of remediation is likely not far off.

4. Best practices for writing a statement of teaching philosophy

Although you are a scholar, this is not a piece of scholarly writing. This is a business document and needs to be approached as such.

As with any effective piece of professional writing, begin by considering your audience. What is likely to be the most important and relevant things for them to know? Will they be familiar with your discipline’s major sub-disciplines and lineages? Keep in mind that a hiring committee will be interested in both the internal and external consistency of what you are saying—e.g. how your teaching philosophy relates to your theoretical commitments to constructivism, and how your use of technology in the classroom supports your ideals of inclusivity and diversity.

Be sure to follow best practices for effective business communication: use jargon-free, clear and concise sentences. Use short paragraphs. Use headings. (Never underestimate the importance of a heading.) Your writing must be grammatically correct and free of typos.

Lastly, your philosophy of teaching statement is a particularly personal document. So let your personality and ‘voice’ shine through by incorporating plenty of examples, anecdotes, and descriptive details. Speak for and about yourself using “I” language; don’t lapse into generic “we” statements or employ an anonymous third-person stance. Tell your story.

5. Helpful resources and examples of teaching philosophy statements

Check out the resources at your institution’s Teaching and Learning department. Or look up what’s posted at the school where you are applying: this will help you get a sense of their expectations.

5.1. Sample teaching statements

These universities provide dozens of sample philosophy of teaching statements from award-winning teachers in a variety of disciplines:

• Ohio State University, Center for the Advancement of Teaching
• University of Michigan, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
• University of Calgary, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning

5.2. Help with the writing process

Ohio State University’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching also provides worksheets and many other resources to jumpstart your reflections on teaching practice, as does Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching .

In this video , Iowa State University English professor Susan Yager speaks about the process of writing a statement and offers excellent practical tips and strategies concerning tone, word choice, the challenges of self-promotion, getting started, and seeking feedback.

In a recent article for The Chronicle of Higher Education (2017), Assistant Professor Mary Anne Lewis shared her own experiences creating her teaching philosophy statement.

6. References

Alexander, P., Chabot, K., Cox, M., DeVoss, D., Gerber, B., Perryman-Clark, S., Platt, J., Johnson Sackey, D., Wendt, M. (2012). Teaching with Technology: Remediating the Teaching Philosophy Statement. Computers and Composition. 29, 23-38. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228982736_Teaching_with_ Technology_Remediating_the_Teaching_Philosophy_Statement

Caukin, N. and Brinthaupt, T. Using a Teaching Philosophy Statement as a Professional Development Tool for Teacher Candidates. (2017). International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 11 (2), Article 18. doi: https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2017.110218

Coppola, B. (2002). Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy. Journal of College Science Teaching. 31 (7), 448-453. Retrieved from http://emp.byui.edu/firestonel/bio405/readings/Teaching%20Philosophy.pdf

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Articulating Your Teaching Philosophy

A teaching philosophy statement is a reflective piece of writing that articulates your goals and beliefs around teaching and learning. Unlike most forms of academic writing, the statement should be brief (two pages or less) and written in the first person (“I” statements).  A successful statement includes specific examples of teaching strategies or methods you use to achieve your goals around teaching and learning as well as evidence of your effectiveness as an instructor (e.g., feedback from students, feedback from colleagues, feedback from mentors, student performance, student behavior, teaching awards, etc.).  As you evolve as a teacher, your teaching philosophy statement will evolve as well, and you can expect to use your statement as part of the processes surrounding job applications, annual reviews, award nominations, and promotions.

Statements are strongest when they contain specific examples of what you to accomplish your goals for teaching and the techniques you use to help your students achieve their learning goals.  To get started or to review an existing statement, it may be helpful to answer the following questions or to use this Teaching Philosophy Statements Rubric

• What are your core beliefs about teaching and/or learning?
• What are your teaching goals? When you teach, what do you want your students to achieve?
• How do the methods you use in your teaching support your goals, and how do you know when your methods are successful? What evidence do you have of student learning?
• How do you create a learning space that is inclusive for all students? How do you mitigate inequities among students? How would/do you combat existing structures of racism and oppression in your teaching?
• How have your grown and continued to improve your teaching over time?
• Are there particular challenges or unique circumstances that have impacted your teaching?

Whichever prompts you use, they should be consistent with the departmental and institutional goals. In writing and responding to the prompts, instructors should provide evidence and examples of how they are responding to the prompts. A teaching statement can then demonstrate the alignment between your beliefs, the teaching strategies you use, and the evidence of your effectiveness. This may help review committees gain information that may not be readily accessible through other elements of the evaluation process.

Diversity Statements

While sometimes requested diversity statements are requested as separate documents from a teaching statement, being able to address an awareness of the diverse backgrounds of students and how you will create an inclusive teaching environment are key components to effective teaching statements.

• Understanding Inclusive Excellence . Inclusive teaching strategies are highlighted in our Teaching@Tufts section on Inclusive Teaching .
• Developing and Writing a Diversity Statement . Vanderbilt’s website, has an overview of what they are, advice for getting started and for adapting it to Job Applications.
• Diversity Statements Yale’s Poorvu Center for Teaching & Learning has sample diversity statements from syllabi and recommendations for drafting your own statements. 

Additional Teaching Statement Resources

• Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search by O’Neal, Meizlish, & Kaplan (University of Michigan, 2007)
• How to Improve your Teaching-Philosophy Statement by Gabriela Montell & Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez (Chronicle of Higher Ed, 2018)
• Guide on Teaching Statements (Vanderbilt University)
• Resources and Examples on Philosophy of Teaching Statement (The Ohio State University)
• Writing a teaching philosophy statement (University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching)

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40 Philosophy of Education Examples, Plus How To Write Your Own

Learn how to define and share your teaching philosophy.

These days, it’s become common for educators to be asked what their personal teaching philosophy is. Whether it’s for a job interview, a college class, or to share with your principal, crafting a philosophy of education can seem like a daunting task. So set aside some time to consider your own teaching philosophy (we’ll walk you through it), and be sure to look at philosophy of education examples from others (we’ve got those too!).

What is a philosophy of education?

Before we dive into the examples, it’s important to understand the purpose of a philosophy of education. This statement will provide an explanation of your teaching values and beliefs. Your teaching philosophy is ultimately a combination of the methods you studied in college and any professional experiences you’ve learned from since. It incorporates your own experiences (negative or positive) in education.

Many teachers have two versions of their teaching philosophy: a long form (a page or so of text) and a short form. The longer form is useful for job application cover letters or to include as part of your teacher portfolio. The short form distills the longer philosophy into a couple of succinct sentences that you can use to answer teacher job interview questions or even share with parents.

What’s the best teaching philosophy?

Here’s one key thing to remember: There’s no one right answer to “What’s your teaching philosophy?” Every teacher’s will be a little bit different, depending on their own teaching style, experiences, and expectations. And many teachers find that their philosophies change over time, as they learn and grow in their careers.

When someone asks for your philosophy of education, what they really want to know is that you’ve given thought to how you prepare lessons and interact with students in and out of the classroom. They’re interested in finding out what you expect from your students and from yourself, and how you’ll apply those expectations. And they want to hear examples of how you put your teaching philosophy into action.

What’s included in strong teaching philosophy examples?

Depending on who you ask, a philosophy of education statement can include a variety of values, beliefs, and information. As you build your own teaching philosophy statement, consider these aspects, and write down your answers to the questions.

Purpose of Education (Core Beliefs)

What do you believe is the purpose of teaching and learning? Why does education matter to today’s children? How will time spent in your classroom help prepare them for the future?

Use your answers to draft the opening statement of your philosophy of education, like these:

• Education isn’t just about what students learn, but about learning how to learn.
• A good education prepares students to be productive and empathetic members of society.
• Teachers help students embrace new information and new ways of seeing the world around them.
• A strong education with a focus on fundamentals ensures students can take on any challenges that come their way.
• I believe education is key to empowering today’s youth, so they’ll feel confident in their future careers, relationships, and duties as members of their community.
• Well-educated students are open-minded, welcoming the opinions of others and knowing how to evaluate information critically and carefully.

Teaching Style and Practices

Do you believe in student-led learning, or do you like to use the Socratic method instead? Is your classroom a place for quiet concentration or sociable collaboration? Do you focus on play-based learning, hands-on practice, debate and discussion, problem-solving, or project-based learning? All teachers use a mix of teaching practices and styles, of course, but there are some you’re likely more comfortable with than others. Possible examples:

• I frequently use project-based learning in my classrooms because I believe it helps make learning more relevant to my students. When students work together to address real-world problems, they use their [subject] knowledge and skills and develop communication and critical thinking abilities too.
• Play-based learning is a big part of my teaching philosophy. Kids who learn through play have more authentic experiences, exploring and discovering the world naturally in ways that make the process more engaging and likely to make a lasting impact.
• In my classroom, technology is key. I believe in teaching students how to use today’s technology in responsible ways, embracing new possibilities and using technology as a tool, not a crutch.
• While I believe in trying new teaching methods, I also find that traditional learning activities can still be effective. My teaching is mainly a mix of lecture, Socratic seminar, and small-group discussions.
• I’m a big believer in formative assessment , taking every opportunity to measure my students’ understanding and progress. I use tools like exit tickets and Kahoot! quizzes, and watch my students closely to see if they’re engaged and on track.
• Group work and discussions play a major role in my instructional style. Students who learn to work cooperatively at a young age are better equipped to succeed in school, in their future careers, and in their communities.

Students and Learning Styles

Why is it important to recognize all learning styles? How do you accommodate different learning styles in your classroom? What are your beliefs on diversity, equity, and inclusion? How do you ensure every student in your classroom receives the same opportunities to learn? How do you expect students to behave, and how do you measure success?

Sample teaching philosophy statements about students might sound like this:

• Every student has their own unique talents, skills, challenges, and background. By getting to know my students as individuals, I can help them find the learning styles that work best for them, now and throughout their education.
• I find that motivated students learn best. They’re more engaged in the classroom and more diligent when working alone. I work to motivate students by making learning relevant, meaningful, and enjoyable.
• We must give every student equal opportunities to learn and grow. Not all students have the same support outside the classroom. So as a teacher, I try to help bridge gaps when I see them and give struggling students a chance to succeed academically.
• I believe every student has their own story and deserves a chance to create and share it. I encourage my students to approach learning as individuals, and I know I’m succeeding when they show a real interest in showing up and learning more every day.
• In my classroom, students take responsibility for their own success. I help them craft their own learning goals, then encourage them to evaluate their progress honestly and ask for help when they need it.
• To me, the best classrooms are those that are the most diverse. Students learn to recognize and respect each other’s differences, celebrating what each brings to the community. They also have the opportunity to find common ground, sometimes in ways that surprise them.

How do I write my philosophy of education?

Think back to any essay you’ve ever written and follow a similar format. Write in the present tense; your philosophy isn’t aspirational, it’s something you already live and follow. This is true even if you’re applying for your first teaching job. Your philosophy is informed by your student teaching, internships, and other teaching experiences.

Lead with your core beliefs about teaching and learning. These beliefs should be reflected throughout the rest of your teaching philosophy statement.

Then, explain your teaching style and practices, being sure to include concrete examples of how you put those practices into action. Transition into your beliefs about students and learning styles, with more examples. Explain why you believe in these teaching and learning styles, and how you’ve seen them work in your experiences.

A long-form philosophy of education statement usually takes a few paragraphs (not generally more than a page or two). From that long-form philosophy, highlight a few key statements and phrases and use them to sum up your teaching philosophy in a couple of well-crafted sentences for your short-form teaching philosophy.

Still feeling overwhelmed? Try answering these three key questions:

• Why do you teach?
• What are your favorite, tried-and-true methods for teaching and learning?
• How do you help students of all abilities and backgrounds learn?

If you can answer those three questions, you can write your teaching philosophy!

Short Philosophy of Education Examples

We asked real educators in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook to share their teaching philosophy examples in a few sentences . Here’s what they had to say:

I am always trying to turn my students into self-sufficient learners who use their resources to figure it out instead of resorting to just asking someone for the answers. —Amy J.

My philosophy is that all students can learn. Good educators meet all students’ differentiated learning needs to help all students meet their maximum learning potential. —Lisa B.

I believe that all students are unique and need a teacher that caters to their individual needs in a safe and stimulating environment. I want to create a classroom where students can flourish and explore to reach their full potential. My goal is also to create a warm, loving environment, so students feel safe to take risks and express themselves. —Valerie T.

In my classroom, I like to focus on the student-teacher relationships/one-on-one interactions. Flexibility is a must, and I’ve learned that you do the best you can with the students you have for however long you have them in your class. —Elizabeth Y

I want to prepare my students to be able to get along without me and take ownership of their learning. I have implemented a growth mindset. —Kirk H.

My teaching philosophy is centered around seeing the whole student and allowing the student to use their whole self to direct their own learning. As a secondary teacher, I also believe strongly in exposing all students to the same core content of my subject so that they have equal opportunities for careers and other experiences dependent upon that content in the future. —Jacky B.

All children learn best when learning is hands-on. This works for the high students and the low students too, even the ones in between. I teach by creating experiences, not giving information. —Jessica R.

As teachers, it’s our job to foster creativity. In order to do that, it’s important for me to embrace the mistakes of my students, create a learning environment that allows them to feel comfortable enough to take chances, and try new methods. —Chelsie L.

I believe that every child can learn and deserves the best, well-trained teacher possible who has high expectations for them. I differentiate all my lessons and include all learning modalities. —Amy S.

All students can learn and want to learn. It is my job to meet them where they are and move them forward. —Holli A.

I believe learning comes from making sense of chaos. My job is to design work that will allow students to process, explore, and discuss concepts to own the learning. I need to be part of the process to guide and challenge perceptions. —Shelly G.

I want my students to know that they are valued members of our classroom community, and I want to teach each of them what they need to continue to grow in my classroom. —Doreen G.

Teach to every child’s passion and encourage a joy for and love of education and school. —Iris B.

I believe in creating a classroom culture of learning through mistakes and overcoming obstacles through teamwork. —Jenn B.

It’s our job to introduce our kids to many, many different things and help them find what they excel in and what they don’t. Then nurture their excellence and help them figure out how to compensate for their problem areas. That way, they will become happy, successful adults. —Haley T.

Longer Philosophy of Education Examples

Looking for longer teaching philosophy examples? Check out these selections from experienced teachers of all ages and grades.

• Learning To Wear the Big Shoes: One Step at a Time
• Nellie Edge: My Kindergarten Teaching Philosophy
• Faculty Focus: My Philosophy of Teaching
• Robinson Elementary School: My Teaching Philosophy
• David Orace Kelly: Philosophy of Education
• Explorations in Higher Education: My Teaching Philosophy Statement
• University of Washington Medical School Faculty Teaching Philosophy Statements

Do you have any philosophy of education examples? Share them in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE Group on Facebook!

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• Documenting Your Teaching

Writing a Teaching Philosophy or a Teaching Statement

Strictly speaking, your teaching philosophy is a written description of your values, goals, and beliefs regarding both teaching and learning. By contrast, your teaching statement develops from your teaching philosophy and uses evidence from your teaching to make the case that you have excelled as a teacher. (In practice, of course, these terms are often used interchangeably.) As a general expression of your beliefs and practices, your teaching philosophy can shape your syllabi or  introduce your course website. As an argument for excellence, your teaching statement is more appropriate for your dossier or a job application. Regardless of whether you are on the market or preparing your dossier for promotion, or whether you simply want to help your students better understand who you are as a teacher, the following resources will help get you started on the process of articulating your beliefs about and goals for teaching. Consult our companion bibliography Resources for Teaching Portfolios for additional readings.

Identify what is important to you as an instructor

Before you begin writing, or even if you are in the process of editing, it is a good idea to find out what you value and believe as an educator and how you demonstrate those values and beliefs while you teach. Utilize the following tools to help you accomplish this admittedly daunting task.

• Complete the Teaching Perspectives Inventory . This tools will help you identify your ideas about learning and about teaching.
• Complete the Teaching Goals Inventory . This tool will help you identify the goals you have for your students.
• Answer these Questions to Consider . Your responses will ultimately form the basis of your teaching statement.

Write a general teaching philosophy

Review what you have learned about yourself using the above tools and write an explanation of your beliefs as an instructor. Do not worry about length at this point. The purpose here is to articulate your ideas about teaching and learning and to describe how these ideas inform your actual teaching. Focus on your beliefs, and avoid writing a narrative about how or why you became a college instructor. The multiple resources listed below or in the sidebar will help you with this stage of the process.

Adapt your general philosophy to the intended purpose and audience (i.e., create a teaching statement)

Much like your curriculum vitae, teaching philosophies are designed to be adapted and developed for various purposes, including but not limited to promotion and tenure dossiers, job applications, and your course website. Study the sample teaching statements in the links provided in the sidebar to generate ideas and help refine your own text.

• Statements for promotion and tenure dossiers often have to follow a particular format, so it is wise to review institutional guidelines and published sample dossiers. You can find examples from IUPUI faculty at the Office of Academic Affairs website.
• Statements for job applications may not only be limited in terms of word count or page number, but should be tailored according to the job description. For example, if you are applying for a job that involves working with a specific student population, be sure to address your experience with that sort of population in your statement. Similarly, if you will be expected to teach a certain course or set of courses, your statement should reflect your beliefs regarding learning in those courses or types of courses.
• Your teaching philosophy itself is appropriate for course websites; however, it should not only be tailored to the course in question, but also to the audience--i.e., the prospective and current students for that course. The philosophy should convey not only your general beliefs and practices, but your personality as well. Consider creating a bullet-list of the most important aspects of your philosophy and what your beliefs mean for students (i.e., what should students expect from you as a result of your beliefs?). You may even want to record a video of yourself explaining your philosophy.

Evaluate your statement

Ask colleagues, both inside and outside of your discipline, to review your statement. If you are using the statement for a job application, be sure to provide your colleague a copy of the job description. You can also utilize one of the following rubrics to evaluate what you have written. Note that depending on the purposes of your statement, some of these items may not apply.

• Rubric for scoring statements of teaching philosophy
• Rubric for composing and evaluating a statement of teaching philosophy  

A Word about Structure

Following a clear rhetorical structure can make the task of composing and revising your teaching statement much less difficult. Consider using, for instance, Nancy Chism's Key Components model to organize your thoughts on a macro level and then create a topic sentence outline as you revise to focus your ideas on the paragraph level. The Chism model, the topic sentence outline, and some other helpful tips are explained below.

The Key Components Model

Developed by Nancy Chism, this model structures a teaching philosophy or teaching statement around five key component areas. These component areas consist of the answers to a number of important questions related to learning, teaching, goals, assessment, and professional development. The component areas and the questions related to them are all listed below. For more information, you can also read Dr. Chism's paper on the Key Components model . For another, different model for teaching philosophies and teaching statements, see Goodyear & Allchin (1998).

• How does learning take place?
• Based on my observation and experience, what do I think happens during a learning episode
• How do I facilitate learning?
• What are my assumptions about teaching?
• Why do I teach the way I do?
• How do I motivate, challenge, or support students?
• How do I deal with students who struggle?
• How do I vary my approach?
• As a result of learning, what do I expect my students to know, do, or value (in their careers and future lives)? Why?
• What does my teaching philosophy mean for my students?
• How are my conceptions of teaching and learning transformed into instructional strategies?
• What are the consequences of my instructional strategies?
• How do I know my teaching is effective?
• What data do I use to gauge my effectiveness?
• What goals have I set for myself as teacher?
• How will I accomplish these goals?
• What are some present challenges to overcome in order to achieve my goals?
• How have I developed?
• What evidence do I have that can demonstrate my development?
• What has changed over time in my assumptions and actions?
• How have I met goals that I set in the past?

The Topic Sentence Outline

After you have drafted your philosophy or statement, use the following steps to sharpen the focus of your paragraphs, which in turn will improve the coherence (i.e., flow) of your entire document. This approach can work for any sort of scholarly writing, and you can read more about it in this article by George Gopen and Judith Swan . For other writing and revision techniques, see Tara Gray's book, Publish & Flourish: Become a Prolific Scholar (2005).

• Cut and paste your thesis statement and the first sentence of each paragraph (i.e., your topic or key sentences) into a new document. Read through the outline you've created.
• The outline should convey your main point and highlight your subordinate points in a logical, if brief, manner. Ideally the outline should also hint at your evidence and highlight your concluding thought.
• If your outline does not clearly convey your main point, or if the flow of your subordinate points seems too disjointed, then revisit and revise your paragraphs. Begin by trying to locate the sentences that do contain each paragraph's central message (i.e., your subordinate points). As you then revise your paragraphs, move those sentences to the top of each paragraph (i.e., the topic sentence position). Next, make a new outline to see if the flow of your subordinate points has become clearer or more cogent.

Irrespective of the model you use, the following general tips can improve the focus, clarity, and coherence of your teaching philosophy or statement:

• Know your audiences and their needs or interests.
• Use specific, personal examples.
• Avoid buzzwords and jargon.
• Avoid statements of absolute fact, e.g., “Small group activities are the only way to build community in a freshman class.”
• Write in the first-person and the active voice, e.g., “I engage students with active learning techniques.” NOT “Students are engaged with active learning techniques.”
• Write more than you need and revise down. Be concise!

Resources and References

• Angelo, T. A. & Cross, K. P. (1993). The teaching goals inventory. Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers . (2 nd Ed.). (pp. 13-24). San Francisco, Jossey-Bass. 
• Chism, N.V.N. (1997-98). Developing a philosophy of teaching statement. Essays on teaching excellence: Toward the best in the academy 9 (3). 
• Faculty Focus. (2009). Philosophy of teaching statements: Examples and tips on how to write a teaching philosophy statement.  
• Goodyear, G. E. & Allchin, D. (1998) Statement of teaching philosophy. To Improve the Academy 17 , 103-22. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.
• Gopen, G. and J. Swan. (1990). The science of scientific writing. American scientist  78, 550-558. 
• Gray, Tara. (2005). Publish & flourish: Become a prolific scholar . Las Cruces, NM: Teaching Academy.
• Kearns, K. D., Subino Sullivan, C., O'Loughlin, V. D., & Braun, M. (2010). A scoring rubric for teaching statements: a tool for inquiry into graduate student writing about teaching and learning. Journal for Excellence in College Teaching, 21, 73-96. 
• O’Neal, C., Meizlish, D., & Kaplan, M. (2007). Writing a statement of teaching philosophy for the academic job search . CRLT Occasional Papers No. 23.  
• Pratt, D. D. & Collins, J. B. (2001). Teaching Perspectives Inventory . 
• The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University. (n.d.). Statement of teaching philosophy: Questions to consider.  

Video: Workshop on Teaching Philosophy

Watch this recorded workshop  video by Dr. Brian Coppola on effective strategies to formulate and write your teaching philosophy. Dr. Coppola is the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Michigan.

Workshop Abstract: A statement of teaching philosophy is a discipline-centered argument about one’s instructional practices. As with any other professional argumentation, the essay ought to have a thesis (or claim), and a coherent text that focuses on providing evidence that warrants the claim. In this workshop, participants will prepare an outline for their personal teaching statement. In preparation, participants should think about one sentence: a global statement about student learning that represents your most significant instructional goal.

Resources and Samples from Other Universities 

• Information on teaching portfolios and sample teaching portfolios (Vanderbilt University)
• Teaching philosophy and statement resources (University of Michigan)
• Process of writing a teaching philosophy and samples (University of Minnesota)

Philosophy of Teaching Articles from Faculty Focus 

Your concept of teaching, including a description of how you teach and the justifications for your strategies, constitute your personal philosophy of teaching. Faculty Focus is a free newsletter that publishes articles on effective teaching strategies for the online and college classroom. Articles published in the section of Philosophy of Teaching focus broadly on teaching philosophy in higher education and can provide new information that could help expand and enhance your philosophy of teaching. Some useful examples include:

Nine Characteristics of a Great Teacher

Strategies for Writing Better Teaching Philosophy Statements

Helping Students with Disabilities Reach Their Educational Goals: Reflections and Lessons Learned

Enhancing Out-of-Class Communication: Students’ Top 10 Suggestions

What Students Want: Characteristics of Effective Teachers from the Students’ Perspective

Revised by Anusha S. Rao (April 2020) Revised by James Gregory (November, 2016) Revised by James Gregory (October, 2015) Authored by Sarah Lang (April, 2012)

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Developing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Your statement of teaching philosophy is a short document that should function both as a stand-alone essay that describes your personal approach to teaching, and as a central component of the teaching dossier.

Your statement should not simply describe your experiences and initiatives in teaching. It should provide “a systematic and critical rationale that focuses on the important components defining effective teaching and learning in a particular discipline and/or institutional context” (Schönwetter et al. (2002), p. 84). It is personal and reflective, drawing on your own experiences as a teacher.

Your statement of teaching philosophy can:

• Clarify what you believe good teaching to be
• Explain what you hope to achieve in teaching
• Contextualize your teaching strategies and other evidence of teaching effectiveness
• Provide an opportunity for reflection on and the development of your own teaching

A statement of teaching philosophy can be constructed in a number of ways. For example:

• include descriptions of an instructor’s specific teaching strategies (e.g. a description of a particular assignment or class activity), alongside the instructor’s teaching beliefs
• integrate these strategies into the philosophy statement
• describe them in a separate document (a “Statement of Teaching Practice”)

Other common components of a statement of teaching philosophy include:

• A brief description of your teaching context, including the elements of your field that most shape your approach to teaching. This might also include a description of your students, and their most important learning goals and challenges.
• Your definition of good teaching, with an explanation of why you have developed or adopted this particular definition.
• A discussion of your teaching methods: how do you implement your definition of good teaching?
• A discussion of your evaluation and assessment methods and a description of how they support your definition of good teaching.
• A description of your teaching goals: with what content, skills, or values should students leave your classroom?
• What are your goals for improving your own teaching?
• As concise as possible: 2-5 pages single spaced is common as a minimum length, but there is no set length for the statement. The document may be longer, for example, if it includes information on specific teaching strategies.
• Include generous white spaces between paragraphs to allow for ease of reading.
• Written in a personal, relatively informal tone, usually in the first person. Sometimes mentioning the names of scholars who have been particularly influential to your teaching can be valuable, but the statement should generally not include a substantial review of relevant research.

Steps to Completion

Consider how the following elements shape your teaching:

• Content: What do you teach?
• Methods: How do you teach? What are some of the common teaching approaches in your discipline?
• Learners: Whom do you teach?
• Context: When do you teach?
• Instructor: What is your role?
• Ideals: What guides your teaching? Why do you teach?

Write some notes in response to one or more of the following guiding questions:

• What do I consider unique about myself as a teacher?
• What is my greatest challenge when it comes to teaching?
• What is challenging about teaching in my discipline?
• When I am a student, what conditions are necessary for me to really learn?
• Who is my model of a really effective teacher and what made them a good teacher?
• What is challenging about learning in my discipline?

Using your notes in response to one of the guiding questions, formulate a claim about your teaching approach or beliefs. You might use or modify one of the following prompts:

• “I believe the role of a university instructor to be…”
• “My goal as an instructor of graduate students is to…”
• “I can identify three main challenges for undergraduate students in my field:…”
• Use metaphor if appropriate: “I see my role as that of a guide…”

What are some teaching strategies/activities that you’ve used as an instructor or experienced as a student that support the kind of learning or teaching described in your teaching claim?

How do you know this teaching method supports the kind of learning or teaching described in your teaching claim? This evidence can be anecdotal, derived from evaluations of your teaching, or located in your supporting materials.

Try to identify at least 3 or 4 core teaching beliefs, write corresponding teaching statements, and identify relevant teaching methods and evidence.

How are these ideas connected? What kind of instructor do they describe? These connections can help you come up with a “thesis” about who you are as an instructor that can form the introduction to your statement and provide an overall narrative and structure for your dossier.

Do these statements accurately capture who you are, or want to be, as an instructor? Is any thing missing? Are these teaching claims appropriate to the types of teaching contexts where you will be teaching?

This might be a colleague or mentor in your field, in another discipline, or someone from CTSI.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Some common complaints from people who evaluate teaching philosophy statements include:

• Too general : A statement that does not reflect the particular beliefs, experiences, and circumstance of the author.
• A statement that is not reflective : it simply lists teaching techniques or experiences, but does not describe how these techniques or experiences have contributed to the author’s beliefs about what constitutes effective teaching.
• A statement that dwells too much on negative experiences or circumstances.
• Too clichéd : A statement that expresses a belief in a popular contemporary approach to teaching without establishing how that approach has been integrated into the author’s teaching.
• Too oblique : A statement that references a philosophy or belief but never describes it outright.
• Too few examples : A statement that does not include information about how the author knows his or her teaching to be effective.
• Too much jargon : A statement that includes too much jargon (e.g., relating to pedagogical or disciplinary research) may be less accessible to your readers.

Additional Resources on Developing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Pool, Gregory. (2011). The deep end: Self-reflection: Easier said than done .

Pratt, D.D. & Collins, J.B. (2011). Teaching perspectives inventory .

University Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Ohio State University. (2017). Philosophy of Teaching Statement .

Chism, N. V. N. (1998). Developing a philosophy of teaching statement. Essays on Teaching Excellence, 9(3), 1-2. Nederland, CO: Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education.

Schönwetter, D., Sokal, L., Friesen, M. & Taylor, L. (2002). Teaching philosophies reconsidered: A conceptual model for the development and evaluation of teaching philosophy statements. International Journal for Academic Development, 7(1), 83-97.

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Table of Contents

Related topics (tags).

Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement

Your teaching philosophy should reflect your personal values and beliefs about teaching. It is a self-reflective statement that describes what you believe and provides concrete examples of what you do in the classroom to support those beliefs. It is written in the first person and should convey a professional image of your teaching. A well-developed teaching philosophy will provide a way to purposefully assess your teaching approach and enable you to articulate your teaching beliefs and values to your students, your peers, and search or teaching award committees.

Most teaching philosophy statements are 1-4 pages long and cover three core areas (objectives, methods, evaluation). They tend to be discipline-specific and will have nuances that reflect that. A teaching philosophy is also a document in progress, and it should change and evolve as your teaching experiences build.

Did you know? Graduate Students and Post Docs may work with CCE’s writing consultants to develop their teaching statements. To learn more, visit ISU’s Center for Communication Excellence website .

What are your objectives as a teacher?

It is important to start by describing where you want to end. In other words, what are your objectives as a teacher? The rest of your philosophy statement should support these objectives which should be achievable and relevant to your teaching responsibilities; avoid vague or overly grandiose statements. On the other hand, you will want to demonstrate that you strive for more than mediocrity or only nuts-and-bolts transference of facts.

Consider these writing prompts:

• Do you hope to foster critical thinking and problem-solving strategies, facilitate the acquisition of life-long learning skills, or prepare students to function effectively in an information economy?
• What is your role in orienting students to a discipline, to what it means to be an educated person in your field?
• How do you delineate your areas of responsibility as compared to your students’ responsibilities?
• In what specific ways do you want to improve the education of students in your field?
• Are there discussions in academic journals or in professional organizations about shortcomings in the education of students today or unmet needs in the discipline and do you have ideas about how to address those shortcomings and needs?

How will you achieve those objectives?

Once you have a clear vision of your teaching objectives, you can discuss the methods you use, or will use, to achieve those objectives. Here is also where you can elaborate on your knowledge of learning theory, cognitive development, curriculum design, etc. as the topic(s) relate to the teaching strategies you implement.

It is useful to explain specific strategies or methods you use and tie these strategies directly to your teaching objectives. For example, if you include a field trip as part of your course, what are the learning objectives associated with the fieldtrip? How do you decide whether to use collaborative or individual projects based on your teaching objectives? When appropriate, relate your strategies to national-level needs for teaching in your discipline. If you have developed instructional materials that have been or could be disseminated, be sure to discuss them and how they support your teaching objectives and possibly national-level disciplinary objectives.

How will you measure your teaching effectiveness?

In this section discuss how you intend to measure your effectiveness relative to the objectives and methods you have outlined. Because your teaching objectives are most likely related to student learning, you will probably use measures of student attainment of learning outcomes, rather than simply how many chapters you can cover from the textbook. The end of semester course evaluations completed by students can also be used to measure teaching effectiveness. Consider having a peer evaluate your teaching and provide input on the quality of teaching materials you have developed as well as your effectiveness in the classroom. Having multiple methods of evaluation rather than just a single source provides a more comprehensive picture of your teaching effectiveness.

A final section to include in your teaching philosophy statement is quite simply- Why do you teach? Here is where you can be, if not grandiose, at least a bit grand. What, to you, are the personal rewards of teaching? How do you want to make the world or at least higher education better? When you are overworked and feel undervalued, to what ideals do you return in order to rejuvenate yourself and inspire your students? How do you want to make a difference in the lives of your students? Why does teaching matter to you?

Responses to all of these questions will require some reflective thought and you will likely benefit from discussing them with other faculty in your department. Consider bouncing your responses off of your colleagues, ponder their responses, re-evaluate your positions, revise, talk some more, etc. Over time your responses will change to reflect how you have grown and changed as a teacher. Think of your teaching philosophy as a work in progress over the course of your career.

Writing a Teaching Philosophy

Susan Yager, Professor in English, is a frequent lecturer in the CELT Preparing Future Faculty program on the topic of writing a teaching philosophy statement. In this 2013 Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement video (12m 31s), she shares her experience in developing her own teaching philosophy statement and tips for beginner writing for the first time.

After, review the second video , which features Karen Menzel, CELT Program Specialist and co-director for the Preparing Future Faculty program. Karen provides a step-by-step process for developing a teaching statement. You can follow along using this PDF.  

ISU Center for Communication Excellence (CCE)

Graduate Students and Post Docs have the ability to meet with CCE’s writing consultants. To learn more, visit ISU’s Center for Communication Excellence website .

My Philosophy of Teaching

My Philosophy of Teaching Every child or adolescent is capable of learning if they receive the proper motivation and instruction. “A teacher's personal philosophy of education is a critical element in his or her approach to guiding children along the path of enlightenment. ”- Barbra Wilt. My philosophy of education gives me the attitude needed to support students during their journey as a life long learner. I strongly believe that education is about contributing to children’s ability to think independently, create their own ideas, and become successful individuals.

A teacher must be one who appreciates and respects the value of an education and the positive impact it has on all children. I highly feel that once the devotion for education and love for children are there, then the driving force to be an effective teacher will become stronger and stronger. For me, my love for teaching alone is the driving force in my decision to dedicate my career to being an effective educator. When I think about what education means and what an education looks like; I do not picture straight rows and columns full of eager students ready to learn.

I visualize a more realistic picture; one which has small circles for group work, center stations ready for differentiated instruction to take place, and students waiting for the proper motivation to spark their eager minds. I strongly feel that a classroom should be highly interactive yet manageable, full of discussion and cooperative learning. I believe that assessment drives instruction and education in today’s diverse world. A variety of assessment allows one to provide effective instruction and evaluate achievement and learning. I think that assessment is a tool which provides valuable information for educators.

Order custom essay My Philosophy of Teaching with free plagiarism report

With this tool an educator can better meet the needs diverse learners. My idea of a perfect teacher is one who inspires learning in addition to just relating required facts. An ideal teacher applies differentiated instruction and adjusts the curriculum accordingly. My philosophy of education involves a curriculum that provides multiple choices for taking in information, a variety of options for making sense of ideas, and alternative ways for expressing ideas. A teacher should be prepared and ready to implement all of these strategies. As a result of an effective ducation students can become engaged in real world activities. Education is what prepares students to problem solve in a variety of environments and socialize with others. The nurturing environment an education gives exposes children and adolescents to a multiple of life skills they will need on their journey into adulthood. Education gives us the knowledge of the world around us. It develops in us a perspective of looking at life. Someone once told me education is instrumental in the development of our values and virtues, and I strongly agree.

Education arms us with an insight to look at our lives and learn from every experience. Overall, having an education is so important because it equips us with all that is needed to make our dreams come true. Education opens doors of brilliant career opportunities and gives us choices. An education gives us the opportunity to have better prospects in career and growth. Education is essential as it paves the path leading to success. Most importantly, education instills a sense of pride and knowledge one will need to prepare themselves in life!

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What Am I ‘Really’ Doing While Teaching Philosophy

In my first year of teaching, a thought-provoking story prompted me to reflect on the profound meaning and value of my work as a philosophy professor:

A person meets three workers at a quarry and asks, “What are you doing?” The first, hopeless, replies, “I’m hammering at stones.” The second, bored, responds, “I’m making money.” The third, fulfilling, says, “I’m shaping stones for building a school where students will learn.” Perceiving the work as merely a repetitive physical activity makes the first unhappy while working. Viewing work just as a source of income makes the second happy only on paydays, not while working. Envisioning work as a social, relational activity enables the third to feel happy while working, as she contemplates how she can produce something that better serves others’ needs.

The book of the story offers further philosophical insights into the meaning of work. We are not merely transforming external objects into products of our labor while working. We are also transforming ourselves, connecting with others, and striving to better the world through our labor, and we can thereby fulfill ourselves.

The story made me ask, “What am I really doing while working as a philosophy teacher?” Some students may attend my class merely to get good grades. I may want to reduce my role as a teacher to merely passing on information and making so many dollars an hour. Then, we might feel like the first or the second quarry workers in the story.

With the realization that it does not have to be this way, I began a quest to build my awareness of the meaning of fulfilling work into my teaching.

The question “What am I doing while teaching?” is inevitably followed by another question, “What should I teach to better serve the needs of students?” My teaching goal has been shaped by what I yearned to learn as a student.

During my college years, the most profound learning experience came from discovering that beliefs I had accepted as unquestionably true were actually unexamined assumptions, biases, or dogmas, absorbed from conventional thinking. For instance, I was taken aback to encounter that “women are not born but made,” so some feminine traits, which I once believed were innate, might be imposed through pervasive social constructs or gender ideologies.

Such realizations caused me an uneasy feeling that if I were to continue living an unexamined life, I would be like the very prisoners in Plato’s allegory of the cave. My unease grew upon realizing that some of my unexamined prejudices might endorse unjust policies and inadvertently contribute to the suffering of others. I couldn’t stand the thought of living like an intellectual prisoner or as an implicit contributor to unjust systems. My existential discomfort drove my passion to learn “to do philosophy” and to challenge and scrutinize my unexamined beliefs. Thus, I came to view learning as an endless journey to free myself from my personal and societal ‘caves.’

This process led to another insight into learning. Firstly, emancipatory learning can be achieved by cultivating critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which enable me to distinguish between what is reasonable and unreasonable. Just as the prisoners in Plato’s cave need to break their chains to turn away from caves, I too should turn away from my unexamined beliefs. Secondly, this type of learning contributes to transforming ourselves. If I had never been confronted with the idea that women are made, not born, I might have never chosen to become a philosophy teacher because I would have been discouraged by the prevailing societal biases at the time that women were not suited for philosophical pursuits.

As a teacher, it’s exciting to see the same spark of curiosity and eagerness in my students. This shared curiosity inspired me to pursue my teaching goal: offering students a transformative learning experience by equipping them with philosophical thinking skills that empower them to critically examine their own beliefs and step out of their own intellectual caves.

To achieve my teaching goals, I’ve embraced a student-centered approach, guided by “ the learning pyramid .” This approach, which fosters active student engagement, enhances the cultivation and transfer of critical thinking skills:

Lectures and demonstrations yield only a 30–50 % skill attainment, with a 5–10% transfer rate. However, integrating discussions, practice exercises, and feedback can increase skill attainment and transfer to 80–90%. When students teach each other, these rates can reach 90–100%.

Guided by this insight, I focus on fostering student-centered classrooms in the following ways.

Firstly, I see myself as a midwife in teaching, as outlined in my syllabus:

• Critical thinking skills cannot be simply transferred from teachers to students. Those skills, already conceived within you, can be birthed and nurtured through your own practice and efforts. My role is that of a midwife, assisting you in birthing and cultivating such skills through guidance and support. Therefore, your active engagement and participation are crucial in this journey.
• Keep in mind that without the pains of labor, we cannot experience the joy of giving birth. Throughout this semester, I look forward to sharing with you the joy of achieving intellectual growth that comes through the challenges.

Secondly, I incorporate various student-centered activities into teaching. Examples include:

• Weekly responses and reflections on reading materials and class activities
• Problem-solving argumentative essays
• Philosopher role-play debates
• Group video project on “marginalized” voices in our non-ideal world

These activities allow students to do philosophy , to offer and receive peer feedback, to examine their own and others’ beliefs, to teach and learn from each other, and to be a midwife to each other.

Lastly, I make special efforts to foster an inclusive classroom environment for several reasons:

• Empowering underrepresented voices: Voices underrepresented in our society often go unheard and silenced in classrooms, as well. When students feel included and respected, they are more likely to share their unique thoughts and perspectives.
• Challenging implicit biases: Discussions dominated by only mainstream voices can perpetuate unexamined biases. Exposure to diverse viewpoints encourages students to challenge their stereotypes and confront prejudices.
• Ensuring equal learning opportunities: Inclusivity is essential for all students to develop their philosophical skills, especially for those who might feel marginalized.

To support students facing personal or social barriers, I aim to establish a classroom where every student feels secure and valued, able to freely express their opinions.

Student feedback reveals their transformative learning journeys during my teaching. Seeing students examine their beliefs and empower themselves from silent observers to active participants is gratifying. They are learning like fulfilling third quarry workers. This sentiment is amplified by hearing from former students who, years after leaving college, nurture what they birthed in my class. It helps me realize that their journey doesn’t end with my semester, but my teachings can stay with them. Recognizing that a student’s successful learning experience can be a teacher’s successful teaching experience, I joyfully return to the reflection of the values of my work as a teacher.

Teaching in college, I am humbled by my immense responsibility of engaging with highly open and receptive minds. I am not working on inanimate objects. I am interacting with dynamic subjects who are feeling, understanding, reflecting, and continuously growing. When my time with students ends, their philosophical lives begin, as they continue to examine their beliefs in their future lives. I envision my students as philosophical parents who will better nurture their children with philosophical wisdom, as philosophical citizens who will vote for ­more democratic and just policies, and as philosophical professionals—whether as teachers, farmers, policemen, chefs, and lawyers—who will better serve other people through their philosophically mediated professional work.

What am I really doing while teaching philosophy? I will continue to do my best to assist students in cultivating the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for them to lead their reflective lives. I feel fulfilled that I contribute to shaping the world for the better through my students’ lifelong examined beliefs and future work by helping them have productive learning experiences in my class.

At times, I feel frustrated when I have to overwork and feel that my work is underpaid relative to the efforts and values I contribute. It’s also disappointing when my teaching is underappreciated, or when things don’t proceed as planned. It leads me to recognize that unfavorable working conditions could be impediments to the realization of meaningful work, so it’s important to advocate for institutional changes to better shape and support our work, while also continuing pedagogical growth as a teacher.

Still, despite occasional frustrations and systematic challenges, reflecting on the meaning and values of my work as a teacher rekindles my passion. It reaffirms that teaching is something I want to do with my life and can pursue with enthusiasm and passion, while remaining conscious that our shared passion for teaching should be more effectively realized with structural improvements in our working conditions.

An early, lengthier version of these reflections on teaching has previously been published in Korean as “My Teaching Philosophy” in PhilCulture .

The Professor Reflection Series of the APA Blog is designed to center attention on how professors engage in teaching and learning. Professors are asked to reflect on how to improve teaching and learning in higher education. We would love for you to be a part of this project. Please contact Series Editor, Dr. Samuel Taylor at staylor@tuskegee.edu.

Hye-ryoung Kang

• Editor: Nathan Eckstrand
• emancipatory learning
• Hye-Ryoung Kang
• learning pyramid
• Samuel Taylor
• student-centered pedagogy

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Best Education Essay Examples

Personal philosophy of teaching.

731 words | 3 page(s)

If I could choose one single quality that I find most important for a teacher, it would be empathy. In my opinion, empathy is the cornerstone of any teaching process, the essential element, the sine qua non. An empathetic teacher is imaginative, reflective, kind, and shows understanding (Simpson & Sacken, 2014). Some of the best teachers on this planet have one trait in common – empathy. When they look at a child or young adult they see an individual with his or her feelings, thoughts, observations, and ideas. They do not see an object, but a human being with an inner world that should be respected. When it comes down to my philosophy of teaching I strongly agree with the following quote: “[Kids] don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are” (Henson, 2005). This is exactly how I feel about teaching. A good teacher never judges a student by his grades, learning potential, or academic success. As a matter of fact, a good teacher does not judge.

In my lifetime I have seen numerous teachers, professors, and scholars, many of them were smart, educated, and witty. However, it was not their knowledge that ignited a love for learning inside of me. Not at all. As a matter of fact, teachers I appreciated the most were those who perceived me as an individual with my unique strengths and weaknesses. Going back to the times when I was a student myself, some events that occurred in the school classroom make me shiver. For instance, once a teacher humiliated a fellow student for blowing his nose too loudly during class. Similar humiliating situations occurred on several occasions in relation to different students, however, at the end of the day, this teacher positioned himself as very smart. When I think about it, was he really that smart, taking into account his behavior in relation to students? It felt like he enjoyed exercising his authority more than teaching.

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In my opinion, it is essential that a teacher is able to show empathy toward students in moments of weakness. Furthermore, a teacher should never be a source of humiliation for his or her students. On the contrary, it is a teacher’s professional responsibility to defend those students who are being stomped on by others.

During my academic career, I have often encountered situations when a student who was not keeping up with the class was disrespected by the teacher or professor. When I saw these situations unroll before me, I asked myself, “Will this student ever recover enough from this embarrassing situation to actually want to engage in the learning process?” The answer was always “no”.

One of the worst things that a teacher can do is to disengage from the students by showing disrespect. After the teacher has shown disrespect it is very difficult to recover the student-teacher relationship, if not impossible. In fact, the learning process is highly influenced by the student-teacher relationship, hence, it is a number one priority that this relationship remains mutually beneficial and respectful.

During college, for one of the classes we had to conduct a survey asking students which qualities they valued most in their professors and later researched how this correlated with academic success. It was no surprise to find out that students did best in those classes where they were respected by the professor. Based on this short research, academic success closely correlated with a positive student-teacher relationship in most of the cases.

Lastly, a teacher must show understanding toward the student. Each individual is unique. We all have different characters, mindsets, and biographies. It is important to understand and respect these differences. Students who lag behind may be experiencing pressure at home or among peers; henceforth, it is the teacher’s number one priority to understand the student’s situation and treat him/her with empathy and respect.

In conclusion, my teaching philosophy relies on three important pillars: empathy, respect, and understanding. These three qualities reinforce each other and form the basis for a beneficial relationship between a teacher and his/her students. Only when these elements are present can the educational process truly manifest itself.

• Henson, J. (2015). It’s not easy being green: And other things to consider. New York, NY: Hyperion.
• Simpson, D. J., & Sacken, D. M. (2014). The sympathetic-and-empathetic teacher: A Deweyan analysis. Journal of Philosophy and History of Education, 64(1), p. 1-20.

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