Writing Your Philosophy of Teaching

A philosophy of teaching is a collection of a teacher's thoughts about teaching, learning and education in general. These philosophies are often written as part of a teaching degree and then revised throughout a teacher's career. I wrote the first draft of my teaching philosophy during a practicum class, and eventually finished it following my teaching internship. Since then, I've gone through a few more drafts and will continue to edit the document as long as I continue to teach. Parts of my philosophy have remained the same while others have been completely rewritten or even deleted as my experience increases and my mind changes.

A good teaching philosophy is useful to the teacher as well as future employers who often ask for such a statement. A well-written teaching philosophy helps you reflect on your learning experience and consider ways you want to apply your knowledge to the actual practice of teaching. Collecting your thoughts into a single document can also help you prepare for the types of questions frequently asked at a teaching job interview.

A typical philosophy of teaching statement is 1-2 typed pages in length. The philosophy should talk about what you believe about teaching and why, and then would cover how you might put your philosophy into practice. Writing down this information can be a daunting task. I can remember my advisor giving us the assignment of the first draft of a teaching philosophy, and the resulting hours spent staring at a blank computer screen or a blank sheet of paper.

Reading sample teaching philosophies was what helped me stop staring and start writing. A quick internet search should bring up several examples of teaching philosophies. Your department might also have some statements on file from former students.

Do some brainstorming and freewriting on teaching topics. What is the role of a good teacher? What is the role of a student in your classroom? What are the most successful activities or assessments that you have used while teaching, and what makes them successful? What activities or assessments have you used that were failures, and what made them go wrong? Consider everything that you have learned about student needs and discuss the ways you can meet these needs. This is just small sampling of possible topics for your philosophy. Specifics will change based on the subjects you teach and the level of your students. If you can, consult with your advisor, fellow students or other teachers as you draft your philosophy. Sometimes it can help to sit down and discuss teaching concepts and decide whether you want to include them in your philosophy.

After all the brainstorming, discussion and writing are done, you might find you have too much information! Again, keep your philosophy under two pages if at all possible. My own philosophy is just under a page, single-spaced, and has kept this approximate length through all my drafts and revisions. But don't throw those first drafts away! Your philosophy should always be a work in progress, and can be a great reminder of the ways that your thoughts about education were changed first by your own schooling and then by your experiences in the classroom.