A statement of teaching philosophy is not just a personal declaration on teaching meant for prospective employers
A statement of teaching philosophy is not just a personal declaration on teaching meant for prospective employers. In addition to defining your personal beliefs and ideals about teaching, it is a living document that changes as your experience deepens and your beliefs and ideals evolve. It can also act as the foundation for your professional purpose. In writing your statement of teaching philosophy, consider your understanding of yourself as an instructor, the student perspective and experience, and how you fit into the profession of teaching psychology.
6For your Teaching Portfolio Assignment, describe your teaching philosophy using the Statement of Teaching Philosophy template provided in the Learning Resources. Your paper should be 4– pages long in APA format. Your philosophy should include the following:
An explanation of your conceptualization of learning
An explanation of your conceptualization of teaching
An explanation of your goals for students
An explanation of how you plan to implement your philosophy
An explanation of your professional growth plan
Be sure to include any other components not listed in the template but addressed in this week’s Discussion that you deem important to your statement of teaching philosophy.
Also cite all references used in the development of your statement of teaching philosophy using APA format.
Statement of Teaching Philosophy Template
Based upon (Chism, 1998), “Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement,”
See for additional guidance: http://ucat.osu.edu/read/teaching-portfolio/philosophy/guidance
Title
Your name
1. Conceptualization of learning
Ask yourself such questions as “What do we mean by learning?” and “What happens in a learning situation?” Think of your answers to these questions based on your personal experience. Chism (1998) points out that some teachers have tried to express and explain their understanding of learning through the use of metaphors because drawing comparisons with known entities can stimulate thinking, whether or not the metaphor is actually used in the statement. On the other hand, most instructors tend to take a more direct approach in conceptualizing learning, i.e., they describe what they think occurs during a learning episode, based on their observation and experience or based on current literature on teaching and learning.
2. Conceptualization of teaching
Ask yourself questions such as “What do we mean by teaching?” and “How do I facilitate this process as a teacher?” Chism (1998) suggests that personal teaching beliefs as to how the instructor facilitates the learning process would be appropriate for this section. Again, the metaphor format can be used, but a common practice is a more direct description of the nature of a teacher with respect to motivating and facilitating learning. Along with the questions above, you may also address such issues as how to challenge students intellectually and support them academically and how the teacher can respond to different learning styles, help students who are frustrated, and accommodate different abilities. Furthermore, you may talk about how you, as a teacher, have come to these conclusions (e.g., through past experience as a student or teacher, or as a result of reading the literature or taking classes).
3. Goals for students
This section should entail the description of what skills you, as the teacher, expect your students to obtain as the result of learning. You may address such issues as what goals you set for your classes, what the rationale behind them is, what kind of activities you try to implement in class in order to reach these goals, and how the goals have changed over time as you learn more about teaching and learning. For instance, you can describe how you have expected students to learn not only the content but also skills such as critical thinking, writing, and problem solving, followed by elaboration on how you have designed/planned individual sessions toward accomplishing the goals.
4. Implementation of the philosophy
An important component of the statement of a teaching philosophy should be the illustration of how your concepts about teaching and learning and goals for students are transformed into classroom activities. Ask yourself, “How do I operationalize my philosophy of teaching in the classroom?” and “What personal characteristics in myself or my students influence the way in which I approach teaching?” To answer these questions, you may reflect on how you present yourself and course materials; what activities, assignments, and projects you implement in the teaching-learning process; how you interact with students in and outside class; and the consequences.
5. Professional growth plan
It is important for teachers to continue professional growth; and to do so, teachers need to set clear goals and means to accomplish these goals. Think about questions such as “What goals have I set for myself as a teacher?” and “How do I accomplish these goals?” You can elaborate this plan in your statement of teaching philosophy. For instance, you can illustrate how you have professionally grown over the years, what challenges exist at the present, what long-term development goals you have projected, and what you will do to reach these goals. Chism (1998) suggests that writing this section can help you think about how your perspectives and actions have changed over time. Consider professional conferences that might help your growth.
References
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