TiPPS
for PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING STATEMENTS
What
is a Philosophy of Teaching Statement, and Why is it Important?
Philosophy
of teaching statements are concise statements of what you believe about the
teaching and learning of languages, and possibly also about education in general.
Most sources recommend that you keep your teaching philosophy statement between
one and two pages in length, covering what you believe, why, and brief examples
of how you implement it in the classroom.
While
a statement of your philosophy of teaching is an important item to include
in your teacher portfolio, it also serves a much more important role. It guides
and informs you as you prepare other portfolio items, it helps you prepare
for a job interview, and it helps you to ensure that you are consistent in
the way you answer job interview questions.
Links
& Resources for Philosophy of Teaching Statements at a glance
TiPPS
Handouts on philosophy of teaching statements
Books that talk about philosophy of teaching
Guidelines for writing a philosophy of teaching
statement
Sample philosophy of teaching statements
TiPPS
HANDOUTS ON PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING STATEMENTS
BOOKS THAT TALK ABOUT PHILOSOPHY
OF TEACHING
Bullock,
Ann Adams, & Hawk, Parmalee P. (2001). Developing a teaching portfolio:
A guide for preservice and practicing teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Merrill Prentice Hall.
Heiberger,
M.M. & Vick, J.M. (2001). The Academic Job Search Handbook. Philadelphia,
PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Murray,
John P. (1997). Successful faculty development and evaluation: The complete
teaching portfolio. Washington, DC : Graduate School of Education and
Human Development, George Washington University
Seldin,
Peter (1991). Teaching portfolio: A practical guide to improved performance
and promotion/tenure decisions. Bolton, MA : Anker Pub. Co.
GUIDELINES FOR
WRITING A STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOHY
Office
of Faculty and TA Development, The Ohio State University. Writing a philosophy
of teaching statement. http://ftad.osu.edu/portfolio/philosophy/Philosophy.html
This
site takes a comprehensive look at a philosophy of teaching, including definitions,
the purpose of developing a philosophy statement, common major components,
different ways of developing a statement, and benefits of having put one
together. It also gives a number of sample statements. The authors try to
provide multiple perspectives on the topic, as well.
Chism,
Nancy Van Note (1998). Developing a philosophy of teaching statement. http://www.cofc.edu/~cetl/Essays/DevelopingaPhilosophyofTeaching.html
This
article on developing a teaching philosophy statement is often cited on
other sites. A concise guide to the task of writing your statement.
Center
for Effective Teaching and Learning, University of Texas at El Paso. Statements
of teaching philosophy. http://academics.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=32483
This
site looks at writing a statement of teaching philosophy by addressing the
following: their roles, their creation process, and their contents.
Haugen,
Lee (1998). Writing a teaching philosophy statement. Center for Teaching Excellence,
Iowa State University. http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/philosophy.html
This
site looks at writing a statement of teaching philosophy by addressing four
main questions: To what end? By what means? To what degree? and Why? Haugen
elaborates about each question in ways that provide a different perspective
on how to think about your philosophy of teaching.
EIL311,
Division of English as an International Language, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. Topics to address in a P.o.T. statement. http://www.deil.uiuc.edu/EIL311/philosophy.html
This
site is for a course on ESL materials and methods. The last third of the
page lists a number of categories or topics to consider discussing in your
statement of teaching philosophy.
SAMPLE PHILOSOPHY
OF TEACHING STATEMENTS
The
websites that follow were found via an internet search and are designed for
you to review and learn from (we're not saying that any of them are exemplary
-- nor are we saying that they are not exemplary). As you look at some
of these statements, here are a few things to look for:
- Do
you get a clear idea about this person as a teacher?
- Do
you get a clear idea about what the teacher believes about learning?
About teaching?
- Do
aspects of teaching that are not included feel like they were omitted
as a result of informed choices or as a result of a careless oversight
that you feel should be rectified?
- Are
there examples of how the teachers implement their philosophy?
Teachers
of Arabic:
Teachers
of English:
Teachers
of German:
Teachers
of Hindi: