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?
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.
Teaching Philosophy Prompts
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.