Where I teach we ask for a teaching philosophy when you apply. If you have never taught before, it is daunting because all you have to focus on are those hopes you have for your classroom. Yet, that is what I found myself doing. Then again, three years after I started, I was asked to write it again for a promotion process. Honestly, what I wrote is lost now and frankly, I couldn’t tell you what it said. I am sure I meant it at the time, but nothing really sticks out in my mind as to what it included. Three more years later, I was once again asked to submit my teaching philosophy.

The process of promotion adds additional work to an already hectic schedule. I didn’t want to simply turn something in because I was asked to. I wanted to craft a statement which accurately reflected my heart behind the classroom – which includes my faith. How do I weave in the foundations of my faith into a public school teaching philosophy?

The following looks at why teaching philosophies matter, provides an example of a teaching philosophy (mine), and quick steps to writing your own. Non-teacher friends, don’t leave.

Non-Teachers, STAY! Read!

Here’s the deal – after working through this process a third time, I wish it were required of all professions and positions. It does the heart, mind, and soul good to reflect on our vocation as we are called to serve in every aspect of our days! Read through my experience of creating my philosophy statement and consider the why and how of doing your job well!

Why is a teaching philosophy important?

Teaching philosophies allow instructors to reflect and share the influences as to how their students are taught from methods of teaching, the role of the instructor, means of assessment, and the motivation behind being in the classroom. Ultimately, what most potential employers want to see in your teaching philosophy is an effort to reflect and bring into focus how you view your role as a teacher. (Couldn’t we all benefit from a ____________ philosophy? A customer service philosophy. A college student philosophy. An engineer philosophy. )

When writing a teaching philosophy, the Internet provides a burdensome amount of resources. Overall, you can expect to be asked to write about the who, where, how, and why behind your teaching style.

So often the teaching philosophy is overlooked as a box to check for an employment packet or a promotion notebook. Yet, some refer to the teaching philosophy as valuable as a trustworthy and talented teaching assistant! Even a simple to-do list written at the beginning of the day impacts my accomplishments, what could be the impact of seeing and utilizing a teaching philosophy as more than an item on a checklist?

As published in the Journal of Adult Education, Niall Hegarty writes, “It (teaching philosophy) is the mission statement of a faculty member which declares where they would like their teaching to go and in doing so helps to keep faculty motivated and committed to constant improvement.”

Concordia University – Portland’s room241 blog on teaching philosophies supports Hegarty, “Teachers who perform with a purpose will find themselves more focused, rejuvenated, and excited. Through the various highs and lows, a teaching philosophy or ‘mission statement’ helps and educator stay true to one’s core beliefs.” (emphasis mine).

Writing My Teaching Philosophy

With some years of experience to build on, writing this teaching philosophy required setting aside my predisposed angst towards a requirement and instead, do as I encourage my students, see it as an opportunity. Building your teaching philosophy begins with seeing it as more than a document of educational jargon to appease other teachers, or even yourself. Building your teaching philosophy hopefully begins with how you want to impact and influence your students.

Types of Teaching Philosophies

Teaching philosophies can be teacher centered or student centered. We talk a lot about being student centered in today’s higher education market.  Teacher-centered philosophies provide a clear and direct communication of educational outcomes from a position of authority. The teacher seeks to develop strong work ethic among students along with compassion and sensibility. Student-centered look to the individual needs and provide contemporary relevance. Overall, student-centered approaches focus less on the academic repetition of content and more on the individual thought process and problem-solving skills of students. Even in the midst of this research and understanding of different branches of educational philosophies, I didn’t really like the sound of any of them.

Inspiration

I believe in encouraging a strong work ethic, attention to academic content, desire for individualized thought process, and hope to build a stronger community. At the time, my book selection was, Louder than Words: Harness the power of your authentic voice by Todd Henry and within this book was a chapter on writing your own personal manifesto – what a word! Before getting to the chapter on writing a personal manifesto, Henry (2015, pp. 11-12) lines out the case for understanding your authentic voice in alignment with your career goals.

In etymological terms, our word ‘voice’ is closely tied to the root of the word ‘vocation’, which is the term many people use as a substitute for the word job. However, I find it helpful to draw a sharp distinction between the words ‘occupation’ and ‘vocation’. Your occupation is how you make a living, or at least what you spend most of your day doing. Your vocation, on the other hand, is the activity or expression you are naturally drawn to when given latitude over how to spend your focus, assets, time, and energy. It’s the sort of work that you feel compelled to do even when no one is paying attention.

The active form of your vocation, and the way it’s experienced by others, is your voice. Your occupation is simply a platform. It’s the arena in which you are given a chance to create an impact. For example, your job ideally allows you the opportunity to influence and change the world around you, even if it’s in a small way. Your vocation, on the other hand, is the expression that you make through your platform. It’s the unique value you add, and your authentic response to your environment. Your vocation cannot be fully contained by your occupation. It finds expression in all areas of your life.

Is Manifesto too Strong a Word?

I wanted a manifesto, but that required more than the standard thoughts of my previous teaching philosophy because this was vocational, not occupational.. I was tired of the facade approach to a teaching philosophy. The idea of “oh, you just write this to get promoted (or hired)” worked previously as I blindly tripped through the maze of academia, but if I were to really desire contentment in the classroom I needed to take full ownership of the realities of my desire to be in the classroom and how those moments poured out into the other corners of my life.

Biblical Foundations

Growing up, the separation of church and state would often show it’s face. As a conflict avoider most of my career, up until this point, I did my best to respect this separation. However, at my core the reason I was teaching really wasn’t because I wanted to – I spent a lifetime fighting the call to the classroom. To be in the classroom now had nothing to do with the plans I had for my life, but instead the plans God had for me. With him in the driver’s seat I went to scripture to start digging deep into my desires as an instructor, but also as a human.

As I read these verses and responded, I found places of understanding, moments of questioning myself, and times I felt pushed and stretched from the beginning.

The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. Luke 6:40

I like it. I want this – this is relational. This says, I have authority for the 16-weeks as your instructor, but afterwards, my desire is for us to be peer-to-peer on some level.

And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age. Matthew 28:20

Oh. Hmm. This sounds like work. Until the end of time?! That feels long, but okay.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8

Lukewarm here. I dig the first part, absolutely.  The last part, I like the loving eye on you part – that is just care and compassion, but counsel scares me. It sounds emotional and as if feelings are involved which I am not good at.

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. James 3:1

Well dang… okay, we need clear expectations for me of them; and for them of me.

And because I teach Public Speaking:

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy. Proverbs 31:8-9

I want more than speeches on whatever pops up on Google for “easy informative speeches” I want students to share their hearts, their interests, their desires. My desire for them to be heard starts with their willingness and ability to speak. In particular, the students who reside in the seats of a community college don’t always feel the same self-worth as their 4-year peers. Tragic, truly.

After drafts and rewrites, writing on a computer and by hand, I landed to this teaching philosophy which speaks directly to my “why” for teaching.

Teaching Philosophy Example

The idea of pursuing a calling appears to some as a mindless and unrealistic journey. Yet, each time I find myself asked to define my teaching philosophy, I see how clear my calling in life is truly to teach and influence the structure of the community college system. While my occupation may be labeled as an educator, my vocation is founded securely in my desire to empower the members of our community to utilize their voices in order to make positive impacts on our world. In the classroom, I strive to mentor students as they identify and develop passions and personalize their worldviews. I ache for students to recognize that their voices innately possess value and our world desperately needs to hear their thoughtful, ethical, and authentic perspectives.  Our communities need members who can listen and hear value in the voices and perspectives of others in order to show empathy and strive for the greatest solutions. I value the role of the community college system in the true transformation of our communities.

With this ambition, I set clear expectations for students and frequently open discussions and require assignments with just those goals in mind. Through transparency of my own failures and successes, I demonstrate to students the value of setting expectations, collaborating with others, and orchestrating their independent voices.  The development of their perspectives of the world we coexist in matures through speech assignments, classroom discussion, civic engagement opportunities, and reflective writings while simultaneously being held to expectations of dedication, ethics, and most importantly, authenticity. I am not so grandiose to believe every student will go from a basic public speaking to motivational speaking in large symposiums; however, I do see students transform from petrified to inspired, empowered to speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. This is how I see success for students – an authentic desire to be a voice to problems which otherwise would remain voiceless, to improve relationships, and to continually seek to improve themselves.

Both the field of communication studies and the community college system gives a voice to those who would otherwise be voiceless and opportunities to those who would otherwise be forgotten. Our ability to effectively speak, to connect across cultures, to empathize, to self-evaluate, and to critically and empathetically comprehend what we hear culminates into building strength within ourselves and our communities.

Let’s Start Writing!

As you seek to build or reconstruct your teaching philosophy, set aside the notion of a dust-collecting document, and make it real to you, in your voice, with your heart for students. Others should be able to read your philosophy and hear your voice, not a conglomeration of textbook terms (unless that is how you talk). Who is your teaching philosophy for?

Part of the problem I had writing my first two teaching statements came from who my audience was – I wrote the first one for a hiring committee, the second one because I had to for a promotion committee, for once, this document was for fueling my need to be focused, restored, and energized.

Steps for Writing Your Teaching Philosophy

First, get your brain in gear. Ask yourself these questions to get started: What is your big picture of victory? What does that look like on a day-to-day basis? How do you get there? (Be concrete, what sets you apart). What does it look like to succeed?

Now, when it comes to writing, you can see I first started with an examination – big picture, I want students to see the value and potential of their voices.

Second, it moves to the micro level as to the why – our communities are hungry for solutions.

Next, I share the details on the how (also known as pedagogy) behind my why – expectations, assessments, and authenticity.

Finally, I share my ultimate expectation – an authentic desire to be a voice to problems which otherwise would remain voiceless, to improve relationships, and to continually seek to improve themselves.

Using Your Teaching Philosophy

I don’t look at my teaching philosophy regularly, but I do have it saved on my desktop for easy reference. When I do look at it – it’s because I really need to be reminded of my focus and excitement for teaching. What do you need to hear at the end of long weeks or rough days? Write that.

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