Week #4: Develop-philosophy

“Your teaching philosophy will likely evolve as you gain experience in teaching and place yourself in new and different situations”. Greta K. Nagel (1998)

“The philosophy of teaching statement should reflect your personal values and the needs of your students”. Iowa State University

According to the Iowa State University there are some steps we should take into account at the moment to develop a teaching philosophy statement: 

1.      To What End?

It is important to start by describing where you want to end. In other words, what are your objectives as a teacher? The rest of your philosophy statement should support these objectives which should be achievable and relevant to your teaching responsibilities

2.      By What Means? 

When you have a clear idea about your teaching objectives, you can discuss methods that you use to achieve or work toward those objectives. Here is where you can display your knowledge of learning theory, cognitive development, curriculum design, etc.

3.       To What Degree? 

You will need to discuss how you intend to measure your effectiveness, objectives, and methods you have outlined. Because your objectives are most likely related to student learning, then you will probably use measures of student outcomes to reflect your efforts rather than how many chapters you can cover from the textbook.

4.      Why? 

Here is where you can be, if not grandiose, at least a bit grand. What, to you, are the great and wonderful rewards of teaching? Why is teaching important? How do you want to make the world or at least higher education better? When you are overworked and feel undervalued, to what ideals do you return in order to rejuvenate yourself and inspire your students? How do you want to make a difference in the lives of your students?

Prepared by Lee Haugen
Center for Teaching Excellence, Iowa State University
March, 1998

My Opinion

In the reading about “how do I develop a philosophy of teaching?”  I understand that it is based on the techniques or styles that different teachers use. It’s where we as teachers describe the interaction we have with our students. Describe the assistance we give them according to their needs.  It is where we explain the reasons we have for teaching, the description on how we teach, and reasons for our beliefs about teaching.

Regarding the phrase “teachers are here to teach. Students are here to learn”

What challenges does this pose for your teaching?

I would say that in a class teachers face many challenges, but motivation is one of the most important challenges for me to face as a teacher. Sometimes, we can find immature kids, without motivation to study. Sometimes, those kids do not have the support from their parents to continue studying, so in that moment is when we should take the role as teachers, and encourage them to continue working in their learning, find the way to explain them the importance of learning, that they need to study to become professional people.