Week 11: Additional section: Activity 1. Teaching philosophies

To further your higher education career, for example, by applying for jobs, awards and grants, you’ll often be asked to provide your philosophy of teaching. It takes a while to develop a teaching philosophy. 

Many teachers find it hard to think about what they do in terms of a philosophy, especially if they haven’t any discipline background in the humanities. Try to locate the following article to read (your institution's library will likely have a subscription to this journal). It will help you get started in thinking about your own approach to teaching. 

Schönwetter, D. J., Sokal, L., Friesen M., & Taylor, K. L. (2002). Teaching philosophies reconsidered: A conceptual model for the development and evaluation of teaching philosophy statements. The International Journal for Academic Development, 7(1), 83-97. 

The following resource will help you shape your philosophy statement, which is basically what you think the role of a teacher is, and what 'learning' is, and your own role in that learning: Cornell University's Teaching Philosophy Statement Links to an external site..