Teaching

Philosophy
Elena Petkanas
Pharm.D. Candidate 2020
Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health
Sciences
 ● Define what is a teaching
philosophy

Objectives ● Describe the components

found in a teaching philosophy
● Recognize the key dos and
don’ts when creating a
teaching philosophy
What is a teaching
philosophy?
 ● The teaching philosophy
process should be reanalyzed
Things to over and over again.
● People change along with their
Consider values and beliefs.
● Professional growth will be
reflected in a philosophy that
is consistently updated.
● This statement is always a
work in progress.

What is a Teaching Philosophy Statement and Why Do I Need it? Portland.

https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/admissions-tips/what-is-a-teaching-
philosophy-statement-and-why-do-i-need-it/.
 Teaching Philosophy
● Personal and narrative statement
● Uses specific examples to illustrate your points
● Consists of your ideas of teaching and learning
● A description of how you teach
● Justification for why you teach that way

Graduate School. Teaching Philosophy Statement. Graduate School iCal. https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/pathways-to-success/prepare-for-your-career/take-action/teaching-

philosophy-statement/.
Values Beliefs

Goals
 Recap
What is a teaching philosophy?

What three concepts are important to focus on when writing a teaching

philosophy?
Who Is My Audience?
 What Criteria is Being Judged
● Student teaching roles and responsibilities
● Student teacher interaction
● Inclusiveness
● Teaching methods
● Assessment of teaching
● Assessment of learning

Graduate School. Teaching Philosophy Statement. Graduate School iCal.

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/pathways-to-success/prepare-for-your-career/take-
action/teaching-philosophy-statement/.
 Who May Use A Teaching Philosophy
● Full time faculty member seeking promotion or tenure
● New hires
● Junior faculty members
● Postgraduate year 1 or year 2 pharmacy residents which may be used as part
of an interview, employment, or residency requirements

Graduate School. Teaching Philosophy Statement. Graduate School iCal.

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/pathways-to-
success/prepare-for-your-career/take-action/teaching-philosophy-statement/.
 • Graduate students and postdoctoral
fellows currently encounter requests
for a statement of teaching
“Resources and philosophy in at least half of
Practices to Help academic job announcements in the
Graduate Students and United States.

Postdoctoral Fellows • This article is used for mentors as a

Write Statements of guide to consult with graduate
students, postdoctoral fellows and
Teaching Philosophy” junior faculty members as they
prepare a teaching philosophy.
 How to Start
May help by answering a couple of questions to start, these questions may
include:

● The purpose of education is to________.

● Why do you want to teach your subject?
● Students learn best by______________.
● When you are teaching your subject, what are your goals?
● The most effective methods for teaching are___________.
● I know this because__________________.
● The most important aspects of my teaching are______________.

Graduate School. Teaching Philosophy Statement. Graduate School iCal. https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-

progress/pathways-to-success/prepare-for-your-career/take-action/teaching-philosophy-statement/.
Another Approach
Some of the following strategies below may spark an idea,

● Write a letter to someone outside the teaching world on the joys and challenges of
teaching.
● Make a list of the qualities of an effective teacher.
● Write about a memorable experience in the classroom. Consider what happened and
what you might do differently and why.
● Develop a “dream course” in which you have a chosen topic and create goals to
achieve it in terms of helping the students to learn and how you would research these
interests within the scope of your personal teaching approach.
What is a Teaching Philosophy Statement and Why Do I Need it? Portland. https://education.cu-
portland.edu/blog/admissions-tips/what-is-a-teaching-philosophy-statement-and-why-do-i-need-it/.
Dos and Don’ts

● Do research on the teaching

● Don’t give empty concepts
institution and disciplinary trends
● Don’t repeat your CV
● Do keep it short (1-2 pages)
● Do provide concrete examples and
evidence of usefulness of teaching
concepts
● Do discuss impact of methods,
lessons learned, challenges, and
innovations
Graduate School. Teaching Philosophy Statement. Graduate School iCal.
https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/pathways-to-success/prepare-for-your-
career/take-action/teaching-philosophy-statement/.
 Be
innovative
ROCK your
teaching
Be
philosophy memorable
statement

Don’t make general statements

such as “students don’t learn
through lecture” or “the only
way to teach is with class
discussion.”

Graduate School. Teaching Philosophy Statement. Graduate School iCal.

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/pathways-to-success/prepare-for-your-career/take-
action/teaching-philosophy-statement/.
“A tenet of my teaching philosophy is that failure IS
an option; mistakes are an invaluable part of
learning. Education often is not linear. It is through
the process of recursive inquiry — observation,
exploration, analysis, and evaluation — that
meaningful learning takes place.” – Mr. Bowen
“’If a child can’t learn the way we teach,
maybe we should teach the way they
learn.’ This quote by Ignacio Estrada
represents my teaching philosophy.
Teaching and education are not one size
fits all.” – Ms. Thompson
Takeaways
Keep it brief The statement should be no more than one to two pages
Use present tense and write the statement in the first person
Avoid technical terms Use common, everyday language
Create a "vivid portrait" that includes strategies and methods to help your
reader envision you in the classroom
Make it memorable and unique there is no required content or set format

What is a Teaching Philosophy Statement and Why Do I Need it? Portland.

https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/admissions-tips/what-is-a-teaching-
philosophy-statement-and-why-do-i-need-it/.
Conclusion
• A teaching philosophy demonstrate your reflections and purpose about
teaching

• Professional growth will be reflected in a teaching philosophy that is

consistently updated

• All teaching philosophies are very individual and personal, and no one
philosophy is more correct than another!
Brainstorm
● From the presentation, which of the following statements is considered a
teaching philosophy “don’t”?
a. A teaching philosophy should be a long book of teaching styles
b. A teaching philosophy should provide concrete examples of teaching
c. A teaching philosophy should provide evidence of teaching
d. A teaching philosophy creates a vivid picture
 Brainstorm
• True or False: A Teaching Philosophy is a statement that is always a work in
progress.

• What components could be found in a teaching philosophy? (Select all that

apply)

a. A video of a class you taught

b. Letters of recommendations
c. A completed CV
d. Samples of course syllabi
Questions?