Teaching Philosophy Statement Defined

A teaching philosophy statement is a reflective, personal statement one writes about their teaching. It is a narrative written from the first-person perspective (e.g., “I”, “me” and “my”) and is generally expected to be one to two pages in length, single-spaced (Chism, 1998), though one page is typically preferred. 

While there are many things that one may consider including in a teaching philosophy statement, as a starting point it is good to consider four core components: teaching beliefs (what you think), methods (what you do), impacts (the effect you have on learners, self, and colleagues), and goals (how you will improve) (Kenny et al., 2021). When writing a teaching philosophy statement, authenticity is key. In a well-constructed, authentic teaching philosophy statement, there should be consistency in what a person says they believe, the teaching methods they use to enact those beliefs, how they measure the impact of their teaching (including what they choose to measure), and the teaching-related goals that they set for themselves. Misalignment amongst the components may not only be confusing, but a source of concern for those who review the teaching philosophy statement. 

Reflecting On Your Teaching and Learning

Writing a teaching philosophy statement is a deeply reflective process. It involves critically examining your values, experiences, methods, and aspirations as an educator to articulate a clear and coherent approach to teaching and learning. Reflection is a crucial tool in continuously evolving your educational practice, fostering a deeper understanding of what you do and why, and how you can go about enhancing your teaching. As highlighted in McMaster’s Preparing a Teaching Portfolio Guidebook (MacPherson Institute, 2024), meaningful reflection should be “honest, introspective, and critical, acknowledging both successes and areas for improvement.” This module will guide you through a structured worksheet designed to help you reflect on your teaching beliefs, methods, impacts, and goals. 

Benefits of Crafting and Maintaining a Teaching Philosophy Statement

Crafting and maintaining a teaching philosophy statement allows you to become a more reflective practitioner, challenge assumptions, and assess what is and isn’t working to enhance both your teaching effectiveness, and the student learning experience. A clear and well-constructed teaching philosophy can guide you in making thoughtful decisions in the classroom and help maintain alignment with your teaching-related goals.  

Another benefit of crafting and maintaining a teaching philosophy statement is that your statement may be required for job applications in educational settings, making it an essential application tool should you be seeking such a position. A good teaching philosophy statement demonstrates to hiring committees that you have the ability to critically engage with your teaching and continually improve your approach. Hiring committees frequently request a teaching philosophy statement to assess how applicants approach teaching and to see whether their views align with institutional values (Levander, Forsberg, & Elmgren, 2019). A well-articulated teaching philosophy statement demonstrates a candidate’s engagement with teaching, showing their understanding of pedagogical principles and practices (Levander et al., 2019). Research indicates that teaching philosophy statements are valued by hiring committees, making them a critical document in the academic hiring process (Walsh et al., 2022).  

Finally, a teaching philosophy statement may also be used by faculty for tenure and promotion reviews, and they are often required when educators apply for teaching awards! A well-articulated teaching philosophy statement is highly important to educators making the case for their candidacy for those awards.