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Teaching Beliefs

Although it may be at an unconscious level, what one does as an instructor is impacted by their identity and the foundational ideas they hold about what makes for quality teaching and learning (Kenny et al., 2021). Different instructors hold different beliefs, and they enact those beliefs in different ways. To facilitate your reflection on the conscious or unconscious ways you teach and your foundational beliefs about teaching and learning, here are a few things you may wish to ponder (Kenny et al., 2021):  

  • Whether there was someone who stood out to you as being an exceptional educator when you were a learner, and why 
  • What the most effective learning experience was that you have had as a learner, and why 
  • Whether your positionality influences your beliefs about teaching, and if so, how 
  • The teaching beliefs you hold as a result of your experience as a student 
  • The teaching beliefs you hold as a result of your experience as an educator 
  • The teaching beliefs you hold as a result of your exposure to scholarship/research on teaching and learning 
  • What you think it means to be a good educator 
    • How you think a good educator behaves 
    • How you communicate expectations 
    • How you show respect for students’ identities, needs, interests, and values 
    • How you engage students 
    • How you assess students 
    • How you provide quality feedback on student work 
    • How you work to continue to improve as an educator 
  • What you think good teaching looks like in your discipline 
  • What you think it means to be a good learner in your discipline 
  • Whether you value having a teaching and learning community you can tap into 

Pause for Reflection

We recognize that this is a long list, and it can thus be overwhelming. To help you focus your thinking, please complete the Teaching Beliefs section of the Crafting a Teaching Philosophy Statement: Worksheet. The questions are not easily answered, nor are there right or wrong responses. Simply write what comes to mind (Kenny et al., 2021).  

Tips for the Future

It is hoped that having provided answers to the questions listed on the worksheet will ease writing the first draft of your teaching philosophy statement. Ideally, completing the reflective exercise linked above has allowed you to identify a few (~2-5) core teaching beliefs that will form the foundation of your teaching philosophy statement. 

When describing your teaching beliefs in your written teaching philosophy statement on your own in the future, don’t forget to ground them in personal experience and teaching and learning scholarship, where appropriate. Moreover, do consider briefly illustrating your beliefs with a few select examples of your teaching practice. If you do not yet have any teaching experience, share how you would or plan to put your teaching beliefs into practice as opposed to how you have put those beliefs into practice (Kenny et al., 2021). You will learn more about how to describe your teaching practices in the Teaching Methods tab that follows. 

References

Kenny, N., Aparicio-Ting, F., Beattie, T., Berenson, C., Grant, K., Jeffs, C., Lindstrom, G., Nowell, L., & Usman, F. (2021). Teaching Philosophies and Teaching Dossiers Guide: Including Leadership, Mentorship, Supervision, and EDI. Calgary, AB: Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning Guide Series.