statement of teaching philosophy workshop iup lit-crit mentoring circle march 2015

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STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOPHY WORKSHOP IUP LIT-CRIT MENTORING CIRCLE MARCH 2015

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STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOPHY WORKSHOP

IUP LIT-CRIT MENTORING CIRCLE

MARCH 2015

STP: DEFINITION AND PURPOSE

• What is a statement of teaching philosophy?

• What is it “for”?

(Graduate instructors respondez!)

STP: DEFINITION AND PURPOSE

Stephen Brookfield, The Skillful Teacher (1990):

• Personal purpose: ” . . . a distinctive organizing vision — a clear picture of why you are doing what you are doing that you can call up at points of crisis — is crucial to your personal sanity and morale.” (p. 16)

• Pedagogical purpose: “Teaching is about making some kind of dent in the world so that the world is different than it was before you practiced your craft. Knowing clearly what kind of dent you want to make in the world means that you must continually ask yourself the most fundamental evaluative questions of all — What effect am I having on students and on their learning?” (pp. 18-19)

STP: DEFINITION AND PURPOSE

Gail Goodyear and Douglas Allchin, “Statements of Teaching Philosophy” (1998):

• “In preparing a statement of teaching philosophy, professors assess and examine themselves to articulate the goals they wish to achieve in teaching. . . . A clear vision of a teaching philosophy provides stability, continuity, and long-term guidance. . . . A well–defined philosophy can help them remain focused on their teaching goals and to appreciate the personal and professional rewards of teaching.” (pp. 106–7)

STP: DEFINITION AND PURPOSE

U. Of Michigan CRLT Occasional Papers, “Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search” (2007)

• “Such statements communicate a job candidate’s approach to teaching and learning to a faculty considering whether to make that candidate one of their colleagues. Since a committee cannot possible observe the teaching of every applicant, the teaching philosophy helps search committee members imagine themselves in each candidate’s classroom. What is it like to be one of this instructor’s students? Why does she make the pedagogical decisions she does?...How does the instructor address the challenges and resources of teaching in this particular discipline? Does her teaching style complement our department’s philosophy of instruction?”

STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOPHY TIPS

Nancy Van Note Chism, “Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement” (1997-98)

Form and format

• 1-2 pages, single spaced (usually 1 page)

• Narrative, first-person statements are appropriate

• Reflective and personal—“What brings a teaching philosophy to life is the extent to which it creates a vivid portrait of a person who is intentional about teaching practices and committed to career”

• Avoid jargon and technical terms

STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOPHY TIPSNancy Van Note Chism, “Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement” (1997-98)

Components of statement

• Conceptualization of learning—how you think learning occurs in general and/or in a “learning episode”

• Conceptualization of teaching—how you facilitate learning in the way you described it

• Goals for students

• Implementation of the philosophy—specifics of practice

• Personal growth plan—reflection on continuing growth

STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOPHY TIPSGabriela Montell, “How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy,” Chronicle of Higher Education (2003)

• Getting started: think about great teachers, and what made them good, and bad teachers, and what made them bad

• Research the mission and approach of the institution you’re applying to

• Don’t rehash your vita—not a laundry list of what you’ve done

• Don’t make empty statements—anchor philosophical declarations with concrete examples

• Ground philosophy in discipline

• Writing matters

• Keep a humble tone

• Remember that teaching is about students

• Be yourself—use your authentic voice

STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOPHY TIPS

James M. Lang, “4 Steps to a Memorable Teaching Philosophy,” Chronicle of Higher Education (2010)

1) Begin with the end: focus on what students gain or learn or can do by the end of the term

2) Make distinctions: between service courses and specialty courses, since they have different objectives

3) Be specific: find ways to make it concrete; tell a story or two

4) Cite your sources: where did your philosophy come from? People as well as books.

STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOPHY TIPS

Mary Anne Lewis, “Teaching Statement as Self-Portrait,” Chronicle of Higher Education (2014)

• “I see now just how powerfully a moment in the classroom stands apart in a self-portrait of teaching. In clear, specific, memorable ways, that moment can suggest the tone of the classroom, the place of the text, the lessons to be gleaned, and the questions being investigated.”

• STPs that “stood out” to hiring committee were “the ones that were specific, that told a story, and that left me with a clear sense of the candidate as a teacher. I left those few statements with an image and feeling in mind; the candidate’s self-portrait had made its mark.”

EXERCISE 1: STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOPHY REVISION PLAN

• Considering the definitions and tips we just considered, look at your current statement of teaching philosophy.

• Circle places that you want to revise or discard, and make some marginal notes about details to add.

• 5 minutes

EXERCISE 2: CREATING NEW MATERIAL

• Put away your current statement of teaching philosophy so as to start a new one from scratch.

• The aim here is to create some new material; then you can integrate it into what you already have, keeping the best stuff.

• Pick one of the exercises from the handouts (from the Duquesne Center for Teaching Excellence). If you have time, do both.

• Self-Reflective Interview Exercise

• Teaching Philosophy Writing Matrix

SOURCES

Brookfield, Stephen, The Skillful Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006.

Chism, Nancy Van Note. “Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement.” Essays on Teaching Excellence: Toward the Best in the Academy (1998).

Goodyear, Gail and Douglas Allchin.“Statements of Teaching Philosophy.” To Improve the Academy: Resources for Faculty, Instructional, and Organizational Development 17(1998): 103-21.

Lang, James M. “4 Steps to a Memorable Teaching Philosophy.” Chronicle of Higher Education. 29 August, 2010.

Lewis, Mary Anne. “Teaching Statement as Self-Portrait.” Chronicle Vitae. 3 October, 2003.

Montell, Gabriela. “How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy.” Chronicle of Higher Education. 27 March, 2003.

O’Neal, C., Meizlish, D., & Kaplan, M. “Writing a statement of teaching philosophy for the academic job search.” University of Michigan CRLT Occasional Paper #23. http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no23.pdf.

Semenza, Gregory. Graduate Study for the 21st Century. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. 140-42.