What is the purpose of a Philosophy of Teaching Statement?
There can be many purposes. You can think of it as a way of introducing yourself as instructor to your colleagues. You can think of it as an exercise in concisely gathering together your beliefs about teaching and learning so that you can easily articulate them to your students, your peers, and search committees. The Statement is also an introduction to your teaching portfolio thus setting the stage for the reader of that portfolio. Additionally, the Statement can be a means to professional growth in that it requires you to give examples of how you enact your philosophy, thus requiring you to consider the degree to which your teaching is congruent with your beliefs. You may realize that to fully enact your beliefs about teaching and learning, there is a lot of room for growth. For examples of Teaching Philosophies as part of faculty Teaching Portfolios from around the country see: http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/tresources/philosophies.htm http://www.lll.hawaii.edu/sltcc/tipps/philosophy.
