What exactly is a teacher's philosophy paper composed of?

Question

I'm working on one and I'm not sure what it should include? Ideas of how I would run my classroom? Ideas of how I believe that students learn? I'm really not sure.

Answer 1

mine has what a typical day would look like in my classroom and then what my discipline procedure would be. It is a paragraph for each of theses and ends up being about 3/4 of a page. I have seen philosophies that are two pages. You could include how students learn. I don't beacuse it doesn't really fit the way I have mine.

Answer 2

HI!

I remember having to write one of these.  This is basically a statement of what you believe regarding teaching.  A series of statements like:

I believe that all children can learn.

I believe that each child learns differently.

Its gets easy as you think about why you would make a great teacher.

Answer 3

It's a combination of your beliefs along with how you would put these beliefs into practice within your classroom.  For an example, I've included mine.  (I've been in teaching over 20 years.  It's a good idea to keep your philosophy around and updated.  It is asked for in several different areas throughout your career.)

Philosophy of Teaching Statement

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking they can do things.  When they believe in themselves, they have the first secret of success. - Norman Vincent Peale

I believe that this is the teacher’s first job – from Kindergarten to graduate studies.  That is, the teacher’s or professor’s primary responsibility is to instill a sense of belief in his or her students.  This is research proven in the theory of high expectations.  If one expects that s/he can achieve great, then that is more than half the battle.  And, conversely, if one believes that s/he cannot do anything, then they will not.  They give up before they begin.  Hence, it is the duty of every teacher to kindle the desire to better understand the world and one's self in all students. Once ignited, this desire can intensify.  Often, the first spark is lit when students realize the value of what they are learning.  Students want to know why they need to learn a specific lesson.  This realization is a two part process.

First, students are more likely to accept what they are learning when it is logically presented in an orderly, precise, and clear manner.  I feel that students are equipped with critical thinking abilities, and by means of experiencing a logical presentation, can individually choose to accept or reject ideas.

The second part is closely related to the first because logical presentation and critical thinking will lead to insightful interpretations of the material.  Insightful interpretations are facilitated by discussion among teacher and students.  One of the most important insights that can be attained is how the knowledge they are acquiring applies to their life.  Once the value of this knowledge is realized, learning will be greatly facilitated.

There are several overarching goals that I have for the classroom, all of which are based on my beliefs about how students learn. First, I believe that students learn the best when they feel comfortable. As a result, I always try to create the kind of classroom where students know I am excited to teach them and an environment in which students feel encouraged to participate. I am genuinely interested in the lives of my students and I try to express this to them. For instance, I like to talk to the students as they are arriving just so that we can have informal discussion about their lives. Many students have commented that such conversations put them at ease. I also believe that it is important to be explicit about my desire to make sure they are having a good experience in the classroom. I invite them to share their concerns with me at any time.  I begin my classes with a discussion of the importance of respect in our classroom, which enables me to facilitate discussions in such a way that students are more likely to be respectful of each other. Another way in which I empower student participation is by providing positive feedback wherever appropriate. Finally, I know that students have a variety of learning styles and not all students are comfortable with making comments in class. Thus, I try to create many opportunities for a variety of types of participation; I conduct in-class experiments, do demonstrations and take frequent in-class polls to encourage less-verbal students to participate.  

Second, I believe that critical thinking skills are important to student success and that teaching critical thinking through course content can improve student learning. By forcing students to fully think out ideas, and not just to take notes on my lectures, I am able to promote critical thinking skills, which I believe to be integral to future academic success. When I have students write papers, I give detailed grading criteria or rubrics so that students can develop the logical structure of their argument.

Third, I believe that students learn better when instructors model behavior that they seek to promote in their students. As Randall Sprick said in his CHAMP’s curriculum, “A student can hit any target that is clear and that stands still for them.”  Modeling behavior makes it clear to the students.  As an instructor, I try to model appropriate classroom behavior, the role of constructive criticism and affirmation, and a love of learning. I have found that students tend to get more positive in their verbal and non-verbal feedback to other students as the year passes and I like to believe that they are modeling my reactions to their classmates. Because I have a passion for both learning and teaching, I find that most students see me as very enthusiastic. I believe this enthusiasm to be contagious as the students in my classes seem to truly enjoy learning.  And that is my fourth and final goal:  I want my students to truly enjoy learning.

Teaching is my passion. And, I believe that all educators are teachers – professors, principals, counselors, classroom teachers, etc.  We all touch student lives and have a responsibility to build their knowledge.  There is nothing else in my professional life that brings the same joy and exhilaration to me as being in a classroom where students are learning and engaged. While I am fortunate to have found something I am so passionate about, I feel that I have a responsibility to work hard for my students. It is a great gift and a great responsibility to share the subject matter I love with others. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to teach and I only hope that I am always doing a service to my students.

Answer 4

I agree with the person above me - why ever would you post your statement publically?

In my statement, I've put what students can expect in my classroom, some teaching philosophies I generally follow, and goals for my students and classroom. Provide examples, but make sure your paper isn't too long!

Answer 5

It's basically your personal statement on teaching and learning.

The poster above me -- lovely statement, but aren't you concerned that someone will rip if off of you here???