A teaching philosophy — also known as a teaching statement, or teaching philosophy statement — is a document that articulates your approach to teaching, and why you approach it that way. Teaching statements are sometimes used as part of a larger teaching portfolio for promotion and tenure (see, for example, UW Medicine’s resource on teaching portfolios), and are often required in applications for teaching awards and academic positions.
Characteristics of an effective teaching statement
Ideally, a teaching philosophy statement will let your colleagues know 1) how students experience your classes, and 2) the type of reflective, intentional approach you apply to your teaching.
Although it may vary by discipline, generally, effective teaching statements are:
- Concise (1-2 pages single-spaced)
- Narrative and reflective. Most readers will expect you to write in first person (using “I” statements) and limit your use of citations.
- Discipline-specific, including how you approach teaching the particular content that you teach.
- Understandable to a reader who has not read your CV.
Strategies for writing an effective teaching statement
Like all writing tasks, writing a teaching philosophy can be daunting. Here are some suggestions for drafting and revising your statement:
- Brainstorm: Make a list of all of the kinds of teaching you regularly do (e.g. teaching large enrollment classes, smaller seminars, labs, community-engaged learning).
- Freewrite: Writing for a limited amount of time without stopping, editing, or really thinking, can be a great way to start a first draft. Some possible freewriting topics
- Consider: What do you want your students to learn? How do you help them learn this?
- Describe the learning challenges your students face, and how you help them tackle these.
- Talk about a particularly rewarding moment you’ve experienced as a teacher or a student. What made that experience so fulfilling?
- Imagine how a student of yours would describe your classes.
- Consult examples from peers: Because teaching statements are often discipline-specific, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all model. Ask your colleagues to share examples of their own, and/or search online for publically-available examples from your field.
- Connect to writing support: Tutors at the Odegaard Writing and Research Center can help graduate students on the Seattle campus write a teaching statement. UW Bothell students writing a teaching statement can find support at the Bothell Writing and Communication Center, and UW Tacoma students at the Tacoma Writing Center. Faculty can reach out to departmental colleagues to find out if their colleges/schools offer faculty writing support.
- Consult the University of Michigan’s Rubric for Teaching Statements. Reviewing your own teaching statement with this rubric may help you identify its strengths and areas for improvement.