Throughout my life, I never truly stepped back to appreciate my education until I had graduated college

with my Bachelors degree. It was almost overnight that I realized how much my education empowered
me. True, I had concentrated my studies on history and womens studies, but I suddenly understood the
full expanse and value of education on my life. School started for me when I began preschool at three
years old. In just a few years I learned the priceless tools that I believe are the foundation of success:
reading and writing. From then on my knowledge grew and grew, and I recognized that I absolutely love
to learn. In addition, beyond subject matter, I definitely believe that school helped shaped me socially into
the productive citizen that I am today. Because school has empowered me so greatly, I have a strong
desire to share this experience with others. The best way I can do this is by being a teacher.
Part of my teaching philosophy is my whole-hearted determination for students to succeed. All students
can learn, and it is my responsibility to do what I can to ensure that they do. If a student is not succeeding
in my classroom, then I will examine my programs, curriculum, and my own teaching to see what
adjustments need to be made. An important component of success is expectations. I will be a teacher
that sets both high and clear expectations for the students in my classroom. I will be clear about what is to
be earned, the level of achievement that I expect, and the ways that I will help students meet these
expectations. As my University mentor, Dr. Ken Reckiewicz, always reminds us, the best surprise, is no
surprise.
Furthermore, I consider it very important for teachers to be continuous learners. It is very important for me
to be confident as an educator of students. I trust that my knowledge of content, pedagogy, and my
learners will make me an effective teacher. However, I see such value in continuously seeking out new
information- research on all three of these areas: content, pedagogy, and the development and needs of
students so I will continue to grow in my competency and skill.
Another aspect of my teaching philosophy involves classroom climate. It is imperative for a classroom
climate to be structured in order to maintain classroom management and effective teaching time. Time is
precious to teachers. It is critical that daily events should be planned as to maximize learning time. I have
learned that the first and last three minutes in any given lesson are the most critical times of the entire
lesson. The first three minutes set the atmosphere and tone for the rest of the lesson, and the last three
provide structured closure for students to internalize the learning that has taken place. While I am an
advocate for structure in the class period, I also believe that the classroom environment should be one
that fosters constructivist thinking, and student engagement. Students should be active learners, and
learning in a way that is both meaningful and long lasting.
The final piece of my educational philosophy comes from within my own heart. This piece is all about
attitude. I absolutely affirm that a teacher should show enthusiasm, a positive outlook, hope,
determination, and dedication in all aspects of this profession. Teachers have the opportunity to make
such a powerful impact on young peoples lives, and are a mentor in so many instances. A teachers
attitude is a key ingredient to success. It can motivate, support, encourage, students, teachers, parents,
and other community members. I am not nave to think that every day teaching will be the very best day I
have ever had. Yet, I can do my part by seeing each day as a fresh start, full of possibilities for
accomplishment.
I am genuinely eager to begin this new chapter in my life. I know that my philosophy will set the stage for
a career that is rewarding. I believe in myself as a teacher, and I believe in my students, and together we
will achieve.

Sample #1 My Philosophy Statement on Education

I believe that each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating
atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. It
is my desire as a educator to help students meet their fullest potential in these areas by providing
an environment that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invites a sharing of ideas. There are three
elements that I believe are conducive to establishing such an environment, (1) the teacher acting
as a guide, (2) allowing the child's natural curiosity to direct his/her learning, and (3) promoting
respect for all things and all people.
When the teacher's role is to guide, providing access to information rather than acting as the
primary source of information, the students' search for knowledge is met as they learn to find
answers to their questions. For students to construct knowledge, they need the opportunity to
discover for themselves and practice skills in authentic situations. Providing students access to
hands-on activities and allowing adequate time and space to use materials that reinforce the
lesson being studied creates an opportunity for individual discovery and construction of
knowledge to occur.
Equally important to self-discovery is having the opportunity to study things that are meaningful
and relevant to one's life and interests. Developing a curriculum around student interests fosters
intrinsic motivation and stimulates the passion to learn. One way to take learning in a direction
relevant to student interest is to invite student dialogue about the lessons and units of study.
Given the opportunity for input, students generate ideas and set goals that make for much richer
activities than I could have created or imagined myself. When students have ownership in the
curriculum, they are motivated to work hard and master the skills necessary to reach their goals.
Helping students to develop a deep love and respect for themselves, others, and their
environment occurs through an open sharing of ideas and a judicious approach to discipline.
When the voice of each student is heard, and environment evolves where students feel free to
express themselves. Class meetings are one way to encourage such dialogue. I believe children
have greater respect for their teachers, their peers, and the lessons presented when they feel safe
and sure of what is expected of them. In setting fair and consistent rules initially and stating the
importance of every activity, students are shown respect for their presence and time. In turn they
learn to respect themselves, others, and their environment.
For myself, teaching provides an opportunity for continual learning and growth. One of my
hopes as an educator is to instill a love of learning in my students, as I share my own passion for
learning with them. I feel there is a need for compassionate, strong, and dedicated individuals
who are excited about working with children. In our competitive society it is important for
students to not only receive a solid education, but to work with someone who is aware of and
sensitive to their individual needs. I am such a person and will always strive to be the best
educator that I can be.

Statement of teaching philosophy

November 2009
My teaching philosophy is the result of my experience as a teacher and also as a student for
more than 20 years, in both the US and Europe. In fact, with both my parents being teachers,
school always felt like a second home to me. As a student, I have experienced great teachers,
some terrible ones, as well as a lot in between. In my experience, excellent teachers have to be
passionate about their subject and striving to instill this same passion in their students. They
have
to establish a positive class atmosphere by investing time in building a rapport with their
students
and encouraging active class participation. Moreover, teachers should not just expect respect
from
the students, but should treat them with the same kind of respect. They should show that they
care about the students and are interested in their learning.
During my graduate studies at the University of Southern California, I have been o
ered the
opportunity to work as a research assistant, but I had the chance to be a teaching assistant
while at
the University of California, Irvine. This experience spanned very diverse classes involving
diverse
teaching methods. For the intermediate microeconomics class, the discussion sessions focused
mostly on solving problems; during the global economy sessions, the focus was on open
discussion
of issues;

nally, the introductory class in probability and statistics was set in a computer lab and
required me to introduce students to the statistical package SPSS. Throughout this experience,
I
tried to incorporate those aspects of excellent teaching that I had experienced myself as a
student.
I believe that life-long learning occurs when students are not just being told facts, but are fully
involved in the class and can connect to the information presented. Many people say that they
did
not really understand economics when they took courses in it. My goal is to have my students
leave
the class understanding the subject and how to apply it to real life. Teaching economics should
go
beyond teaching a set of facts and de

nitions. It should teach students an economic way of thinking

about problems that will help them as citizens and in whatever career they decide to pursue.
One thing I realized during my teaching experience is how diverse classes can be. There are
usually di
erences in majors, but also a variety of economic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
The most challenging disparity, however, is the di
erence in student learning styles. Some students
understand things better when they are put in mathematical terms, others prefer a more
graphical
or intuitive explanation, while others like to have real world examples to relate to. In order to
appeal to all these styles, I try to combine problem solving, graphical analysis, data
visualization,
and news stories during the classes.
In order to get my students interested in the subject matter, I convey my own enthusiasm by
talking about my research and other work I am doing related to the topics covered in class. This
can help students see how theoretical concepts can actually be applied to real world problems.
It is important for me to set high standards for my students and, as an instructor, this starts
with being well prepared for every class. The

rst step is to set clear objectives for the class, starting

with what I think is important for my students to remember long after they leave college. Once
these objectives are set, the next step is to develop the means to achieve them, the

nal result being

a curriculum that challenges the students and awakens their interest. It is also very important to
make it clear to the students that they need to have a good understanding of the subject matter
in
order to do well in the class. A teacher should treat students as adults, answering their
questions
thoughtfully, describing their responsibilities, and trusting them to ful

ll these responsibilities. I
Page 1
Laura Angelescu

write extensive comments when grading exams so that each student understands why credit
was
deducted and where there is need for improvement.
I believe that creating a class atmosphere congenial enough for students to feel comfortable
to express their opinion and approach me with questions is very important because learning is
incomplete without questioning. To this end, I encourage my students to contact me frequently
as a way to show my concern about their learning. When asking a question in class, I want to
encourage them without being patronizing, by waiting until someone o
ers a possible answer before
I explain the concept. Leaving pauses in a presentation also gives the students the opportunity
to
ask questions if they feel the need to.
One of the things I most enjoy about teaching is personal interaction with students. It is really
rewarding to work with students both in class and individually during o

ce hours, and to see

them progress. I also take great pride in mentoring students for their research projects and I

nd
that being a mentor teaches me more about research than any single class could. At USC, I
have
mentored a Master student and a visiting Ph.D. student from Italy.
A tool that I

nd very powerful in improving my teaching is listening to student feedback.

Students' comments on end of semester forms as well as the views they voice in person are a
great
starting point for future improvements in teaching a course.
I believe that an academic career has two complementary sides: as a researcher, my purpose
is to push the frontiers of knowledge further, while as a teacher, I want to awaken my students'
curiosity by making them aware of developments at the frontier. As Stephen Brook

eld wrote in
his book
The Skillful Teacher
(1990), \Teaching is about making some kind of dent in the world
so that the world is di
erent than what 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 e
ect am I having on students and on their
learning?". My main goal, the dent I want to make, is to encourage my students to become
curious,
independent life-long learners, to develop critical thinking skills, and gain an understanding of
the
world we live in.

A lo largo de mi vida, nunca pis atrs para apreciar mi educacin hasta me hubiera graduado
universitario con mi licenciatura. Era casi una noche me di cuenta de cunto me diste mi educacin. Es
cierto, haba concentrado mis estudios de historia y estudios de la mujer, pero de repente comprend la
extensin completa y el valor de la educacin en mi vida. Escuela comenz para m cuando comenc a
tres aos de edad preescolar. En pocos aos aprend las herramientas invaluables que creo que son la
base del xito: lectura y escritura. Luego de mi conocimiento creci y creci, y reconozco que me
encanta aprender. Adems, ms all de la materia, definitivamente creo que ayud a la escuela me
forma socialmente en el ciudadano productivo que soy hoy. Porque la escuela me ha fortalecido
grandemente, tengo un fuerte deseo de compartir esta experiencia con otros. La mejor manera que
pueda hacer esto es ser un maestro.

Parte de mi filosofa de enseanza es mi determinacin incondicional para que los estudiantes tengan
xito. Todos los estudiantes pueden aprender, y es mi responsabilidad hacer lo que pueda para
asegurarse de que lo hacen. Si un estudiante no est logrando en mi aula, luego examinar mis
programas, el currculo, y mi propia enseanza para ver qu ajustes deben hacerse. Un componente
importante del xito es las expectativas. Voy a ser un maestro que establece expectativas tanto altas y
claras para los estudiantes en mi aula. Ser claro sobre lo que es ser ganada, el nivel de logro que
espero y las maneras que ayudarn a los estudiantes cumplir con estas expectativas. Como mi mentor
de la Universidad, el Dr. Ken Reckiewicz, siempre nos recuerda, "la mejor sorpresa, no es es una
sorpresa".
Adems, considero que es muy importante para que los maestros ser continuo aprendizaje. Es muy
importante para m estar confiados como educador de los estudiantes. Confo en que mi conocimiento
del contenido, pedagoga y mis estudiantes me har un profesor eficaz. Sin embargo, veo tal valor en
continuamente buscando nueva informacin-investigacin sobre los tres de estas reas: contenido,
pedagoga y el desarrollo y las necesidades de los estudiantes, as que voy a seguir creciendo en mi
competencia y habilidad.

Otro aspecto de mi filosofa de enseanza implica el clima de aula. Es imprescindible para un clima de
aula a estructurarse con el fin de mantener la gestin del aula y tiempo de enseanza efectiva. El tiempo
es precioso a los maestros. Es fundamental que deben ser planeados eventos diarios en cuanto a
maximizar el tiempo de aprendizaje. He aprendido que la primeros y la ltimos tres minutos en cualquier
leccin dada son los momentos ms crticos de la leccin entera. Los tres primeros minutos haban fijado

la atmsfera y el tono para el resto de la leccin, y los tres ltimos dar cierre estructurado para que los
estudiantes interiorizan el aprendizaje que ha tenido lugar. Mientras que yo soy un defensor de la
estructura en el perodo de clase, tambin creo que el ambiente de la clase debe ser una que fomenta el
pensamiento constructivista y participacin estudiantil. Los estudiantes deberan ser aprendices activos y
el aprendizaje de una manera que sea significativo y duradero.

La ltima pieza de mi filosofa educativa viene de dentro de mi propio corazn. Esta pieza est en la
actitud. Absolutamente afirmo que un maestro debe mostrar entusiasmo, una actitud positiva, la
esperanza, determinacin y dedicacin en todos los aspectos de esta profesin. Los maestros tienen la
oportunidad de hacer un gran impacto en las vidas de los jvenes y son un mentor en muchos casos. La
actitud de un maestro es un ingrediente clave para el xito. Puede motivar, apoyar, alentar, estudiantes,
maestros, padres y otros miembros de la comunidad. No soy tan ingenuo para pensar que cada da ser
el mejor da que he tenido de enseanza. Sin embargo, puedo hacer mi parte por ver cada da como un
nuevo comienzo, lleno de posibilidades de realizacin.
Estoy realmente ansioso por comenzar este nuevo captulo en mi vida. S que mi filosofa establecer
las bases para una carrera gratificante. Creo en m mismo como profesor, yo creo en mis alumnos y
juntos vamos a lograr.

Sample Philosophy of Teaching Statement: English

Philosophy of Teaching Statement
Kristina Busse
Department of English
Teachingespecially in the humanitiesshould always strive to move beyond the simple
divulging of facts and knowledge or even the training of certain skills. Instead, teachers in a
liberal arts environment have the broad responsibility of serving as guide and mentor on an
intellectual journey, opening and broadening curious minds by exposing them to new thoughts
and ideas. As liberal education helps expand the students horizon and forces them to critically
examine their values, goals, and ideals, they learn to sympathize and empathize with others of
different backgrounds. This, in turn, enables them to come fully into their own as human beings
who can share the common bond of humanity with other world citizens as they retain and value
their distinguished and separate identities. This mandate of creating self-aware, self-reliant, and
self-governing citizens is the underlying philosophy in all my teaching.
Accordingly, not only do my classes teach the students various ways of acquiring, analyzing, and
evaluating information, they also afford them the opportunity to confront new ideas and different
points of views, all the while increasing their ability to discuss and defend their own positions
both in discussions and in writing. In my composition class this translates into an interactive,
group-oriented classroom that focuses in equal amounts on the three components of critical
thinking, reading, and writing. As such, I emphasize peer workshops, group work, and the use of
student essays as reading material in an attempt to sharpen the students critical reading skills
and create a more comfortable class environment. My literature courses highlight different
approaches of interpretation as it trains the students to generate and defend their own critical
readings of literary texts. Alternating informational lectures, student-driven class discussions,
and guided work in small groups produces a learning situation in which the students can
comfortably share and discuss their ideas and literary interpretations.
My composition class is a mixture of argumentative theory which presents students with the
vocabulary to discuss their methods of argumentation, critical essays that open debates among
the students, and student essays, both as examples and to train critical reading. By reading and
debating current articles, the students are forced to address controversial topics, analyze their

opponent's arguments and logically defend their own position. By analyzing their peers essays,
they learn to detect rhetorical structures and logical fallacies in order to teach them to become
better readers of their own work. By continually writing, revising, rewriting, they learn to
translate their thoughts into a reader-friendly argument that is coherently structured, well-argued,
and aware of its audience. Furthermore, through interrelated paper assignments and revisions, I
allow students to rework their own arguments and improve their writing skills. Specifically, I
incorporate earlier assignments, such as position papers, into the research paper assignment in
order to emphasize the importance of extending and improving ones own ideas and to ward off
the danger of solely relying on secondary research. Since the students have already thought about
the topic and have developed a claim of their own, they usually are less intimidated by the
overwhelming amount of information that confronts them during research. Finally, I emphasize
group workshops to create a class environment in which the students know, teach, and help one
another in their writing.
My approach to literature courses is somewhat similar to composition classes as I teach students
to read closely, analyze, and interpret so as to learn reading literature as a skill rather than simply
see it as a body of information to be imparted by the teacher. Through a mixture of lectures,
close readings (at times via group work with specific assignments), and general class
discussions, I introduce the students to important authors and texts within the context of larger
literary movements. My use of directed group work gives the students the opportunity to engage
with the text on their own as it forces them to interact with one another. This also allows me to
observe the quieter students at work and creates a class situation in which the students feel
comfortable with one another and are less hesitant to speak their minds. My overall goal is to
situate the specific literary texts in a historical, philosophical, and social framework and to show
the interactions between literary culture and society at large. To do so, I give brief historical
overviews, expand the classes with social and political background readings, and relate the
literature to other art forms such as paintings or film.
One particularly helpful recent addition to teaching composition and literature has been the
World Wide Web. In the classes I have previously taught in a web-based environment, I
welcomed the students' opportunity to interact via email and learn how to conduct and evaluate
research on the World Wide Web, culminating in the creation of a webpage related to their
research papers as a final project. In so doing, the students not only interact more with me and
one another, but also become active participants in a community larger than the classroom itself.
Moreover, they are able to envision an audience for their work other than their teacher or
classmates. With the increasing availability of literary texts and scholarly materials on the
Internet, I believe a web-based course would be effective for both literary and composition
classes.