I believe a good teacher, first, has a powerful faith in the future. Like the forester planting an oak seedling knowing he or she will never see the tree in all its glory, I know I may never see the fruits of my labors as teacher. My calling is to plant and nurture seeds that will grow and shape tomorrow.
The good teacher knows and understands students, how they develop and learn. I know that students actively construct and transform their own knowledge based on past experiences and prior learning. I know that students do not all learn in the same way or at the same rate. I believe it is my responsibility as a teacher to be an effective diagnostician of students’ interests, abilities, and prior knowledge. I must then plan learning experiences that will both challenge and allow every student to think and grow.
I believe a good teacher must also understand motivation and the effects of peer interactions on learning. I want all my students to achieve at high levels, so I avoid sorting them and setting them up to compete with each other. I know most learning happens through social interaction; therefore, I structure learning so that students productively collaborate and cooperate with each other the vast majority of class time.
The good teacher must know her subjects and how to help students learn those subjects. I know the good teacher must have a deep appreciation of how knowledge is created in the discipline, how it is organized and how it is linked to other disciplines. I use my knowledge of the discipline to expose my students to modes of critical thinking, encouraging them to analyze, apply, synthesize, and evaluate all they read and hear. I love the subjects I teach, and I know how to make them come alive for my students.
A good teacher cannot begin or continue to inspire learning without being a learner. The good teacher must constantly learn what is new in the discipline. In fact, the good teacher often helps to create new knowledge. To live this belief, I must continuously examine my teaching methods and find new ones. To remain connected to my students, their lives and the schools in which they will practice their professions, I must be a student of society and the constantly changing worlds in which students live. I eagerly and willingly learn from my students as they learn with me.
I believe a teacher is the most powerful of role models. I am ever aware of the awesome obligation I have to “walk my talk” with my students. If I ask them to live their values and beliefs, I must do the same. I expect the best — of myself and others — and, therefore, I usually get the best. I try to treat all people with dignity and respect, and I expect my students to do so also.
Despite writing a teaching philosophy, I really prefer to think about learning and helping others learn as opposed to teaching. I believe many of us have come to accept a working definition that teaching means giving information, which I believe is only the beginning of teaching and certainly only a small part of learning. When one gives information, it is so easy to equate learning with the memorization of that information. Memorization is not always learning because learning requires thinking. I am beginning to understand that the teacher’s greatest gift to the learner is helping the learner be motivated to think, and then to want to learn more.
I believe in the power of questions and questioning strategies to cause thinking. I constantly try to ask questions for which there are no “right” answers. I constantly work to become a better “questioner” for the effective use of questions is the most powerful strategy a teacher has to help students learn.
Finally, I believe a teacher lives to serve. A teacher is dedicated to learning, to his or her discipline, to his or her students, and to making the future the best possible place for all of us to live. These are the challenges I accepted when I chose to be a teacher. I remain committed to them.
When you apply for a job as a teacher, you may be asked about your teaching philosophy. This is not the sort of question you should fumble or improvise on the fly. You’ll look unprepared for the job if you don’t have a ready answer. Teachers are expected to be able to talk about their philosophy.
On the other hand, if you have a succinct and clear philosophy, the hiring manager will be impressed by your ability to think about the methods and goals of your teaching practice.
Before the job interview, make sure you have a philosophy that you can neatly articulate.
What the Interviewer Wants to Know
The interviewer wants to know that you have a teaching philosophy, that you can articulate it, and that your beliefs about teaching and learning are a good fit for the school.
What is a teaching philosophy? It’s an explanation of your values and beliefs as they relate to teaching. Your philosophy is often a combination of methods you studied in college or graduate school and lessons learned during any professional experience since then. It may also draw upon your own experience of childhood education, either as a parent or as a child yourself.
If you don't know what your teaching philosophy is, try writing down a few key statements you believe to be true about education, and then proceed from there.
Think about the methods you apply in the classroom, and your goals for your students. Also consider how you've put your ideas about education into action, and what principles are demonstrated by your work in the classroom.
- What makes you proud to be a teacher?
- What lets you know you’ve done a good job?
- What standards do you set for yourself, and why?
A personal teaching philosophy is different than a pedagogical theory, although the two are related. Waldorf or Montessori education, for example, involves very different approaches to teaching [pedagogies] than the mainstream American public-school system utilizes, and yet teachers from each system might articulate very similar philosophies.
Teaching styles and methods often change over a person’s career, so review your philosophy from time to time, update it, and make changes when necessary.
How to Answer “What Is Your Teaching Philosophy?”
If you’ve never put your teaching philosophy into words, this three-step process can help you articulate your beliefs.
- Begin simply with one or two sentences that neatly encapsulate your thinking.
- Then elaborate on what your philosophy means in practical terms.
- Then include an example of how you apply your teaching philosophy in the classroom. This will help make your philosophy even more concrete.
However, only share an example if you have enough time. If you have already been speaking for a couple of minutes, or if you feel that the interviewer wants to move on, you can skip this part.
Examples of Best Answers
Now, let’s apply the three-step system and look at some sample answers.
Example #1
I believe the classroom is a living community and that everyone, from the principal to the students to the parents, must contribute in order to maintain a positive atmosphere.
Why It Works: This statement is simple, straightforward, and easy to absorb. It takes a position, the classroom is a living community and everyone contributes, and conveys it well. While you don’t need to fit everything you believe about teaching into a single sentence, it’s important to be able to express the most central part of your ideas and priorities as a teacher. Let the rest be implied.
Example #2
All students are individuals, and everyone learns in their own unique way. I use multiple methods of teaching [linguistic, visual, auditory, kinesthetic] to reach students, so that no one is left behind.
Why It Works: This explanation makes clear that this teacher believes effective teaching brings everybody along together. You can also make brief mention of educational theories or scientific studies that support your philosophy, or you can refer to other educators who exemplify your philosophy. You are trying to make it clear to your interviewers that you think carefully about how you teach and are well-educated on educational practices.
Example #3
Everyone in the classroom contributes as a student, teacher, and thinker. I learn from students as much as they learn from me. One way I emphasize this philosophy in my classes is to incorporate regular feedback from students. For example, I ask students to fill out a mid-course evaluation of the class, in which they reflect on the course goals and provide feedback on whether or not the course is helping them meet these goals thus far. Students have been so insightful, providing useful information for me on what is working in class, and what I can improve upon. I believe we never stop learning, and I want my students to know we can learn from each other.
Why It Works: This answer provides specifics about how the teacher sees their role. It also shows that the candidate is receptive to feedback and able to incorporate that into their approach. This is a good answer to give if there’s time to elaborate. If you sense that the interviewer wants to move on, don’t provide more detail.
Tips for Giving the Best Answer
Determine your teaching philosophy before the interview. Think about your teaching methods and goals. How have you put your ideas into action? What principles are demonstrated by your work? Remember that a teaching philosophy is different than a pedagogic theory.
Get to the point. Make sure you’re able to articulate your beliefs succinctly. Ideally, you’d be able to sum up your teaching philosophy in one sentence, if you had to. [Although, you should have specifics to offer in case there’s time to speak in-depth.]
What Not to Say
Avoid wordiness. A poorly organized or less-than-succinct statement will be hard for other people to understand and could hurt you. The interviewer wants to see that you understand your teaching philosophy and can describe it well.
Skip the clichés. Avoid generic and self-evident statements, like "everybody deserves a chance to learn." Sure, it's broad and applicable to many classroom situations, but the universality and obviousness makes the phrase a problem. Simply put, if your philosophy is a truism or a cliché, it’s obvious you didn’t put much thought into it.
If your educational philosophy actually is that everyone deserves a chance [or something similar], then be sure to make your statement unique by explaining how you see the principle of equality as relevant to education. A provision to keep in mind is that if you can’t imagine anyone disagreeing with your philosophy [that is, disagreeing intelligently, for well-thought-out reasons], then you’ve probably landed on an obvious truism.
Possible Follow-Up Questions
- Why did you decide to become a teacher? – Best Answers
- What’s your classroom management style? – Best Answers
- How do you handle stress? – Best Answers
- Tell me about a time when you handled a challenging situation. – Best Answers
- What strategies do you use to motivate your students? – Best Answers
- How have you used technology in the classroom? – Best Answers
Key Takeaways
Prepare your answer prior to the interview: Practice describing your beliefs, goals, and methods.
Be succinct: Summarize your philosophy in a sentence or two. Be able to provide more detail if required.