Assignment Eleven: A Philosophy of Teaching the Language Arts
Write, in 500 words more or less, your overall guiding philosophy
of teaching the language arts. In your philosophy concisely mention
specific areas of the language arts that you hope and plan to concentrate
in, make sure to mention some broad generalized methodologies that
you are most comfortable with, mention your major approaches to
assessment and importantly mention a spectrum of the approaches,
theories, theorists and educators whose ideas and writings make
up the foundation of your particular approach to teaching English.
See the information below for some possible recommendations and
guidance. However, make sure to shape this particular philosophy
of teaching
document only toward teaching the the Language Arts. You should
not use previously created Educational Philosophy statements as
models for this assignment.
I want VERY concise statements here, so every word should count.
This document should also reflect your growth and understanding
in a command of grammar, usage and style in writing formal documents.
Consider your audiences for this writing assignment to be me, as
professor of the class, and future prospective employers (chairs
of high school English departments). Consider this as a "supplement"
to your general teaching philosophy statement (meant more for principals
and superintendents) that is required for the Education Department.
Below find some overall guidance about "philosophy of
teaching"
statements in general. Feel free to use or not use any this advice,
as you see fit.
Philosophy of Teaching
Information below adopted from this web site:
http://ftad.osu.edu/portfolio/philosophy/ (November 5, 2004).
What is a philosophy of teaching?
What is a philosophy of teaching, or a philosophy of education, as some teachers call it? Stephen Brookfield, an adult education professor and the author of two books on college teachers, defines a philosophy of teaching as, “a personal vision of teaching; a critical rationale of teaching; sense of purposes of teaching....” Barbara Fuhrmann and Tony Grasha, authors of A Practical Handbook for College Teachers, consider a philosophy of teaching as “personal values in teaching that ... represent the importance and stable ideas, beliefs, and assumptions that affect our behaviors.”
What is the purpose of developing a philosophy of teaching?
Why do teachers need to articulate their philosophy of teaching? What purposes does a philosophy of teaching serve? In his book, The Skillful Teacher (1990), Stephen Brookfield points out that the development of a teaching philosophy can be used for four purposes:
1. Personal purpose: “... a distinctive organizing vision–a clear picture of why you are doing what you are doing that you can call up at points of crisis– is crucial to your personal sanity and morale.” (p. 16)
2. Political purpose: “... a sense that your position is grounded in a well-developed and carefully conceived philosophy of practice.... You are more likely to gain a measure of respect for your thoughtfulness and commitment, which is important both for your self-esteem and for your political survival.” (p. 17)
3. Professional purpose: “... a commitment to a shared rationale for college teaching is important for the development of a collective identity and, hence, for the development of professional strengths among teachers.” (pp. 17-18)
4. Pedagogical purpose: “Teaching is about making some kind of dent in the world so that the world is different than 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 effect am I having on students and on their learning?” (pp. 18-19)
Gail Goodyear and Douglas Allchin, in their study of the functions of statement of teaching philosophy (Goodyear and Allchin, 1998), identify three main purposes:
1. For teachers themselves: “In preparing a statement of teaching philosophy, professors assess and examine themselves to articulate the goals they wish to achieve in teaching.... A clear vision of teaching philosophy provides stability, continuity, and long-term guidance.... A well-defined philosophy can help them remain focused on their teaching goals and to appreciate the personal and professional rewards of teaching.” (pp. 106-7)
2. For administrators: “University administrators are responsible for guiding the faculty’s professional growth and achievement, .... Yet, professors help shape the university with their own ambitions, values, philosophies, attitudes, and ethical beliefs.” (pp. 107-8)
3. For students: “...students should understand what a professor is doing and why. Given this information, students may engage more productively in the learning environment while also knowing how to learn and succeed in the course .... The goal of sharing a statement of teaching philosophy is to respect and support students by being explicit.” (pp. 109)
What are the major components of a philosophy of teaching statement?
As indicated above, each statement of teaching philosophy is very personal by nature. Therefore, it should be up to instructors to decide what components to include in their own statements. However, here is some general information:
In her article (Chism, 1998), “Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement,” Nancy Chism, former Director of the Office of Faculty and TA Development at The Ohio State University, suggests five major components. They are:
1. Conceptualization of learning: Ask yourself such questions as “What do we mean by learning?” and “What happens in a learning situation?” Think of your answers to these questions based on your personal experience. Chism points out that some teachers have tried to express and explain their understanding of learning through the use of metaphor, because drawing comparisons with known entities can stimulate thinking, whether or not the metaphor is actually used in the statement. On the other hand, most instructors tend to take a more direct approach in conceptualizing learning, i.e., to describe what they think occurs during a learning episode, based on their observation and experience or based on current literature on teaching and learning.
Here are some exemplary metaphors of learning (Grasha, 1996):
•Containers: “Knowledge is viewed as a substance and the instructor is a container filled with content and facts. The student is perceived as a vessel wanting to be filled up.” (p. 35)
•Journey-Guide: “Knowledge is perceived as a perspective on the horizon. The teacher guides students on their journey. Students need to follow a course, must overcome obstacles and hurdles, .... they will come to the end of their journey.” (p.35)
•Master-Disciple: “Knowledge is a skill or habit to be learned. The instructor trains students and the students ideally do what they are told without questioning the master.” (p.35)
2. Conceptualization of teaching: Ask yourself questions such as “What do we mean by teaching?” and “How do I facilitate this process as a teacher?” Chism suggests that personal teaching beliefs on how the instructor facilitates the learning process would be appropriate for this section. Again, the metaphor format can be used, but a common practice is a more direct description of the nature of a teacher with respect to motivating and facilitating learning. Along with the questions above, you may also address such issues as how to challenge students intellectually and support them academically and how the teacher can respond to different learning styles, help students who are frustrated, and accommodate different abilities. Furthermore, you may talk about how you as a teacher have come to these conclusions (e.g., through past experience as a student or teacher, or result of literature reading or taking classes).
Here are some sample metaphors regarding the concept of teaching. Come up with your own good metaphor.
Coach
Gardener
Director of a play
General leading troops into battle
Midwife
Swiss army knife
Evangelist
Rabbi
Entertainer
Choreographer
Tour bus driver with passengers who keep their window curtain closed
3. Goals for students: Chism notes that this section should entail the description of what skills the teacher expects her/his students to obtain as the results of learning. You may address such issues as what goals you set for your classes, what is the rationale behind them, what kind of activities you try to implement in class in order to reach these goals, and how the goals have changed over time as you learn more about teaching and learning. For instance, you can describe how you have expected students to learn not only the content, but also skills such as critical thinking, writing, and problem solving, followed by elaboration on how you have designed/planned individual sessions towards accomplishing the goals.
4. Implementation of the philosophy: Chism suggests that an important component of the statement of a teaching philosophy should be the illustration of how one’s concepts about teaching and learning and goals for students are transformed into classroom activities. Ask yourself, “How do I operationalize my philosophy of teaching in the classroom?” and “What personal characteristics in myself or my students influence the way in which I approach teaching?” To answer these questions, you may reflect on how you present yourself and course materials, what activities, assignments, and projects you implement in the teaching-learning process, how you interact with students in and outside class, and the consequences.
5. Professional growth plan: Chism recommends that it is important for teachers to continue professional growth, and to do so, teachers need to set clear goals and means to accomplish these goals. Think about questions such as “What goals have I set for myself as a teacher?” and “How do I accomplish these goals?” You can elaborate this plan in your statement of teaching philosophy. For instance, you can illustrate how you have professionally grown over the years, what challenges exist at the present, what long-term development goals you have projected, and what you will do to reach these goals. Chism suggests that writing this section can help you think about how your perspectives and actions have changed over time.
Gail Goodyear and Douglas Allchin (1998) have made suggestions for structuring the statement of teaching philosophy in a somewhat different way:
1. Integration of responsibilities. Each teacher should explicitly describe what they do in carrying out their perceived teaching mission in their statements of teaching philosophy.
2. Expertise. Goodyear and Allchin suggest that it is important for teachers to link their special knowledge or expertise in the field to ways of helping their students learn that knowledge and communicate with students effectively during this teaching-learning process. Do not be afraid to "name drop" favorite educators, theorists and educational philsophers, along with offering key quotations that help summarize the educational theories you believe the most.
3. Relationships. Goodyear and Allchin see a healthy relationship between the teacher and students as “essential to successful teaching.” Ways in which a teacher establishes such a relationship, such as getting to know students, specific ways of building rapport with students, and special teaching techniques used, should be explicitly described in his or her statement of teaching philosophy.
4. Learning environment. In conjunction with the previous issue, Goodyear and Allchin suggest that teachers can illustrate what they have done to create a supportive learning environment in their classes socially, psychologically, and physically to help students learn.
5. Methods, strategies, and innovation. Goodyear and Allchin believe that faculty should use teaching philosophy statements to reflect their teaching practice, both past and present, as well as to illustrate how special teaching techniques they use are in compliance with their teaching philosophy.
6. Outcomes. Goodyear and Allchin suggest that teachers can demonstrate in their statements of teaching philosophy how the previous efforts have produced anticipated outcomes, i. e., students have learned the subject matter and they are able to use the knowledge learned in class to solve the real-world problems.
How should one put together a philosophy of teaching statement?
The way in which a statement of teaching philosophy is structured and worded is individual. Disciplinary preferences can also affect the way in which a statement is presented in terms of length, content, and format. Despite these differences, some common rules of thumb for formatting such a document have emerged over the years. Nancy Chism has the following selective suggestions for your reference:
1. Philosophy of teaching statements are usually brief, one or two pages long. For some purposes, an extended description is appropriate, but length should suit the context.
2. Most statements avoid technical terms and favor language and concepts that can be broadly appreciated. A general rule is that the statement should be written with the audience in mind.
3. Narrative, first-person approaches are generally appropriate. In some fields, a more creative approach, such as a poem, might be appropriate and valued. But in most situations, a straightforward, well-organized statement is preferred. You can view some sample formats:
4. The statement should be reflective and personal. What brings a teaching philosophy to life is the extent to which it creates a vivid portrait of a person who is intentional about teaching practices and committed to his/her career. Again, include key statements of educational philsophy that you believe in strongly.
What benefits can follow the development of a philosophy of teaching?
It has been recognized by many teachers that the process of identifying a personal philosophy of teaching and continuously examining, testifying, and verifying this philosophy through teaching can lead to change of teaching behaviors and ultimately foster professional and personal growth. Barbara Fuhrmann and Tony Grasha (1983) have identified the following four possible professional-growth outcomes from the process of developing a philosophy of teaching:
1. Choosing classroom goals: “The choices we make for particular classroom goals in part reflects choices among our values. If we value collaborative learning, we will chose group projects over independent term papers.”
2. Influencing emotions: “Our positive and negative feelings are sometimes related to whether classroom-related events correspond to our values.”
3. Perceiving the classroom environment: “Our values play an important part in our perceptions because they help us identify and interpret various events.”
4. Expanding awareness: “Our classroom goals, emotional reactions to students, colleagues, and administrators, and perceptions of the classroom environment are affected by the values we have listed.”
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