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, 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 appro
