Writing the Teaching Philosophy
As part of our preliminary examinations portfolio we have to write a teaching philosophy (it’s also a part this semester’s professional seminar for the teaching of English 201). Any attempt to define yourself is pretty intimidating.
It reminds my of the times I prepare to answer questions like “what’s composition and rhetoric?” or “what’s pedagogy?” to K’s family during the holidays; I usually find myself stumbling to get something coherent out and leaving unsure as to whether I should simply say “I’m studying writing” or “the teaching effective written communication.” I can sit down with my students and ask them to tell me what their paper is about in one sentence, but I’m hard pressed to do the same regarding my work.
Maybe you can comment with your one-liners?
Well, back to the TP (teaching philosophy, in this case). I remember writing one for a couple of grad school apps, and I’ll hunt it down, knowing it will most likely be embarrassing after 3 years of sitting on my hard drive. So as I pass on a link with some guidance regarding this genre of writing, I’ll thank Tim for sending it out on our seminar listserv.
