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Philosophy Statement
Helen G. Grundman
For many new to the academic job market, one of Getting Started
the most daunting steps of assembling a dossier So you are entering the job market and therefore
is that of writing a teaching philosophy statement. need to write a statement of your teaching philos-
What is a teaching philosophy? How do teachers ophy. As mentioned above, the statement can in-
and future teachers figure out what their philoso- clude a variety of things. For some, the vastness of
phies are? Once you know what your philosophy the topic leads to a sort of writer’s paralysis. For
is, how do you articulate it in a manner appropri- others, the problem is simply coming up with some-
ate for a job application?
thing to write.
Of course, there are no cut and dried answers
This section consists of a series of exercises de-
to any of these questions. The concept teaching phi-
signed to help with either of these problems as well
losophy statement is hardly well-defined. It means
as to provide an organized procedure for anyone
many different things to different people. The good
wanting to write a teaching philosophy statement.
news is that job applicants can use this to their ad-
The exercises ask you to express your views on
vantage: the teaching philosophy statement can
some very specific topics and are aimed to help you
be crafted in whatever form best communicates the
to discover or to clarify your own feelings and be-
applicant’s beliefs and strengths.
liefs about teaching. These are the sorts of ideas
The following is a collection of suggestions for
approaching the task of determining or refining that you may want to include in your teaching phi-
your own teaching philosophy and of writing a losophy statement.
statement suitable for job applications. Obviously, The following exercises can be done on your
the advice reflects the beliefs and biases of the au- own, but are much more effective when done with
thor, and following these suggestions is by no others who are also trying to write teaching phi-
means the only way to write a statement. The hope losophy statements. If you don’t know anyone else
is that at least some of the ideas presented here on the job market just now, then find someone
will be useful to many readers. This method for de- (preferably someone who teaches math) with whom
veloping a statement of teaching philosophy is you can discuss your responses. Input and reactions
based on the one used in the course “Graduate from other instructors will enable you to clarify
Perspectives in Mathematics Pedagogy” (Math 670), your own beliefs and determine how to express
taught at Bryn Mawr College during the fall se- them most effectively.
mester of 2005. The design and implementation of Exercise 1
the course was funded as part of the Mathematics This first exercise is an easy one. Sit down with
and Science Partnership of Greater Philadelphia some paper and write out answers to each of the
by the National Science Foundation (Grant following questions.
#0314806). 1. Why do you want to teach mathematics? (Try to
give your answer in a single succinct sentence.)
Helen G. Grundman is professor of mathematics at Bryn
Mawr College. Her email address is grundman@ 2. When you go into an undergraduate classroom
brynmawr.edu. She wishes to acknowledge the support of to teach, what are your goals? (List as many as
the National Science Foundation. you would like.)