Do you have a writer’s block when it comes to writing your philosophy statement?  Many students teachers are in the process of developing or modifying their education philosophy statement.  It’s truly a process to organize your thoughts/beliefs and communicate that in 1-2 pages.  If you need some framework of what to write about, below are topics you can include in your philosophy statement:

  • your belief system and how your belief system affects the students, e.g. instruction, curriculum, classroom management.
  • description of how you will affect student learning
  • outline of teacher’s role & responsibilities
  • outline of students’ role & responsibilities
  • teaching and learning
  • teaching as a form of activism
  • curriculum (content)
  • relevancy of your teaching
  • addressing students’ needs
  • classroom environment
  • role of assessment
  • resourcefulness, e.g. being flexible, working within a system, using resources wisely
  • research-based pedagogy
  • general approach to student learning, e.g. hands-on, fun, inclusive

While devising your statement, remember to be true to yourself.  Avoid just writing what you think people want to hear, especially by overloading your philosophy statement with buzzwords.

Resource Links

Road to Teaching: A Guide to Teacher Training, Student Teaching, and Finding a Job

Student Teacher Topics