Philosophy of Teaching

A position has opened up at the college where I work, and I've applied for it. Part of the application is a philosophy of teaching (or teaching statement). I've written 4 or 5 over the last decade, as I've had to submit a philosophy every time I apply for a job, but I've lost every one I have written. Here's my latest — hopefully I can hold on to this one! I'd love to hear feedback from you, my readers; I'm certain to revise this as I either apply for other positions or as I move through the ranks where I am.

Teaching Statement

I teach because I enjoy expanding students’ minds by introducing them to new ways of thinking. I also see teaching English as a means to improve quality of life. Those students who can read not only the content, but the implications of a piece of literature, those who can express their ideas clearly and effectively, are more capable of using those skills in a variety of ways. English is the best discipline to teach the skills of communication and critical thinking, though it’s a double-edged sword: people who think critically about things are more likely to be frustrated by the status quo, though they are also more likely to try to improve it. Teaching for an English program, especially composition, allows me to focus on helping students identify problems and read critically, then offer solutions. It is this opportunity to inspire students with my passion for literature and the humanities in general that I value most in teaching.

As a discipline, English offers me a challenge that I greatly enjoy. I like the variety of students that come through composition, often the only course required of all students. I have studied the Middle Ages because it combined my interests in a variety of areas, especially literature, history, and philosophy; I gravitated to literature because it seemed the most flexible in terms of making arguments. English critics read a text and find some point to make, connecting the text to modern readers’ lives. Composition adds another dimension of complexity, as the students are not unified in any quantifiable way; composition classes are often chosen based on time and location, rather than instructor or content. This allows for incredibly diverse groups, making the teaching experience more challenging and rewarding.

Despite that challenge of diversity, I find a number of ways to reach my students. Responding to some poor experiences of my own, I understand the importance of structure and preparedness. I offer a carefully crafted syllabus in the first class, and the course information sheet outlines my policies. The semester proceeds according to the syllabus, to allow the students a chance to anticipate and prepare for class. I, too, am prepared for each class, having read the assignments and prepared whatever homework I ask my students to; that is, I do everything I ask of my students. One of my greatest learning experiences as a teacher happened in my first year teaching. I did not prepare the reading I had assigned, instead relying on prior knowledge of the tale. My students asked me insightful questions for which I was utterly unprepared, and I left the classroom full of shame. I resolved to never let that happen again. My primary goal in a class is to be a coordinator. I generally open with a brief lecture, asking my students to outline the main points of the days’ topic or reading, and then filling out their list with whatever other pertinent information I wish to include. I then ask my students to respond, opening the floor for discussion, though I always have a few discussion questions of my own, should the students not be sure where to take the discussion. I rely on my students’ input for direction, to allow them to get what they need from the class. In such a way, I find my students to be more engaged and interested in my courses, since they feel they have some real sense of ownership. The students have a clear voice in the classroom, and in connecting the content with their own lives and interests, they are more likely to retain the deeper lessons regarding expression that are, in my opinion, at the core of an English degree.

One concrete method I’ve used in my entire teaching career is to prepare written assignments with a scenario that grounds the assignment in real life. In a course on comic books, I asked my students to defend the use of a comic book in their discipline; I had one student write a great paper on using the Flash, whose main power is super speed, to discuss issues in a physics class. I also try to engage my students’ interests, especially in composition, by challenging them to connect their majors to the class, especially as material for their research papers. After reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I have had students write papers on absentee parents, social pressures to fit in, and one enterprising political science student who compared Yugoslavia to the creature, both beings made of disparate parts and bound for a tragic end. I like to make literature live by challenging my students not to interpret its meaning in some general, grandiose way, but in a way that holds meaning for them.

As a student, I always did best when I knew my professors; this is often not feasible in a large lecture-style science class, but was often fostered in smaller, discussion-based literature and philosophy courses. Accordingly, I make an effort to learn all of my students’ names as soon as possible, and I am very generous with my time. Some of my most exciting moments have been when my students speak to me long after the course has ended, and they let me know how much they enjoyed my class or how much they learned in my classroom. I don’t expect my students to retain everything I offer to them in a semester, but I do hope that the content of my classes will inspire my students to approach life and learning in a new way. I firmly believe studying English is about processes, not facts. I don’t think anyone has been enriched by knowing that Geoffrey Chaucer died around the year 1400. However, I do know many people who have been surprised and amused by many of his tales, such as the group of senior citizens who agreed with the statement that women desire sovereignty, as Chaucer’s Wife of Bath discusses in her tale. Teaching English classes, be they centered on some specific theme or the often-dreaded composition, allows me the opportunity to not only challenge my students to think more broadly, but also to interrogate their own assumptions about what matters, and how to present their ideas. That is what I try to teach in my classroom: processes to better read and relay information.