PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING

A. DEFINITION OF PHILOSOPHY

Quite literally, the term "philosophy" means, "love of wisdom." In a broad sense,
philosophy is an activity people undertake when they seek to understand fundamental truths
about themselves, the world in which they live, and their relationships to the world and to each
other. As an academic discipline philosophy is much the same. Those who study philosophy are
perpetually engaged in asking, answering, and arguing for their answers to life’s most basic
questions. To make such a pursuit more systematic academic philosophy is traditionally divided
into major areas of study.

a) Metaphysics
At its core the study of metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, of what exists in the
world, what it is like, and how it is ordered. In metaphysics philosophers wrestle with such
questions as:
Is there a God?
What is truth?
What is a person? What makes a person the same through time?
Is the world strictly composed of matter?
Do people have minds? If so, how is the mind related to the body?
Do people have free wills?
What is it for one event to cause another? 
b) Epistemology
Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It is primarily concerned with what we can know about
the world and how we can know it. Typical questions of concern in epistemology are:
What is knowledge?
Do we know anything at all?
How do we know what we know?
Can we be justified in claiming to know certain things?
c) Ethics
The study of ethics often concerns what we ought to do and what it would be best to do. In
struggling with this issue, larger questions about what is good and right arise. So, the ethicist
attempts to answer such questions as:
What is good? What makes actions or people good?
What is right? What makes actions right?
Is morality objective or subjective?
How should I treat others?

d) Logic
Another important aspect of the study of philosophy is the arguments or reasons given for
people’s answers to these questions. To this end philosophers employ logic to study the
nature and structure of arguments. Logicians ask such questions as:
What constitutes "good" or "bad" reasoning?
How do we determine whether a given piece of reasoning is good or bad?

B. HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY

The study of philosophy involves not only forming one’s own answers to such
questions, but also seeking to understand the way in which people have answered such questions
in the past. So, a significant part of philosophy is its history, a history of answers and arguments
about these very questions. In studying the history of philosophy one explores the ideas of such
historical figures as:

Plato Locke Marx

Aristotle Hume Mill

Aquinas Kant Wittgenstein

Descartes Nietzsche Sartre

What often motivates the study of philosophy is not merely the answers or arguments
themselves but whether or not the arguments are good and the answers are true. Moreover, many
of the questions and issues in the various areas of philosophy overlap and in some cases even
converge. Thus, philosophical questions arise in almost every discipline. This is why philosophy
also encompasses such areas as:
 Philosophy of Law Philosophy of Feminism

Philosophy of Religion Philosophy of Science

Philosophy of Mind Philosophy of Literature

Political Philosophy Philosophy of the Arts

Philosophy of History Philosophy of Language

C. CHARACTERISTICS OF PHILOSOPHY
1. Universal (comprehensive), namely broad thoughts and not only certain aspects.
2. Radical (fundamental), namely deep thinking to the results that are fundamental and
essential.
3. Systematic, which is following patterns and methods of thinking that are coherent and
logical even though they are speculative.
4. Descriptive, which is a detailed description of something, explaining why something
does that.
5. Critical, namely questioning everything (including the results of philosophy), and not
accepting what is seen at a glance, what is said and done by society.
6. Analysis, namely reviewing and studying in detail and thoroughly something, including
the basic concepts with which we think about the world and human life
D. BENEFIT STUDING PHILOSOPHY
With the description above it is clear to us that the concrete benefits of studying
philosophy are:
1. A person can interpret the meaning of the essence of human life, both in personal and
social spheres.
2. By doing philosophy, humans are always trained, educated to think universally,
multidimensional, comprehensively, and deeply. So that it will make someone smart,
critical, systematic, and objective in seeing and solving the various problems of life, so that
they are able to achieve quality, excellence and happiness in life.
3. Reaching policies and values. Value is obtained by thinking deeply. Values are
important to organize life.
 4. Reaching for the truth. Philosophy is the way to reach the truth because the deep
thinking process is basically explaining what actually happened and how it could happen,
to a reality. If we don't understand reality based on reality, that is a mistake, and this
usually happens when people do not do philosophy, or when people just judge something.
5. Understanding yourself and society: eliminating egoism, increasing collective
awareness.
6. Philosophy to change lives. That is, with philosophy, people will be motivated to change
everything that has deviated far from the values of truth. In this case, it also means that
philosophy cannot be separated from life changing work.

WHAT IS TEACHING?

A. Definition of Teaching
The process of sharing knowledge and experience. Teaching is also can define as one of

the instruments of education that has function to impart understanding and skill. Teaching is

human engineering and soul doctoring. Teaching refers to the multiple tasks carried out by

teacher for leading the learners to the expected learning. This shows that teaching is both

technical and noble. The term 'human engineering' means the possibility of modifying and

constructing human behavior in intended ways on the basis of certain technical procedures. The

term 'soul doctoring', means providing better nourishment to the development of the soul. In the

words of English and English (1959) "The teaching is the art of assisting others to learn. It

includes the providing of information (instruction) and of appropriate situation, conditions or

activities design to facilitate learning".

B. Definition of Teaching by Some Experts

a. B.O. Smith (1960)

- Teaching is a system of actions intended to produce learning.

- Teaching is a system of actions involving an agent, an end in view, and a situation including

two sets of factors—those over which the agent has no control (class size, size of classroom,

physical characteristics of pupils, etc.) and those that he can modify (way of asking questions

about instruction and ways of structuring information or ideas gleaned).

b. N.L. Gage (1963)

- Teaching is a form of interpersonal influence aimed at changing the behaviour potential of

another person.

c. Lawrence (1966)

- Viewed teaching as a complex process to be studied entirely in a "live" situation. In other

words teaching is a series of events where teacher attempts to change the behavior of the

students along the intended direction. In the process of teaching teacher and student act as

two poles interacting with each other through the path of curriculum to achieve the

predetermined objectives i.e. to promote the learning of students.

d. Edmund Amidon (1967)

- Teaching is defined as an interactive process, primarily involving classroom talk which takes

place between teachers and pupils and occurs during certain definable activities.

e. Thomas F. Green (1971)

- Teaching is the task of a teacher which is performed for the development of a child

f. Joyce and Weil (1985)

- Teaching as a process by which teacher and students create a shared environment including

sets of values and beliefs which in turn color their view of reality.

C. Concept of Teaching
 Teaching is a set of events, outside the learners which are designed to support internal process of

learning. Teaching (Instruction) is outside the learner. Learning is internal to learners. You cannot

motivate others if you are not self-motivated. Motives are not seen, but, Behaviors are seen. Is

learning a motive or behavior? Learning is both a motive and behavior but only behavior is seen,

learning is internal, performance is external.

D. Components of Teaching

Teaching is a process which involves the active participation of teacher and students. In the very

beginning teaching was a bipolar process which include only student and teacher but, now,

another dimension that is curriculum of teaching is well recognized and it is the curriculum

through which teacher and students interact. All these components have their own roles.

1) Teacher plays a vital and important role of planning, organizing leading and controlling the

teaching in order to provide full learning facilities to the students.

2) Students are dependent upon the teachers for the learning strategies and the content chosen

by the teacher. Pupils are there to act according to the planning and organization of teacher

to maximize learning.

3) Lastly, the curriculum, is a medium of interaction between the students and teachers. So it

is a intervening variable to facilitate learning. There are methods, teaching strategies or

techniques of teaching through which various interactions between students and teachers

take place.

E. Purpose of Teaching

The aforesaid discussion reveals that the purposes of teaching are as follows :
1) Teaching is tri-polar process which purports to develop all round personality of the learner

through the curriculum.

2) Teaching shapes the behavior of individual in a desired direction.

3) Teaching also helps the student to adjust In the new environment and live harmoniously in

the new situation.

4) Teaching also encourages the student to learn and think for themselves to solve the problems.

5) Teaching mainly purports to acquaint the students with the content of the subject to be

taught.

F. Phases of Teaching

Teaching acts or operations need systematic planning and careful execution. In doing so, the

teaching proceeds in some sequential and organized steps. These steps or stages are known as

phases of teaching. In general, a teaching task may systematically be analyzed under three phases

as pre-active phase, interactive phase and post-active phase.

- Pre-active Phase : The pre-active phase is the planning phase. A good planning makes the

task of the teacher smooth, functionable and successful. There are two major steps involved

in this phase, namely, establishment of some kind of goals or objectives, and discovering

ways and means to achieve these objectives.

- The Interactive Phase : The interactive phase is concerned with the implementation and

carrying out what has been planned or decided at the planning stage. It is the stage for actual

teaching, success or failure of which depends on the degree and quality of the classroom

interaction between the teacher and pupils. The major activities undertaken in this phase may

be grouped as perception, diagnosis and reaction process.

- Post-active phase : It is concerned with the evaluation activities. First of all, the stipulated

objectives are considered and attempts are made to measure or assess the degree or qualities

of the expected behavioural changes in the students as a result of the teaching activities

performed in the interactive phase.

Philosophy of Teaching
Teaching philosophy statements clearly communicate our beliefs about teaching and learning,
why we hold these beliefs, and how we translate them into practice. They provide the foundation
for teaching dossiers. Teaching philosophy statements can be used for a variety of purposes, such
as job applications, as a foundational element of a teaching portfolio, within the context of tenure
and promotion reviews and for teaching award applications (Chism, 1998; Kearns & Sullivan,
2011; Schonwetter et al., 2002). Perhaps most importantly, teaching philosophy statements
support our own growth and development as educators by providing us with the opportunity to
reflect upon and communicate why we do what we do to support teaching and learning (Beatty et
al., 2009).
A. What Does a Teaching Philosophy Statement Look Like?
Although there are no hard and fast rules, teaching philosophy statements are typically presented
as one to two-page reflective documents written as first-person narratives (Chism, 1998) that
highlight how your personal experiences have informed your beliefs. As appropriate, they may
also link to scholarly literature to further ground your beliefs and practices. Building upon the
work of Chism (1998) and Schonwetter et al. (2002), it is useful to communicate the structure of
a teaching philosophy statement around 4 key components (Figure 2): Beliefs (what do you
think?); Strategies (what do you do?); Impact (what has been the impact?); and Goals (how will
you improve?). Table 1 highlights some of the key components of a teaching philosophy
statement with guiding questions for reflection.
Based on this framework, the introductory section of a teaching philosophy statement
summarizes your core beliefs about teaching and learning, describes why you hold these beliefs
based on personal experience and cites scholarly literature related to teaching and learning in
higher education. The next section provides an overview of specific strategies you use in your
practice that actively demonstrate and align with these beliefs. The final sections highlight the
impact that your teaching and learning approaches have had on yourself and others (e.g., students
and colleagues). This section may also highlight the methods you use to assess and evaluate your
teaching. Finally, the concluding section most often summarizes your key beliefs, and highlights
your goals and commitment to continuous growth and improvement.
Table 1
Key Components of a Teaching Philosophy Guiding Questions
Statement with Guiding Questions for
Reflection
Philosophy Statement Components
Beliefs about teaching and learning and post- What are my beliefs about teaching and
secondary education learning in post-secondary education? Why
do I hold these beliefs? Who or what has
most informed my teaching approaches?
What are the best learning experiences I had
 as a student? How have my beliefs been
influenced by my teaching experiences
and/or scholarly literature related to teaching
and learning? What difference do I hope to
make as a teacher? What does it mean to be
a good teacher in a post-secondary context?
What does good teaching look like in my
discipline? What does it mean to be a good
learner in a post-secondary context?
Teaching strategies and strengths What teaching and learning strategies do I
use? How do these strategies align with my
beliefs? What are the best teaching
experiences I had as an instructor? When
have I felt most engaged and affirmed as an
instructor? What are my key strengths and
skills as an instructor? Why do I use
particular teaching strategies as opposed to
others? What am I proudest of? What sets
me apart? What are some of my
accomplishments as a post-secondary
educator?
Impact What difference have I made, and how do I
know? What am I trying to achieve in my
students with my teaching? What has been
the impact of my approaches to teaching and
learning (on me, on students, on colleagues)?
What have others learned from my teaching
and learning approaches? What methods do I
use to evaluate my impact?
Future goals How will I continue developing, growing
and improving as an educator? What
interests me most about teaching in post-
 secondary education? What are my future
goals and aspirations as an instructor in post-
secondary education?

B. A Process for Developing a Teaching Philosophy Statement

Creating a teaching philosophy statement begins with reflecting on and articulating your key
beliefs about teaching and learning. As faculty, we seldom take the time to reflect on the
underlying values that inform our teaching approaches and practices. Whether or not we
recognize it, what we do is shaped by foundational ideas about what good teaching and learning
is all about. In order to begin the reflective process involved in articulating our foundational
beliefs about teaching and learning, it can be helpful to consider some concepts from the
literature. The following principles have been adapted by Kenny (2014) from Chickering and
Gamson’s (1987) seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education, Ramsden’s
(2003) thirteen principles for effective university teaching; Weimer’s (2013) five key changes to
practice for learner-centred teaching, and Lizzio et al.’s (2002) conceptual model for an effective
academic environment.
These learning-centred principles are intended to offer a starting point for you to build upon in
articulating your personal beliefs, specifically by providing language that might be helpful in
discussing your philosophy of teaching. As you review these principles, consider those that
resonate for you, and what might be missing in terms of your own key beliefs.
Actively Engage Learners: ensure learning material is stimulating, relevant and interesting;
explain material clearly; use a variety of methods that encourage active and deep approaches to
learning, as well as adapt to evolving classroom contexts.
Demonstrate Passion, Empathy and Respect: show interest in students’ opinions and
concerns; seek to understand their diverse talents, needs, prior knowledge and approaches to
learning; encourage interaction between instructor and students; share your love of the discipline.
Communicate Clear Expectations: make clear the intended learning outcomes and standards
for performance; provide organization, structure and direction for where the course is going.
Encourage Student Independence: provide opportunities to develop and draw upon personal
interests; offer choice in learning processes and modes of assessment; provide timely and
developmental feedback on learning; encourage metacognition to promote self-assessment of
learning.
Create a Teaching and Learning Community: use teaching methods and learning strategies
that encourage mutual learning, as well as thoughtful, respectful and collaborative engagement
and dialogue between all members of the classroom community.
Use Appropriate Assessment Methods: clearly align assessment methods with intended course
outcomes; provide clear criteria for evaluation; emphasize deep learning; scaffold assessments to
ensure progressive learning.
Commit to Continuous Improvement: gather formative and summative feedback on your
teaching; practice critical self-reflection; consult scholarly literature on teaching & learning;
engage in meaningful conversations with colleagues; identify clear goals for strengthening your
teaching practice.

C. Philosophy of Teaching as a Teacher

a. A skillful educator builds good relationships with her students based on mutual

respect and trust and sets the tone for a classroom community.

When I think about my role as a teacher, the one thing that I constantly have focused on

is the relationships that I have built with my students. I enjoy having conversations with them on

subjects and issues that are important to them, and learn how they are feeling about and

experiencing the world and the material that we are studying in class. I want my own classroom

to be less of a class and more of a community, where we are all sharing ideas and

communicating and learning from one another at the same time. This is one of the reasons why I

focused on teaching middle and high school students; the maturity level of these students gives

them the ability to clearly articulate their own thoughts and feelings. I have a very firm belief

that young people have the ability to make great changes in the world if they are given the right

information and tools, and I want to help my English and Spanish students reach their goals in
life by giving them the tools to better communicate with other citizens of their country and

world.

b. The teacher provides them with the tools to be successful in an information literate

society.

I am very enthusiastic about working with middle and high school students. They are at the

age when they are just starting to consider who they are and where they want to go in life, and I

believe that this is one of the most important periods in personal development. Adolescent

students are fragile; they thirst for acceptance, encouragement, and recognition, and their hopes

can be easily dashed with a wrong word or a disappointing outcome. These characteristics bring

a positive challenge to the prospect of teaching in a middle or high school; I want to be a positive

role model and “cheerleader” for my students, to be a listening ear, a knowledgeable resource

and a collaborator for problem solving in class. I also want to give my students some level of

independence in relationship to the work that they are doing in class; at this age, the majority of

students desire more responsibility and control over their own success. I want to provide

opportunities for them to build these skills while they are in my class.

c. and allows them the freedom to express themselves and room to grow as human

beings and learners while setting appropriate limits.

The teacher believe that a good relationship between a middle or high school teacher and her

students is built on a strong foundation of mutual understanding, respect, and trust. In order to

effectively assess students’ wants and needs, the teacher must first understand her students and

where they’re coming from. The teacher must be the first to open the doors of good

communication, as not all students and parents will show that initiative. She must also be willing
to communicate her own expectations to the class; having a sincere attitude toward her students

and showing a concern for both their classwork and their lives is important when doing this.

When both the teacher and students understand each other’s goals and points of view, the

building blocks of mutual respect are developed. Both teachers and students seek and deserve

respect as human beings and individuals; teachers also seek respect in the professional sense, but

must be careful how they go about it. As a teacher, I will be in a position of authority, but I don’t

want to be an authoritarian or tyrant. I will also have the

d. A skillful educator understands the importance of building a support network for

students between school and home, and may have to be the first to initiate that

teamwork.

Opportunity to be a friend and confidante for many of my students, but I don’t want to cross

the line of professionalism. The writing teacher must be especially careful to explain those

situations in which she may have to break a student’s trust in order to comply with the law; for

example, if the students reveal through their writing that they are being abused or are an

accomplice in a crime.

e. Teacher must create a welcoming, safe classroom atmosphere that is accessible to all

students and that celebrates their diversity.

The teacher must create a classroom atmosphere that is welcoming and accessible; a place that

students feel comfortable coming to and where they know how to use the resources that are

provided. The teacher should explain the use of these resources to her students, and make special

plans for the inclusion of students with special needs and students for whom English is a second

language. The classroom walls should be interestingly and usefully decorated; bulletin boards for
displaying examples of students’ work and interesting information about the topics the class is

studying, seasonal decorations, and calendar/announcement boards help make the classroom

attractive and engaging. The classroom should be kept neat and organized, and should be run in

an organized fashion so that students know what to expect.

f. Teacher must conduct herself with professionalism and consistency and share her

enthusiasm and passion for learning with her students each day.

I believe that in order to foster learning in the best way possible, the teacher needs to be

enthusiastic about the material being studied, even when her students aren’t. She needs to be the

coach and cheerleader for the class, and point out the positives about each student’s work in a

sincere way, alongside constructive criticism. She must be open to diversity and a wide range of

opinions and ideas, and must set classroom standards so that the students can respect and trust

one another. She must be willing to listen and compromise, but be firm in her decisions and

promises. A “stagnant” teacher is no good to the class – a teacher is not just a teacher but a

lifelong learner. Therefore, she must also continue to build her wealth of professional

knowledge, taking additional courses, advancing her degree and attending workshops and

conferences with fellow teachers to exchange ideas and theories and learn new things in order to

give her students the most up-to-date information possible.

g. Teacher must be dedicated to lifelong learning and desire to make contributions to

her team of colleagues and to the field of education.

Teacher philosophy of education is based on what she know and have experienced at this

point in my career. She is sure that my teaching philosophy will change as she learn more as a

young professional. That’s one of the gifts of being human; we can make mistakes, or learn
something new, and make a change for the better. She is excited about the opportunities that lie

ahead.