Why do I teach?
Many of us don’t take time to reflect on this question. Perhaps, for some of us, TAing is part of our funding package and is therefore a means to an end. But for many of us, teaching is an integral part of our learning experience in grad school. Many of us are in grad school because we want to end up as teachers. But have we ever asked ourselves why?
A teaching philosophy is essentially the why behind our teaching practices. Writing a teaching philosophy is an incredible exercise in self-reflection in how we think the best learning happens, and why: in an online environment, in groups, or as individuals; using quizzes and exams, written journals and final papers, or group discussions and presentations.
All of these beliefs about teaching and learning are derived from our previous experiences. That’s why many teaching philosophy workshops start with the question: Who are your favourite teachers, and why? What did they do that made them your favourite, that made you feel most engaged, and that helped you maximize your potential? How can we articulate this as part of our personal teaching philosophy, in order to enact those beliefs in practices?
Who are your favourite teachers, and why?
A teaching dossier contains a teaching philosophy, but also contains all the evidence that supports the enactment of that philosophy: such as sample rubrics, assignments, and feedback (illustrating our beliefs surrounding assessment); evidence of professional development (if our teaching belief is that teaching is a constant process of development); or letters of support from students (to show how these strategies impacted students), to name a few.
A teaching philosophy and dossier are extremely useful documents, especially if you have an interest in a teaching career beyond grad school. Many academic job advertisements now ask for “evidence of excellence in teaching,” which can be compiled into a teaching dossier. If you are interested in a career in teaching, then, a teaching dossier is an albeit time-consuming yet crucially important aspect of your career portfolio.
The Taylor Institute of Teaching and Learning offers a guide on developing teaching philosophies and teaching dossiers, as well as an inventory of sample teaching philosophy statements.
the TA toolkit 