The purpose of this activity is to help you begin to think about and articulate your personal philosophy of education. Sometimes, teachers are asked to create “teaching philosophy statements”.

Note that your personal philosophy of education is not the same as a broader philosophical perspective, or paradigm on what education is and promises. However, we want to get you thinking about your own views as a starting point, before we launch into extant theories and paradigms of education.

Try using these prompts to draft a statement:

• What is the purpose of education?
• What teaching approaches do you use to achieve this purpose?
• What evidence (research-based or experiential) supports these approaches?
• How do you know when your students have learned well?
• In what areas would you like to push yourself to improve as a teacher?