In this month’s newsletter, we discuss how teachers can compile and organize their professional portfolio.  One of the elements of a portfolio is a statement that describes your philosophy of teaching. Creating such a statement can seem daunting if you have never done so before.  Here are a few tips for how to get started:

Practice self-reflection using prompts similar to the ones below: 

• Think about the things you learned from your formal education and how you have applied them in your practice. 
• Make note of connections you have noticed between what you learned in school and what you have learned on the job.
• Determine your approach to teaching and interacting with children.
• Think about what you have noticed about how children learn best and what types of activities engage children fully in your experience.
• Determine what you believe are the most important things that you can do to support learners in your care.
• Recall situations when things did not work out the way that you expected and what you learned from those situations.
• Identify how your practice has changed as you have gained experience. 

Write down your responses to these questions and then ask yourself, “How have my experiences influenced my approach to working with young children?“

Create a 1-2 page philosophy statement describing your beliefs about how children learn best and the actions you take on a daily basis to meet the needs of the children in your care.

Here are a few online resources that you can read to learn more:

https://ucat.osu.edu/professional-development/teaching-portfolio/philosophy/

https://www.colorado.edu/career/2018/02/28/how-write-your-philosophy-education-statement

http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/document-your-teaching/writing-a-teaching-philosophy-statement