Presented at LILAC 2018

1. Developing Your
Teaching Philosophy
Sheila Corrall, Professor
University of Pi;sburgh
scorrall@pi;.edu
Amanda Folk, Head of Teaching and Learning
Ohio State University Libraries,
folk.68@osu.edu

2. “A teaching philosophy statement is a
concise, compelling illustraJon of you
as an instructor, a useful reflexive
examinaJon of your teaching, and a
necessary component of many
academic job applicaJons”
(University Center for
Teaching & Learning,
2017)
What Is a Statement of
Teaching Philosophy?

3. Moving your teaching
from a task to a process Scope & Purpose
A Teaching Philosophy aims to capture and communicate:
• your beliefs about teaching and learning, how learning occurs,
and how a teacher can facilitate or intervene in the process;
• your assumpJons about the purpose and value of educaJon,
and the kinds of goals and objecJves you have for students;
• your preferences for behaving and interacJng with learners,
and the sorts of relaJonships you like to develop with them;
• the forms of educaJon and instrucJon, types of acJviJes and
assignments, and methods of assessment and evaluaJon you
use in pracJce.
It can support applicaJons for jobs, promoJon, grants, and
awards and facilitate your reflecJve professional development

4. How would you
describe your approach
as a teacher?
Why do you teach the
way you do?
Who influenced your
teaching or inspired
your learning?
Where do you focus
your teaching efforts?
What will learners gain
from working with you?
Process & Content
• Developed through
individual reflecJon, but
o^en with peer support
• Usually intended for a
wider audience
• Wri;en in the first person,
typically 1-2 pages long
• Should explain the context
of your work and include
personal examples/refs.

5. Steps Towards A Teaching Philosophy
• Who or what has influenced, informed or inspired
your approach to teaching and supporJng learning?
• How can a teacher facilitate or intervene in the
learning process to help learning occur?
• What objecJves and goals do you have for students
as learners in your subject and generally?
• How do you see your relaJonship with the learners
you work and interact with?
• What methods do you use to support and assess
learning and evaluate your teaching?
• What metaphor could you use to describe your
teaching role to someone outside the field?

6. LILAC Teaching Philosophy U Model
Influences Metaphors
Beliefs Prac5ces
Goals Styles
Who?
How?
How?
What?
How?
What?
How?
What?
Who?
How?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Adapted from Strategic Learning U Model (Cunningham, 1999, p. 146)

7. LILAC Teaching Philosophy U Model
Influences Metaphors
Beliefs Prac5ces
Goals Styles
Who?
How?
How?
What?
How?
What?
How?
What?
Who?
How?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
G
E
N
E
R
A
L
T
I
M
E
B
O
U
N
D
Adapted from Strategic Learning U Model (Cunningham, 1999, p. 146)
THINKING DOING
Espoused theory Theory in use

8. Influences on Approaches to Teaching
Who or what has influenced, informed or inspired
your approach to teaching and learning?
My approach to teaching has been influenced by…
Ø Ian Cunningham (self-managed learning)
Ø David Kolb (experienJal learning and educaJon)
Ø CILASS & Angela Brew (inquiry-based learning)
Ø John Biggs (construcJve alignment)
Ø Wiggins & McTighe (backward design)
Ø TOP/Vai & Sosulski (reflecJve online discussion)
Ø Mary-Ann Winkelmes (transparency in teaching)

9. Beliefs about Learning and Teaching
How can a teacher facilitate or intervene in the
learning process to help learning occur?
For me, learning occurs best when it…
starts with a learner’s personal experience,
integrates new concepts into exisJng
mental models, is situated in the real world,
and supported by explicit standards,
conJnual pracJce, low-stakes assignments,
and conJnuous construc5ve feedback
“Do you have any academic library experience?”

10. ObjecJves and Goals for Learners
What goals do you have for students as learners
in your specific subject and more generally?
As a result of working with me, my students…
acquire knowledge of libraries in higher ed,
develop skills in criJcal analysis, synthesis,
and evaluaJon, and the abiliJes needed…
to become flexible, creaJve, reflecJve,
self-aware, socially-sensiJve independent
collaboraJve interdisciplinary evidence-
based pracJJoner-researchers, teachers
and lifelong learners with global perspecJve

11. Styles of Teaching or Learning FacilitaJon
How do you see your relaJonship with the
learners you work with and interact with?
As a teacher, I prefer to be…
an authoritaJve source of experJse, who
facilitates learning by idenJfying, selecJng
and organizing the best possible resources
for learners; explaining and demonstraJng
key concepts/terms and core competencies;
and offering individual advice and feedback.
“From sage on the stage to guide on the side”

12. Teaching and Learning Support PracJces
What methods do you use to support and assess
learning? How do you evaluate your teaching?
Methods I oFen use include…
• readings (required and recommended)
• discussions (aligned to learning objecJves)
• lectures (pre-recorded with transcripts)
• assignments (scaffolded field projects)
• student opinion of teaching surveys
• group/personal communicaJon (emails)
• end-of-term/annual reflecJons on teaching

13. Metaphors and Similes of Teaching
What metaphor could you use to describe your
teaching role to someone outside the field?
A teacher is like a…
• Counsellor
• Parent
• Coach
• Friend
• Advocate
• Entertainer
(Marchant, 1992)
• Role model
• Leader
• MoJvator
• Mentor
• Babysi;er
• ArJst
Librarian!

14. References
Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for quality learning at university: What the
student does (4th ed.). SRHE & Open University Press.
Brew, A. (2012). Teaching and research: New relaJonships and their implicaJons
for inquiry-based teaching and learning in higher educaJon. Higher
EducaMon Research and Development, 31(1), 101-114.
Cunningham, I. (1999). The wisdom of strategic learning: The self-managed
learning soluMon (2nd ed.). Gower.
Kolb, A. Y. et al. (2014). On becoming an experienJal educator: The educator role
profile. SimulaMon & Gaming, 45(2), 204-234.
Kolb, D. A. (1976). Management and the learning process. California
Management Review, 18(3), 21-31.
Marchant, G. J. (1992). A teacher is like a…: Using simile lists to explore personal
metaphors. Language and EducaMon, 6(1), 33-45.
Vai, M., & Sosulski, K. (2016). EssenMals of online course design: A standards-
based guide (2nd ed). Routledge.
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.).
AssociaJon for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Winkelmes, M. A et al. (2015). Benefits (some unexpected) of transparently
designed assignments. NaMonal Teaching & Learning Forum, 24(4), 4-7.