Why you should write out your teaching philosophy
It’s harder and more valuable than you think
Read time: 5 minutes
Here’s our TTT for this week on how to grow your online teaching business.
What is TTT? A Tip, Takeaway, and Task. On Thursday.
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Tip: Sit down and write out your teaching philosophy
What’s your philosophy of teaching?
It’s a question we as teachers get asked quite frequently. It appears on job applications, in PD sessions, and we certainly ask ourselves from time to time.
But how often do you sit and write it down?
This is an exercise we highly recommend doing. As we approach the end of the year, it’s a great time to refresh and consider why we teach the way we do.
Takeaway: Writing is understanding
You might be asking: why do I have to write it down? Why can’t I just do it?
That’s exactly why you should write it down.
Teaching philosophies can often be fluffy. That is, generic descriptions that most people would vaguely agree with.
Examples of these would be:
I teach using the communicative approach
I want my students to learn what’s important to them
Student-centred classes are important to me
This isn’t what we mean here. While these aren’t “wrong” per se, they don't really say anything. These are obvious statements.
Task: Set aside an hour and do it
Here are some questions to guide you:
What do you consider to be good teaching?
What are your three core beliefs about teaching?
How are they evident in your teaching
Really take your time and really write these down. Grab a tea and do it. Commit to writing at least 500 words.
You’ll likely find it’s much more difficult than you expect. The task of writing it down will cause anxiety and stress.
And that’s the point. You won’t regret it.
If you come up with something great, reply to us - we’d love to hear it!
We hope this helps.
See you again next week.
Leo, Andrew, and Mike
When you’re ready, here are 3 ways we can help you:
1. Our free Business Foundations Training for Teachers (260 teachers)
2. TBLT Made Easy - use tasks in your class right away (116 teachers)
3. A free consultation with us to talk about taking your business and teaching to the next level (first come first served)
