What is a teaching philosophy? This is  an explanation of your values and beliefs as they relate to teaching. Your philosophy is often a combination of methods you studied in college or graduate school and lessons learned during any professional experience since then. It may also draw upon your own experience of childhood education either as a parent or as a child yourself. Support your statement with appropriate resources and references.  These are some prompts to guide you but also look over the philosophy statement slides we went over in class: What is your conception of education? Your goals for students? Your teaching methods? Your theoretical approach? Your interaction with students? How do you assess learning? What does your professional growth look like? No more than three pages. Write in the first person, keep it brief and avoid any jargon. APA style for citations Some examples to start you off... As an educator, I value creative thinking almost as much as content mastery. I want students to value their own ability to think creatively, and I encourage them to use novel ways to demonstrate their knowledge" "I believe that a teacher is morally obligated to enter the classroom with only the highest of expectations for each and every one of her students. Thus, the teacher maximizes the positive benefits that naturally come along with any self-fulfilling prophecy. With dedication, perseverance, and hard work, her students will rise to the occasion." "Education is not a one-size-fits-all discipline, and I believe it's essential that my approach is tailored to the specific learning needs of each student. I get to know the students as individuals so I can appropriately support and challenge them academically" About me: I work at a preschool and do lots of activities and crafts with the children.