Creating a Personal Teaching Philosophy Statement Goal: to develop a personal teaching philosophy of early childhood education.

Format: This philosophy statement should be 1 page double space 12 font Time New Roman or Arial
Purpose: If someone asked you to explain your philosophy of teaching young children, what would you say? How would you begin to formulate a statement that captures the essence of your belief about teaching and learning? A teaching philosophy is a statement of reflection about what you will do as a teacher. For this class your statement should also include how you would support a child’s development of the five selves discussed in your text book.

Creating a Personal Teaching Philosophy Statement Questions

Consider the questions below as you write your teaching philosophy.
Why do you want to become a teacher? Or work with children?
What are your strongest characteristics or talents as a potential early childhood educator?
How do you view young children? What is the child’s role in his/her education? What are your beliefs about how young children learn?
What type of teaching position do you hope to obtain, and why?
What are the factors that influence your decision to pursue this career?
How do you view the role of the teacher? How will your views influence your teaching?
What kind of environment do you hope to create in your future classroom? How does this relate to your basic beliefs about young children and learning?
What do you hope young children will become?
What do you want children to achieve, accomplish, learn, feel, etc.?

Creating a Personal Teaching Philosophy Statement General Paper Format

Suggestions: Use present tense, in most cases. Write the paper in first-person (which is the most common and easiest for your audience to read).
Write in language and concepts that can be broadly appreciated. A general rule is that the statement should be written with the audience in mind. It may help to consider a school administrator (e.g., school principal) as your audience.
Make the paper memorable and unique. Create a vivid portrait of yourself as someone who is intentional about teaching and committed to his/her career.
The personal philosophy paper must be typed 1 page, double-spaced.