Interview Question - What is Your Teaching Philosophy? (Answers)

How to answer, "What is your teaching philosophy" in a job interview. You may be questioned about your teaching philosophy while applying for a position in education. Employers may ask this question if you're looking for a teaching position at a school to see whether your teaching techniques and styles are compatible with the schools.

Employers can benefit significantly from hiring employees with good teaching skills in related jobs. As a result, planning ahead of time for this topic might help you feel prepared and confident in your response.

What is the definition of a teaching philosophy?

A teaching philosophy is a set of views, ethics, and principles about teaching unique to you. Your philosophy is likely to have evolved due to your classroom experience, education, observations, and study. A philosophy can help you navigate the day-to-day problems that arise in the classroom or at work by summarizing your approach to teaching.

If you're unclear about your teaching philosophy, explore the following questions:

• What educators/teachers have influenced me?
• What can I do if a student or staff is having trouble?
• I'm not sure how I'm going to reward excellent conduct. What is the best way for me to deal with negative behavior?
• What are the standards by which I judge myself?
• What have been some of my most fruitful teaching experiences?
• What would my pupils or coworkers think of me?
• Writing down your answers to these questions might assist you in identifying common themes and pinpointing your teaching philosophy.

What should teaching philosophy statements contain?

They should contain the following:

• Your teaching philosophy style.
• Your teaching practice style.
• The teaching strategies that you use.
• The teaching beliefs that you hold yourself accountable.
• How this impacts your teaching practices or teaching effectiveness.

The statement should include higher education goals for students. Provide concrete examples of how the teaching philosophies have impacted students and youth. And how the philosophies help students learn in a more robust, well-rounded manner.

Why do employers inquire about this?

Employers ask this question to learn more about how you'll carry out your responsibilities as a teacher. Your answer to this question should include:

• Information on your teaching methods.
• Your ideas about the learning process.
• At least one example of your talents and abilities in a classroom or training setting.

Employers want to make sure your approaches match their organization's aims and beliefs, whether you're getting interviewed for a position with an educational institution or a corporation looking to hire someone to teach other professionals.

Employers use this question to assess your talents and decide if you have the necessary knowledge and expertise to perform the job requirements. When an interviewer asks, "What is your teaching philosophy?" they're seeking hints about how you'll deal with students or trainees, how you'll face teaching obstacles, and how you'll assure the success of each student or trainee.

Answers to interview questions on teaching philosophy

Here are some ideas for distributing your teaching philosophy statement:

When seeking for a position of leadership.

When applying for a job as a people manager, you'll be responsible for training new employees and educating existing staff on new tools and processes. This is a skill that is better suited to jobs in businesses rather than schools.

Best Answer Example

"My teaching style is to make every training session as participatory as possible," says one example. An interactive curriculum, in my opinion, is more remembered. Role-playing and competitive quiz games are some of the strategies I employ. I am responsible for training new customer service agents as a customer service director. When I initially started, I found that new customer service agents made many mistakes and forgot a lot of what they had learned in their first few weeks. Rather than modifying the content, I changed the way it was delivered.

Now I pick trainees at random to act as a client and an agent in front of the whole class. I also close each session with a pop quiz, and the learner who answers the most questions correctly receives a little gift. We reduced errors and enhanced recollection of training content by gamifying the experience."

When applying for a post at a school or university.

When applying for an experienced teacher in a primary school, secondary school, college, or university, you may utilize the same strategy. It would help if you gave an example of particularly excellent teaching achievement in this scenario.

"My teaching style is to emphasize the development of pupils' study habits." Even when students are fully engaged in a session, they frequently forget essential elements because they have not been taught how to study material independently. I feel that teaching students in middle school how to learn independently now would better prepare them for the challenges of high school and college courses later on.

In my present position as a seventh-grade history teacher, I frequently conduct pop quizzes to verify that pupils recall the knowledge from the previous day's lecture. I started reserving 10 minutes of quiet study time at the beginning of each session for students to review the previous day's lesson content last year. Scores on pop quizzes have risen by more than 50% since then."

When you're looking for your first teaching job, keep these things in mind.

Finally, you may use the information above if you enter the job market for the first time or have no past teaching experience. You can offer examples of teaching approaches that have affected your philosophy instead of presenting instances of your professional experiences.

"My teaching philosophy is to make the material I teach more relevant," for example. My objective as a literary instructor is to help students identify with individuals, places, and concepts distinct from their own life experiences. When a student can't identify with the subject, comprehending it's sometimes more challenging.

When my professors helped me find connections, I found tales more memorable as a student. As a student teacher, I enjoy drawing parallels between classic literature such as Shakespeare and current events. Comparing events in the plays to occurrences in pop culture, for example, helps students not just grasp the narrative but also form their conclusions."

Employers are likely to inquire about your teaching philosophy when you apply for any position that needs teaching or training. You can ensure that you emphasize essential talents, offer the appropriate example, and create a favorable and lasting impression by planning your response ahead of time. You should also be prepared to answer follow-up questions regarding your experiences.

In an interview, how should you respond to the question, "What is your teaching philosophy?"

As you begin to write your response to this question, there are a few things to consider. Here are four pointers to bear in mind:

Keep it short and sweet.

Keep it as simple as possible. Begin with outlining what you believe teaching should accomplish, then list the strategies you employ to attain that goal, and then tell a narrative to explain those ways.

Use the present tense when speaking.

Instead of referring to your views and talents in the past tense, such as "I realized it's best to..." or "I helped students accomplish...", use language like "I think a teacher should..." or "I utilize tactics that..." Your philosophy will take on a more aggressive tone due to this.

Excessive words should be avoided.

Instead of using sophisticated, technical jargon, explain your teaching philosophy in ordinary language that is easy to understand. This ensures that the interviewer understands your response and appreciates your capabilities. It also allows them to adapt your response to their own company, which is extremely useful if you're switching sectors.

Make use of specific instances.

It's crucial to "show" and "tell" when it comes to communicating your teaching philosophy. Provide specific examples of your previous experiences to give your interviewer a look at your teaching approaches. Discuss how you implemented your methods and the positive results you've achieved due to your teaching style.

Practice.

Because this is a typical interview topic, particularly in the education business, you should prepare and rehearse your response before the interview.

Exhibit excitement.

Employers want to see your enthusiasm for teaching, so make sure it shows across in your response.

Avoid these common mistakes.

There are a few things you should avoid when answering a question regarding your teaching philosophy:

Making a mental note of your response. While it is essential to prepare, you should not memorize your response word for word. During the interview, you may come out as robotic or inauthentic if you do this.

Having an arrogant or overconfident demeanor. If you come out as highly boastful to employers, they may have reservations about how you'd perform as an employee. It's vital to be confident in your response, but it's also crucial to be modest.

Too much time has passed since I last spoke. Maintain brevity in your response—two minutes or less is preferable. If your response lasts more than two minutes, you risk losing the interviewer's attention.

What is a good teaching philosophy?

Here is an example of a good teaching philosophy statement:

"My teaching view is that all children are unique individuals who require a challenging educational environment in which they can develop physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially. My goal is to establish an environment where students may reach their maximum potential.

I will create a secure environment in which kids may express themselves and take chances." There are five essential components that I feel are favorable to learning. The function of the instructor is to act as a guide. Students should be able to participate in hands-on activities. Students should be allowed to make their own decisions and follow their interests. Students require the chance to practice skills in a controlled setting. The use of technology in the classroom must be included throughout the educational day."

See more examples.

What are the seven philosophies of teaching?

Essentialism, Perennialism, Progressivism, Social Reconstructionism, Existentialism, Behaviorism, Constructivism, Conservatism, and Humanism are theories proposed as "teaching philosophies." Essentialism and Perennialism are two forms of teacher-centered educational ideologies.