Wed, 02 Jul 2003 03:35:33 GMT

Teaching Philosophy Statement. I really need to do a good teaching philosophy statement that I can stand by, publish on the Web, and be proud of. I was poking around my hard drive trying to find a statement that I wrote years ago while at the University of Tennessee, but I could only find this quotation that I've loved ever since I first read it in Fall 1999 (guess the actual teaching statement got eaten along the way…eh, it's probably on a floppy somewhere):

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Nor will the preceptor be under the obligation merely to teach these things, but frequently to ask questions upon them, and try the judgment of his pupils. Thus carelessness will not come upon them while they listen, nor will the instructions that shall be given fail to enter their ears; and they will at the same time be conducted to the end which is sought in this exercise, namely that they themselves may conceive and understand. For what object have we in teaching them, but that they may not always require to be taught?

—Marcus Fabius Quintilian, from Institutio Oratoria, written in the year 90 C.E. My emphasis.

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Bet you loved that one, Mike–seems right up your alley. I guess what I'm struggling with in writing my statement is a balance between theory and practice–oh, that and a solid understanding of the teaching philosophy statement as genre. Here are a couple of statements from teachers I know:

• Susan Giesemann North

• Charlie Lowe

Does anyone else know of good examples of online teaching philosophy statements? Please post them. [CultureCat: Rhetoric and Feminism - .::.caterwauling like Garfield on the fence at night.::.]

i don't have one, but i too have been working on one. i should go raid my cicero quotes to see what i have there.