Hopefully by now you are all beginning to think about your Teaching Portfolios (due December 12^th).  Here are two articles by Gabriela Montell from the Chronicle of Higher Education on the teaching philosophy statement.  The first article, What’s Your Philosophy on Teaching, and Does it Matter?, discusses the purpose of the teaching philosophy statement and the role it plays in job searches.  In the second article, How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy, Montell makes recommendations for writing your statement and gives some great advice such as “Don’t Make Empty Statements” and “Make Sure It’s Well-Written.”  While some of her suggestions may seem super obvious, you would be surprised how often these elements are over-looked or taken for granted and how much a thoughtful and well-done statement will set you apart from other applicants. 

As you work on your portfolio and your philosophy statement, don’t hesitate to talk to your mentor and/or your consultant!  We are all here to help and we all want this to be a marketable product for your future job searches!