Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search

This Occasional Paper is designed to help experienced graduate students write a statement of teaching philosophy. The paper contains four sections. First, we offer suggestions for making a philosophy of teaching explicit and getting it on paper.  Second, we discuss research on characteristics of effective statements. Third, we introduce a rubric that can guide the development and crafting of a teaching statement that search committees will value.  Finally, we address questions that job candidates often raise about this sometimes perplexing document.