Developing a Teaching Philosophy

Almost everyone who chooses to teach composition does so because of a drive to teach, whether that drive comes from enjoyment, a sense of purpose, or something else. Even when we love teaching, we often face a challenge when trying to describe the foundation of not only why we teach but also how we teach. For many job applicants, one of the most stressful documents to create is the teaching philosophy. In this issue of Lore, we examine how to create a document that articulates principles that have often remained unspoken, ideas that also represent core beliefs that shape one of our primary identities: composition instructor.