what is your teaching style essay

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How would you describe your teaching style? Interview questions answered

Learning is a lifelong activity for most of us. When we want to learn–be it at school , at work , from books , or from a website on the internet , beside a student there always has to be a teacher. Someone who conveys their message in the most appropriate way , and helps the student to understand the subject of learning. Different teachers, writers, and corporate leaders have different ways of conveying their message to their audience, different teaching styles .

Inquiring about your teaching style in an interview, the hiring managers (or the hiring committee members) try to understand whether your teaching style is a good fit for their organization , for the audiences you are supposed to teach in your new job.

Let’s have a a look at 7 sample answers to this interesting interview question. I purposely included also unconventional answers on my list, answers you can opt for while trying o stand out and say something else than the rest of the job applicants will say. Do not forget to read also my notes below the answers, for additional explanations and hints.

7 sample answers to “How would you describe your teaching style?” interview question

• I would describe my teaching style as coaching . Instead of offering answers to my students, I try to ask the right questions , and with the help of demonstration and group activities they should find the answers. In my opinion, the young generation lacks critical thinking and creativity . I try to help them develop these abilities, and that’s exactly why I prefer coaching to lecturing, the prevalent teaching style for this grade level. I just try to prepare my students better for the challenges they will face in the employment market.
• I would describe it as highly adaptable . I do not really prefer one teaching method, or one way of interacting with the students in the classroom environment. Because in my opinion, each class is different , so is each lesson, and a good teacher should always adjust their teaching to their audience, the level of discipline in the class, the difficulty of the lesson, and so on. I simply prefer individual approach to teaching , and I alternate between being an authority, demonstrator, facilitator, and delegator. So far it has been working great, so I have no reason to doubt the effectiveness of my teaching style.
• I would describe it as results driven . Since I typically work with students one on one, I always try to clearly define the goals with each one. Not what I want to achieve, but what they want to achieve, what they expect from our cooperation. Then, considering their current level of language skills, and what kind of personality they are, I come up with a clear plan for the entire year , including some milestones and tests, in order to evaluate our progress regularly. And just then do I choose my teaching methods, adjusting them to the plan and the ultimate goal we have with the student.
• To be honest, I cannot really tell . I am just starting my teaching career, and haven’t had a chance yet to find my way, to understand what works best with the students at this grade level . I hope to learn something from my new colleagues, who have more experience from the classroom environment. Anyway, the basic principle I stick to is that we are in the classes for the children , and not the other way around. I won’t opt for a certain teaching style just because it is the most convenient one, such as plain lecturing…
• I’ve been working as a manager for over a decade now. In my experience, nothing works better than empowering your people . You know, throw them into the water, give them responsibility, let them find the answers, let them fail so they can learn and grow on both personal and professional level. Maybe you can describe this management (or teaching) style as laissez-faire, and it has definitely been working great for me.
• I always put emphasis on practice doing . As many hours as possible in the lab, as much on hands on experience as students can get. First of all, students prefer such form of learning–at least most of them do. And secondly, we are preparing them for the real challenges they will face in the workplace , once they graduate. Because in the lab they work in teams, have conflicts, face deadlines, have to handle problems, record their findings, sometimes they even have to multitask… Of course, we cannot avoid the theory altogether. But my teaching style consists in maximizing the hours students spend working on practical tasks.
• To be honest, I do not support all these classifications of teaching styles and methodologies. It is a lot of theory, but it has little to do with the real environment of a classroom , where always different personalities meet, and one has to work with students of all levels of abilities. I simply try my best with each student –that’s the definition of my teaching style. It may mean one thing in one lesson and a completely different one in another. I may give a complete freedom to some students, but lead others with an iron fist. But I prefer not using some empty classifications that have nothing to do with the actual challenges we face in classes.

A good research can help you find the right answer

You can do your research about the school (company, organization), trying to understand what teaching style prevails there. Maybe the administrators encourage the teachers to use this or that style in the classes.

If it is the case (and you somehow find out the information), you can stick to it in your interviewer answer. Ensure them that you do not come to revolutionize the way they lead their school . On the contrary, you will be a new force in the staff room, and you are ready to learn from your colleagues, and apply the proven teaching methods in the classes.

* Special Tip : This isn’t the only difficult question you will face while interviewing for any decent job. You will face questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure, solving problems , and other tricky scenarios that happen in the workplace. If you want to make sure that you stand out with your answers and outclass your competitors, have a look at our Interview Success Package . Up to 10 premium answers to 31 tricky scenario based questions (+ more) will make your life much easier in the interviews. Thank you for checking it out!

Show your willingness to adapt

Let’s face it: one fits all approach to teaching does not exist . What works great with one student, may fail completely with another one. A teaching style that yields excellent results in one classroom will do little good in the next one. That’s how it is, since we live in a diverse and polarized world…

Bearing this in mind, you can always emphasize individual approach . Sure, you may not be able to work individually with each student (unless you work in special education or as a paraprofessional and actually work one on one with students), but you may at least adjust your teaching style to the lesson covered , and the situation in the classroom.

Job interview is not a school exam

You can refer to a widely-accepted classification of teaching style, but you definitely do not have to . You can talk about a results driven approach, or even describe your teaching style in your own words , without giving it any names, or classifying it in this or that way.

Remember that job interview is not a school exam, and that not every member of the interviewing panel will be aware of some general classifications of teaching styles. Hence it is always better to elaborate on your answer , even when you opt for one of the widely-recognized teaching styles. Because if the hiring committee members struggle to understand you, they won’t give you the job…

Ready to answer this one? I hope so! Check also 7 sample answers to other tricky interview questions:

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The 5 most effective teaching styles (pros & cons of each), share this article.

Even though every instructor is unique, the prevalent style of teaching has changed dramatically over the past 50 years, along with the new cultural norms and technological advancements.

Educational researchers today define at least five different teaching styles on a spectrum that moves from a teacher-centered approach to a student-centered one:

Other teaching methods outside of the core five exist as well. The Spectrum of Teaching Styles in Physical Education defines 11 distinct teaching styles that can be used to coach students in schools and universities.

While most instructors can be described by a single personal model of teaching, the best ones always adjust their teaching strategies to their students and the learning process at hand.

That’s why it’s important to know what the different teaching styles are and have a clear idea of how to use them when needed.

Skip ahead:

Demonstrator

Facilitator, is one style of teaching better than others , how to adapt teaching styles to different learning styles, does classroom diversity influence my style of teaching .

5 different teaching styles to use today

A lot of educators in traditional teaching environments with decades of experience are not aware of their primary teaching style, even though their approach to teaching has a direct effect on student participation and student engagement.

Let’s explore five teaching style examples to show how broad differentiated instruction in classroom settings can be.

The lecturer style (sometimes called the formal authority style) is familiar to anyone who’s sat through long unidirectional lectures in giant university auditoriums. In this teaching style, the teacher takes up a central role and delivers information to a large group of students in a structured and organized manner. The subject matter is usually singular and predetermined. 

Because the students are many, there’s not enough room or time for personalized interactions between the teacher and the students. However, students are encouraged to take notes and ask questions at the end of each lecture. There are usually no activities planned.

An example of the Lecturer teaching style in action is when a guest speaker is invited to a school or an office to give a presentation. After the guest speaker presents the topic for an hour, they encourage students to ask questions if there’s anything they don’t understand or would like to clarify. 

Pros of the Lecturer teaching style

• It’s p ossible to teach large groups of students at once
• It’s easy to prepare lecturers
• It provides a clear structure and organization to the content
• It can be time-effective in covering a broad range of material

Cons of the Lecturer teaching style

• There’s limited student engagement and interaction 
• Students won’t be able to retain information properly because they’re not actively engaging with the lecturer
• This teaching method does not cater to diverse learning styles

Under the demonstrator style, the teacher still retains a lot of authority but is more open to trying a student-centered approach to teaching. You can see the demonstrator encouraging students to come up with problem-solving strategies, ask questions and simulate what they’ve just learned.

The demonstrator often goes beyond lectures and demonstrates concepts or skills to the students using visual aids (presentations, images, and films), hands-on activities, and practical examples. As a result, this method is applicable to more learning styles.

An example of the Demonstrator teaching style in action is when a teacher conducts a science experiment or an art workshop in the classroom. The students huddle around the demonstrator to observe and participate in the experiment or workshop. When the teacher is done with the demonstration, they encourage the students to emulate the processes that they’ve observed to create the same (or similar results). 

As the students work, the teacher is there to provide them with visual aids and multimedia to enforce concepts and principles, and answer any questions they may have regarding the project. The teacher may also encourage peer sharing and feedback, which helps students to actively engage in the learning process.

Pros of the Demonstrator teaching style

• It incorporates a variety of teaching formats
• Hands-on learning can enhance students’ understanding of the subject matter
• Visual aids and demonstrations can make concepts more memorable 
• Students can ask for immediate clarification through examples and practical applications

Cons of the Demonstrator teaching style

•  It doesn’t accommodate the needs of all students
• This teaching style may not be suitable for all subjects or topics 
• This style requires adequate resources and preparation, which can be hard if the teacher is short on time or has a low budget
• During a demonstration, there’s often no time to cover a large amount of content

The hybrid (also known as blended) style strives to strike a balance between teacher- and student-centered approaches. It also tries to integrate both traditional and modern teaching methods, which makes it a great style for adapting to the needs of diverse learners.

Most of the time, the teachers who follow the hybrid style bring their own knowledge and expertise into the class. They still have a structure for every lecture but are able to adjust their flow and come up with the right activities to keep the students engaged. A hybrid teaching style integrates lectures, demonstrations, group activities, and even technology into one learning session. 

For example, a hybrid teacher may assign online readings or videos for students to review before class.  There can also be an online discussion forum where students share insights and questions. In class, the students can build upon the online discussion with hands-on activities, group discussions, or problem-solving tasks related to the material they reviewed. 

While the hybrid approach tends to be quite effective in a variety of settings, it can make covering information-heavy courses difficult due to its slower pace.

Pros of the Hybrid teaching style

• This teaching style uses a variety of methods that cater to diverse student needs 
• It integrates traditional and modern approaches for a balanced learning experience 
• It gives teachers the flexibility to adapt to different learning preferences 
• Students remain active and engaged for longer

Cons of the Hybrid teaching style

• This teaching style requires careful planning and the coordination of different teaching elements 
• Finding the right balance between traditional and modern teaching methods may be challenging
• It’s dependent on the available resources and technology  
• It can be less focused and slow
• It requires a lot of energy from the teacher

Shifting to an even more student-centered approach, there’s the facilitator style of teaching.

Instead of giving one-directional lectures, a facilitator encourages inquiry-based learning. Students learn by thinking critically, asking questions, and discussing real-world case studies. Some other activities might be designed to improve problem-solving skills and help understand the subject matter better through practical challenges.

A great example of the Facilitator teaching style in action is a Socratic seminar, which promotes Socrates’ belief that asking questions, inquiring about things, and engaging in constructive debates are the best ways to learn. 

In a Socratic seminar, students seek a deeper understanding of complex or vague ideas through thoughtful dialogue and divergent thinking. The facilitator provides a specific topic or text for students to read through and ponder upon. Then, the facilitator poses open-ended questions to stimulate critical thinking. The students answer these questions, argue civilly for or against a motion, share ideas, and build on each other’s responses to get an all-around understanding of the topic/text.

Another example is a case study analysis, where the facilitator presents a real-life case study related to the subject matter. Then, the facilitator prompts a class discussion where students analyze the case, identify key issues, and proffer solutions. The teacher guides the discussion, encouraging critical thinking and collaboration among students. 

Pros of the Facilitator teaching style

• This teaching style helps students develop self-sufficiency, as the teacher provides guidance and support rather than direct instruction
• It fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills
• It supports student-centered learning and autonomy

Cons of the Facilitator teaching style

• This style doesn’t work well for theory-heavy classes
• It requires a skilled facilitator to guide discussions effectively 
• It may take more time to cover content compared to traditional methods 
• Students may need additional support if they’re not accustomed to this teaching method

The most student-centric teaching style of all is called the delegator style (also known as the group style). Here, the teacher is merely present as an observer, and it’s the group of students who are doing all the work.

Most of the learning in the delegator style happens peer-to-peer, through frequent collaborations and discussions. The instructor is practically removed from the position of authority and only facilitates the discussions instead.

The delegator style works best for lab-based experiments, group tutoring classes, creative writing, debates, and other peer-to-peer activities. In these activities, the teacher divides the class into small groups and assigns each group a project related to the course content. The students are responsible for planning, executing, and presenting their findings, while the teacher acts as a mentor, providing guidance and support throughout the project.

This approach encourages students to take ownership of their education and become self-directed learners.

Pros of the Delegator teaching style

• This teaching style encourages learning and collaboration among students
• It allows for individualized learning experiences
• It promotes the development of problem-solving and decision-making skills

Cons of the Delegator teaching style

• This teaching style can be inefficient since students have to find the right answers for themselves
• It may not be suitable for all subjects or students

These are just five of the most popular teaching styles that instructors can choose from when creating their courses. Depending on the system you look at, there might be even more, as described in a paper titled Teaching Styles and Language Performance by Edgar R. Eslit and Mercedita B. Tongson.

As you can see from the list above, each style of teaching has its pros and cons. So there’s no definitive winner here — rather, you should learn to mix and match based on a situation.

When preparing your course content, you can imagine which teaching style would help your students learn the material best. If you’re not sure, try experimenting with a few different styles for the first few student cohorts to find out.

We’ve written about the seven main types of learning styles before, which are essential for every instructor to understand.

There’s no doubt that different students shine under different teaching approaches.

There’s a famous “empty vessel” theory, for example, which asserts that students’ minds are essentially empty until teachers pour their knowledge into them, lecture-style.

But cooperative learning which requires more group work and would pair well with the facilitator or delegator style of teaching. Check out Cohort-Based Learning for a deeper dive into this kind of teaching style.

Interactive learning can be a great fit for the demonstrator or facilitator style, and so on.

Another reason to have different teaching styles in your arsenal is the diversity of students you might see in your class. As students learn better by different approaches and at a different speed, you should be able to adjust your teaching style on the fly to maximize the learning opportunity for all.

It’s likely that your primary teaching style won’t be purely of the big five discussed above, but rather an ever-changing mix that would be unique to you and the students you teach.

In addition, as teachers lead students and help students become future leaders, you should be aware of the kind of leadership that you want to facilitate through your teaching.

How to create a perfect course online

Do you want to put your teaching style to practice? There’s no better way to do that than creating a brand new online course. The only thing you need is a course-creation platform to do that.

Thinkific is an intuitive and easy-to-use platform for all teachers to create beautiful online courses in no time. The platform adjusts easily to various teaching styles through the use of multimedia materials, from presentations to videos to quizzes to member communities.

Best of all, no coding skills are required. Just pick a gorgeous template and quickly customize it to your need with a drag-and-drop editor.

Get started today for free and see how easy creating an effective course can be.

This was originally published in June 2022, it has since been updated in February 2024 to include new info.

Colin is a Content Marketer at Thinkific, writing about everything from online entrepreneurship & course creation to digital marketing strategy.

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How to Answer the “Describe Your Teaching Style” Question

Some interview questions can trip you up if you're not prepared ahead of time. I remember the first time I was asked, "How would you describe your teaching style?"  I froze up like a deer in the headlights, and mumbled something about “student centeredness,” along with a few other buzzwords I remembered from my textbooks. The school didn’t give me the job… and I don’t blame them. Having a clear, deliberate approach to teaching—an approach you can describe and defend with confidence—is a key part of being a good teacher.

Still, this is a tough question isn’t it? Fortunately, there are steps you can take to be ready for this important question by the time you start landing interviews for teaching work.

Well Before You Interview, Think About What Your Teaching Style Is

Getting a job interview is the last step to becoming a teacher. Your earlier steps give you plenty of chances to see the way that others teach, think about how   you   want to teach, and get in some practice teaching. During your teacher training, think about what makes different teachers… well… different. Then think about who you want to be as a teacher. Picture the teaching tricks and approaches that will work for you, and be able to explain   why   they would work for you.

Also try to think of what a   good teaching style   looks like from the perspective of the students. As you study the principles of teaching in your textbooks and classes, think of how these principles came into play when you yourself were a K-12 student. Looking back on it, how would you describe your own teachers’ teaching styles? And what are the different teaching styles of your professors? What aspects of your current professors’ teaching would you use in your own classroom, and why? And how do your students react to you as you do your teacher training fieldwork? What do you do that “works” for your students… and what may not be working so well?

This kind of critical thinking will allow you to talk about your teaching style with confidence and at length in job interviews. More importantly, it will help you become a truly excellent teacher before you even get your first job.

Figure Out How Other Teachers Describe Their Teaching Style

“Describe your teaching style” is an   interview question you should be prepared for . So answering the question well isn’t just a matter of pedagogy knowledge and confidence in your approach. Answering the question is also a matter of salesmanship—you’re selling yourself and your teaching style to every school you interview with!

So “describe your teaching style” is a question you should be asking other teachers who have already successfully interviewed for a teaching position. Ask your professors how they’d describe the way they teach, and ask the teaching style question to the classroom teachers you meet during your fieldwork.

Seek out answers to this question in literature too—plenty of teachers write about their teaching styles in books, on blogs, and on online forums. And don’t be shy about reaching out to these author-teachers via email with extra questions about their teaching styles. Pay attention to what all of these other teachers say, and make note of the things that seem most convincing—the claims teachers make that really “sell” their teaching ethos.

This sales angle may seem crass, but it has uses that extend far beyond the interview phase. No matter what your teaching style is, no matter how beneficial it is to your students, you will always encounter skeptics. Being able to describe the value of your teaching style to skeptical students, parents, colleagues, and administrators will allow you to overcome objections to the good work you do. If you’re able to describe your teaching style well, you’ll be able to teach the way you want to and the way you need to. And you’ll be able to convince others to try out your best practices for themselves.

And don't get so caught up in preparing your answers for the interview that you don't bring along some questions that you should ask at the interview . This will help to make sure the position is a good fit for both you and the school.

ChatGPT for Teachers

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Every teacher has her or his own style of teaching. And as traditional teaching styles evolve with the advent of differentiated instruction, more and more teachers are adjusting their approach depending on their students’ learning needs.

But there are a few fundamental teaching styles most educators tend to use. Which one is yours?

You’ve Got Style

These teaching styles highlight the five main strategies teachers use in the classroom, as well as the benefits and potential pitfalls of each.

The Authority, or lecture style

The authority model is teacher-centered and frequently entails lengthy lecture sessions or one-way presentations. Students are expected to take notes or absorb information.

• Pros : This style is acceptable for certain higher-education disciplines and auditorium settings with large groups of students. The pure lecture style is most suitable for subjects like history, which necessitate memorization of key facts, dates, names, etc.
• Cons : It’s a questionable model for teaching children because there is little or no interaction with the teacher. Plus it can get a little snooze-y. That’s why it’s a better approach for older, more mature students.

The Demonstrator, or coach style

The demonstrator retains the formal authority role by showing students what they need to know. The demonstrator is a lot like the lecturer, but their lessons include multimedia presentations, activities, and demonstrations. (Think: Math. Science. Music.)

• Pros : This style gives teachers opportunities to incorporate a variety of formats including lectures and multimedia presentations.
• Cons : Although it’s well-suited for teaching mathematics, music, physical education, or arts and crafts, it is difficult to accommodate students’ individual needs in larger classrooms.

The Facilitator, or activity style

Facilitators promote self-learning and help students develop critical thinking skills and retain knowledge that leads to self-actualization.

• Pros : This style trains students to ask questions and helps develop skills to find answers and solutions through exploration; it is ideal for teaching science and similar subjects.
• Cons : Challenges teacher to interact with students and prompt them toward discovery rather than lecturing facts and testing knowledge through memorization. So it’s a bit harder to measure success in tangible terms.

The Delegator, or group style

The delegator style is best suited for curricula that require lab activities, such as chemistry and biology, or subjects that warrant peer feedback, like debate and creative writing.

• Pros : Guided discovery and inquiry-based learning place the teacher in an observer role that inspires students by working in tandem toward common goals.
• Cons : Considered a modern style of teaching, it is sometimes criticized as eroding teacher authority. As a delegator, the teacher acts more as a consultant rather than the traditional authority figure.

The Hybrid, or blended style

Hybrid, or blended style, follows an integrated approach to teaching that blends the teacher’s personality and interests with students’ needs and curriculum-appropriate methods.

• Pros : Inclusive! And it enables teachers to tailor their styles to student needs and appropriate subject matter.
• Cons : Hybrid style runs the risk of trying to be too many things to all students, prompting teachers to spread themselves too thin and dilute learning.

Because teachers have styles that reflect their distinct personalities and curriculum—from math and science to English and history—it’s crucial that they remain focused on their teaching objectives and avoid trying to be all things to all students.

What you need to know about your teaching style

Although it is not the teacher’s job to entertain students, it is vital to engage them in the learning process. Selecting a style that addresses the needs of diverse students at different learning levels begins with a personal inventory—a self-evaluation—of the teacher’s strengths and weaknesses. As they develop their teaching styles and integrate them with effective classroom management skills, teachers will learn what works best for their personalities and curriculum.

Our guide encapsulates today’s different teaching styles and helps teachers identify the style that’s right for them and their students. Browse through the article or use these links to jump to your desired destination.

• What is a teaching style inventory, and how have teaching styles evolved?
• What teaching method is best for today’s students?

How does classroom diversity influence teachers?

Emergence of the teaching style inventory.

How have teaching styles evolved? This is a question teachers are asked, and frequently ask themselves, as they embark on their careers, and occasionally pause along the way to reflect on job performance. To understand the differences in teaching styles, it’s helpful to know where the modern concept of classifying teaching methods originated.

The late Anthony F. Grasha, a noted professor of psychology at the University of Cincinnati, is credited with developing the classic five teaching styles. A follower of psychiatrist Carl Jung, Grasha began studying the dynamics of the relationship between teachers and learning in college classrooms. His groundbreaking book, Teaching with Style , was written both as a guide for teachers and as a tool to help colleagues, administrators and students systematically evaluate an instructor’s effectiveness in the classroom.

Grasha understood that schools must use a consistent, formal approach in evaluating a teacher’s classroom performance. He recognized that any system designed to help teachers improve their instructional skills requires a simple classification system. He developed a teaching style inventory that has since been adopted and modified by followers.

• Expert : Similar to a coach, experts share knowledge, demonstrate their expertise, advise students, and provide feedback to improve understanding and promote learning.
• Formal authority : Authoritative teachers incorporate the traditional lecture format and share many of the same characteristics as experts, but with less student interaction.
• Personal model : Incorporates blended teaching styles that match the best techniques with the appropriate learning scenarios and students in an adaptive format.
• Facilitator : Designs participatory learning activities and manages classroom projects while providing information and offering feedback to facilitate critical thinking.
• Delegator : Organizes group learning, observes students, provides consultation, and promotes interaction between groups and among individuals to achieve learning objectives.

Although he developed specific teaching styles, Grasha warned against boxing teachers into a single category. Instead, he advocated that teachers play multiple roles in the classroom. He believed most teachers possess some combination of all or most of the classic teaching styles.

How does differentiated instruction affect teaching styles?

Carol Ann Tomlinson, a professor at the University of Virginia, is an early advocate of differentiated instruction and a pioneer in the development of learning-based teaching styles. If Grasha laid the groundwork for 20th-century teachers to adopt styles tailored to match their personalities and strengths, Tomlinson has advanced this theme into the 21st century by focusing on differentiated instruction.

In the simplest terms, differentiated instruction means keeping all students in mind when developing lesson plans and workbook exercises, lectures, and interactive learning. These student-focused differences necessitate instructional styles that embrace diverse classrooms for students at all learning levels and from various backgrounds without compromising the teacher’s strengths.

What teaching style is best for today’s students?

Whether you’re a first-year teacher eager to put into practice all of the pedagogical techniques you learned in college, or a classroom veteran examining differentiated instruction and new learning methodologies, consider that not all students respond well to one particular style. Although teaching styles have been categorized into five groups, today’s ideal teaching style is not an either/or proposition but more of a hybrid approach that blends the best of everything a teacher has to offer.

The traditional advice that teachers not overreach with a cluster of all-encompassing teaching styles might seem to conflict with today’s emphasis on student-centered classrooms. Theoretically, the more teachers emphasize student-centric learning, the harder it is to develop a well-focused style based on their personal attributes, strengths, and goals.

In short, modern methods of teaching require different types of teachers—from the analyst/organizer to the negotiator/consultant. Here are some other factors to consider as teachers determine the best teaching method for their students.

Empty vessel : Critics of the “sage on the stage” lecture style point to the “empty vessel” theory, which assumes a student’s mind is essentially empty and needs to be filled by the “expert” teacher. Critics of this traditional approach to teaching insist this teaching style is outmoded and needs to be updated for the diverse 21st-century classroom.

Active vs. passive : Proponents of the traditional lecture approach believe that an overemphasis on group-oriented participatory teaching styles, like facilitator and delegator, favor gifted and competitive students over passive children with varied learning abilities, thereby exacerbating the challenges of meeting the needs of all learners.

Knowledge vs. information : Knowledge implies a complete understanding, or full comprehension, of a particular subject. A blend of teaching styles that incorporate facilitator, delegator, demonstrator, and lecturer techniques helps the broadest range of students acquire in-depth knowledge and mastery of a given subject. This stands in contrast to passive learning, which typically entails memorizing facts, or information, with the short-term objective of scoring well on tests.

Interactive classrooms : Laptops and tablets, video conferencing, and podcasts in classrooms play a vital role in today’s teaching styles. With technology in mind, it is imperative that teachers assess their students’ knowledge while they are learning. The alternative is to wait for test results, only to discover knowledge gaps that should have been detected during the active learning phase.

Constructivist teaching methods : Contemporary teaching styles tend to be group-focused and inquiry-driven. Constructivist teaching methods embrace subsets of alternative teaching styles, including modeling, coaching, and test preparation through rubrics scaffolding. All of these are designed to promote student participation and necessitate a hybrid approach to teaching. One criticism of the constructivist approach is that it caters to extroverted, group-oriented students, who tend to dominate and benefit from these teaching methods more than introverts; however, this assumes introverts aren’t learning by observing.

Student-centric learning does not have to come at the expense of an instructor’s preferred teaching method. However, differentiated instruction demands that teachers finesse their style to accommodate the diverse needs of 21st-century classrooms.

The ‘sage on the stage’ meets the ‘tiger mom’

The objective of blending teaching styles to leverage the teacher’s strengths while meeting the demands of diverse students has become increasingly difficult, as parents take a decidedly proactive role in child-learning techniques.

The traditional authoritative/expert, or “sage on the stage” lecture style, has come under attack by some parents—and contemporary educational leaders—who emphasize that a more diverse approach to teaching is necessary to engage students. This is compounded by the rise of “tiger moms,” a term made popular by parents devoted to improving the quality of education with laser-precision focus on A-list schools and a highly competitive job market.

Age of the proactive parent

Regardless of what style a teacher adopts, it’s important for teachers to develop positive attitudes, set goals, and establish high expectations for students.

“Assume students can excel!” education authors Harry and Rosemary Wong declare. As former teachers with a combined 80-plus years of educational experience, the Wongs emphasize in their best-selling book, The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher and their more recent, The Classroom Management Book that successful teachers share three common characteristics:

• effective classroom management skills
• lesson mastery
• positive expectations

All instructors, when developing their teaching styles, should keep in mind these three goals, as well as the primary objective of education: student learning.

It is abundantly clear that today’s teachers are responsible for students with a diverse range of learning abilities. The 21st-century teacher does not have the luxury of “picking the low-hanging fruit” and then leaving the rest of the tree for experts who specialize in children with behavioral issues or learning disorders.

Today’s teachers must develop instructional styles that work well in diverse classrooms. Effective teaching methods engage gifted students, as well as slow-learning children and those with attention deficit tendencies. This is where differentiated instruction and a balanced mix of teaching styles can help reach all students in a given classroom—not just the few who respond well to one particular style of teaching.

The wonderment of teaching, what author/educator Dr. Harry Wong refers to as “that a-ha moment” when a child “gets it,” is one of the most rewarding and seemingly elusive benefits of becoming a teacher. This transfer of knowledge from expert to student is an art form and a skill. Fortunately, both can be learned and perfected.

Knowing how to engage students begins with selecting the teaching style that’s right for you. And remember, even though you may prefer one teaching style over another, you must find the style that works best for your students! Try different styles to meet different objectives, and always challenge yourself to find ways to reach each student.

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• Effective Teaching Strategies for Adolescent Literacy Teachers
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What is My Teaching Style? Take the Quiz and Discover Your Teaching Superpower

Febriana Ramadhanya

Have you ever wondered why some lessons resonate deeply with your students, while others fall a bit flat? The answer might lie in your teaching style and the unique way you approach imparting knowledge and fostering learning. Finding your ideal style of teaching isn’t just about personal preference; it significantly impacts student engagement and academic success.

This guide will uncover the world of teaching styles, helping you identify your strengths and refine your approach. We’ll explore different styles of teaching, offer a self-assessment tool, and provide tips to optimize your teaching for ultimate effectiveness.

The Science Behind Teaching Styles

The concept of teaching styles and learning preferences has been a topic of educational research for decades. They compliment classroom management styles by allowing teachers to not just deliver teaching materials effectively, but also maintain a conducive learning environment. While there’s no single theory universally accepted, some frameworks offer insights into how educators can tailor their approach to enhance student learning.

One prominent approach is the VARK model, which categorizes learners based on their preferred mode of receiving information:

• Visual learners: Absorb information best through images , charts, graphs, and diagrams.
• Auditory learners: Thrive in lectures, discussions, and audio recordings.
• Reading/writing learners: Prefer textbooks, articles, and written instructions.
• Kinesthetic learners: Learn best through hands-on activities, demonstrations, and simulations .

While these preferences exist, most learners benefit from a multi-sensory approach. Another concept, Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences , suggests that individuals possess various intelligences beyond the traditional linguistic and mathematical. These include bodily-kinesthetic, musical, spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence. By incorporating elements that cater to these diverse intelligences, teachers can create a more inclusive learning environment.

The research on styles of teaching acknowledges that educators themself have natural tendencies. However, the most effective teachers strive to be flexible and adapt their approach based on the subject matter, student needs, and learning objectives.

Unveiling the Teaching Style Spectrum

Educators wear many hats, and the most effective ones often utilize a blend of teaching styles. Here’s a closer look at some of the major approaches:

Authoritarian (Traditional Lecture)

This teacher-centered style emphasizes clear explanations, direct instruction, and lectures. Think classic classrooms with a strong focus on teacher explanation and student note-taking. But effective authoritarian teachers go beyond just talking. They also can benefit from the following activities:

• Incorporate checks for understanding (exit tickets, quizzes).
• Use clear, concise language and avoid jargon .
• Vary their delivery with multimedia elements (presentations, videos).
• Encourage active participation with methods like Socratic questioning.

Facilitator

With this style of teaching, the emphasis shifts to student-centered learning. Facilitator teachers guide discussions , ensuring everyone has a voice and fostering respectful dialogue. They encourage group projects where students collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other. This approach builds critical thinking, collaboration skills, and a deeper understanding than rote memorization. However, facilitator teachers also need to:

• Set clear parameters for discussions (time limits, expected behavior).
• Refocus the conversation when necessary.
• Ensure all students participate, not just the most vocal ones. 

Demonstrator

This teaching style is all about “show, don’t tell.” Demonstrator teachers excel at modeling skills and concepts through hands-on activities and visual aids. They might use technology like simulations or educational apps to enhance demonstrations. But, simply showing isn’t enough. Effective demonstrator teachers must also:

• Check for understanding throughout the activity (asking questions, student explanations, practice opportunities).
• Connect the dots with reflection questions or discussions to solidify understanding.

Delegator teachers empower students through project-based learning and independent study. They provide guidance and support, such as scaffolding projects into manageable steps, but allow students to take ownership of their learning journey. This approach fosters critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and self-directed learning, all essential skills for success in the 21st century. However, delegator teachers need to be skilled at:

• Providing clear expectations and rubrics (what success looks like).  
• Offering ongoing feedback (check-ins, peer reviews, self-reflection activities). 

Identifying Your Teaching Style: Take the Quiz!

Now, let’s explore your natural tendencies to help you determine your ideal teaching style. This isn’t a right-or-wrong quiz, but rather a tool for self-reflection.

Optimizing Your Teaching Style for Success

Now that you’ve identified your style of teaching, here are some specific tips to leverage your strengths and improve in areas that might feel less comfortable:

Authoritarian Teachers

👉 Boost Engagement: Supplement traditional lectures with interactive elements like polls , short quizzes , or quick group activities . This can help gauge student understanding, break up long lectures, and keep students actively involved in the learning process.

👉 Embrace Active Learning : Consider incorporating activities that encourage students to go beyond passive listening. Think about problem-solving exercises, case studies, or even short debates related to the lecture topic.

Facilitator Teachers

👉 Structure for Success: While fostering discussion is key, don’t underestimate the importance of clear learning objectives and rubrics. These provide a roadmap for students, ensuring everyone is on the same page about what they’re aiming to achieve and how success will be measured.

👉 Manage the Flow: Facilitating discussions requires skillful navigation. Be prepared to gently refocus the conversation if it goes off track, and ensure all students have a chance to contribute , not just the most vocal ones. Techniques like wait time and prompting questions can be helpful in achieving this.

Demonstrator Teachers

👉 Check for Understanding: Hands-on activities are fantastic, but don’t assume students grasp the concept just by doing. Integrate checks for understanding throughout the activity. This could involve asking questions about the steps involved, having students explain the process in their own words or drawing , or providing opportunities for them to practice the skill independently under your guidance.

👉 Connect the Dots: Don’t let the learning stop at the activity itself. Follow up with reflection questions or discussions that help students solidify their understanding and connect the hands-on experience to broader concepts.

Delegator Teachers

👉 The Power of Feedback: Delegated learning empowers students, but it doesn’t mean flying solo. Schedule regular check-ins , in the form of a quick activity like word cloud or mood meter, with students to provide ongoing feedback. This can help identify any roadblocks they might be facing and ensure their projects are progressing as expected. Consider incorporating peer reviews or self-reflection activities to further enhance the learning experience.

👉 Scaffolding Success: Delegation is most effective when students have a clear roadmap for success. Break down complex projects into smaller, manageable steps (scaffolding) and provide clear expectations and rubrics. This encourages students to be independent learners while ensuring they stay on track and produce high-quality work.

Final Thoughts

Discovering your teaching style is just the first step in a lifelong journey of growth and development. The most effective educators aren’t defined by a single style; they’re the ones who can adapt and blend their approach to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment.

Here are some key takeaways to remember:

🔑 Growth Mindset: View your teaching style as a flexible toolbox, not a rigid mold. Embrace opportunities to experiment with different approaches and expand your comfort zone.

🔑 Student-Centered Approach: Regardless of your dominant style, remember that effective teaching prioritizes student needs and learning preferences.

🔑 Refine and Reflect: Self-reflection is a powerful tool for improvement. Regularly solicit feedback from students and colleagues, and use it to refine your teaching strategies.

🔑 The Power of Blend: The most impactful lessons often incorporate elements from various styles. A well-structured lecture (Authoritarian) can lay the groundwork, followed by a group activity (Facilitator) to solidify understanding. Demonstrations (Demonstrator) can bring concepts to life, while independent projects (Delegator) encourage deeper exploration.

Finding your teaching style is a journey of self-discovery, and this guide has equipped you with valuable tools to navigate the path. Remember, the most passionate and adaptable educators are the ones who inspire a love of learning in their students. So, embrace your unique style, keep learning, and continue to make a positive impact in your classroom!

About Febriana Ramadhanya

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Tips on Writing an Effective Teaching Statement

A teaching statement is a required application document for virtually all faculty positions. For many graduate students and postdocs who have focused exclusively on research, though, a teaching statement can be a challenge to construct.

What is a Teaching Statement?

A teaching statement is a personal document. It needs to contain your personal thoughts and experiences and include concrete examples of your teaching and mentoring style in the context of your discipline.

Some points you might want to include in your statement (taken from the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching ):

• Your conception of how learning occurs
• A description of how your teaching facilitates student learning
• A reflection of why you teach the way you do
• The goals you have for yourself and for your students
• How your teaching reflects your beliefs and goals
• What, for you, constitutes evidence of student learning
• The ways in which you create an inclusive learning environment
• Your interests in new techniques, activities and types of learning

What if I Don’t Have Much Teaching Experience?

Many research-focused trainees have not taught courses during their graduate school and postdoctoral training. They may have served as teaching assistants or given guest lectures but have not had to develop course syllabi, learning objectives, activities, and assessments.

While it seems impossible for a trainee with minimal teaching experience to construct a compelling teaching statement, that is simply not true. First, your teaching statement should be student centered (like your teaching!), which means focusing on the student outcomes you want to achieve through your teaching methods. In addition, you probably have more experience than you think. For example, you can pull from whatever teaching/mentoring experiences you have encountered in your graduate or postdoctoral training. This will probably include experiences outside the classroom, which is perfectly fine.

If you mentor students in lab on protocols or experimental procedures, you have done teaching. If you have engaged in outreach or extension, you have done teaching. If you have trained as a teacher through a hands-on program like the Graduate School Teaching and Communication Certificate , you have evidence-based knowledge to draw on. Highlight those experiences in your teaching statement.

The key to an effective teaching statement is to describe your teaching/mentoring experiences and what you learned from them in concrete and specific ways. This may also include things you learned not to do.

It is also important to reflect critically on your past, present and future experiences with teaching and describe how you will ultimately function as an effective instructor at the university you are applying to.

Reference Courses and Resources at Your Target Institution

As for all faculty application materials, a teaching statement should be tailored to the institution you are applying to. You need to do your research to determine the courses offered in the department you are applying to and consider which ones you think you are qualified to teach. Ideally, you will pick some “service” courses (i.e., intro courses the department offers to a wide range of students) and propose at least one higher-level speciality course focused on departmental majors or graduate students.

Thus, you should consult the course catalog at each institution you are applying to and list a few courses in the department you think you could teach. This action demonstrates to hiring committees your thoughtfulness and planning as you took the time to dig a little deeper into the program and envision yourself teaching there.

In addition, you will want to learn about teaching resources available at your target institution. Do they have a center for teaching and learning? If so, you may describe how you will engage with their programming and services to improve your teaching practice. Thinking ahead, most tenure reviews will evaluate (at least to some degree) your teaching effectiveness. So, being proactive in getting feedback on your teaching when you start is a smart move.

You can hopefully improve your teaching with time and show a nice upward trend in your course evaluations from your first year teaching to your intermediate first, second or third year pre-tenure review. Noting your willingness to take advantage of on campus resources for teaching and learning also demonstrates you have done your homework on your potential employer and are envisioning how you will use those resources to succeed in your faculty position.

Value of Teaching Experience Varies by Institution

If you have not utilized the Academic Career Readiness Assessment (ACRA) , you should definitely check it out.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, interviewed life science faculty at a variety of institutions —  teaching-focused, research-focused, and teaching & research-focused — about what they value in potential colleagues interviewing for faculty positions in the areas of teaching, research and publication record in addition to more subjective measures such as candidates’ collegiality, recommendation letters and institutional “fit.”

What came of those interviews? First, previous teaching experience is not a priority for research-intensive institutions. Not a single research-intensive faculty surveyed (note that the sample size was small) indicated significant responsibilities as a teaching assistant or more thorough experience (being fully responsible for organizing and teaching a course) was expected in faculty candidates.

In contrast, 2/3rds of teaching-intensive institution faculty surveyed mentioned they valued candidates being fully responsible for organizing and teaching a course with a comparable student population (i.e., undergraduates). Prospective candidates’ familiarity with teaching practices also varied by institution type (see pg 2 of ACRA ).

To summarize much of the data collected in the ACRA rubric development work : Research-intensive faculty selected the same five core qualifications from the applicant competencies list: scientific vision, scientific independence, fundability, scholarship, and fit.

• Teaching-intensive faculty selected: teaching experience, teaching philosophy, commitment to diversity, fit and collegiality.
• Research- and teaching-intensive faculty selected: collegiality, teaching experience and teaching philosophy, mentoring and research with undergraduates, and scientific communication

So, the nature of the institution you are applying to will affect the type of qualifications valued in the faculty hiring process. As a baseline, assume that you need to demonstrate teaching competence.

Try to Learn More about an Institution from Those Working There

While you can find a large amount of data on departments and institutions online, including courses offered, resources available to new faculty and priorities for tenure review, some details can only be gleaned from talking with individuals working there.

As a final piece of advice, then, I would highly recommend you speak to assistant professors in departments you are planning to apply to to better understand the expectations of junior faculty in that department at that institution.

Speaking with new faculty is also a great way to learn about how newly hired faculty are supported. Do teaching responsibilities ramp up from year 1 to year 2? Are there resources in place to aid you in your teaching and research?

You could do this outreach in a manner that is respectful of assistant professors’ time. If they don’t get back to you, don’t annoy them. Remember that they are busy people. However, you might be surprised with how many agree to a quick 15-20 minute phone call for you to ask them some thoughtful questions.

Some of your more detailed questions about the institution could wait for the job interview stage but if you can get some early details, they may help you determine how to prioritize your applications: if from your discussion with an assistant professor at a particular university reveals that the research and teaching priorities at that place fit well with your goals, you might devote extra effort to that application than for a place where the fit seems less than ideal.

Learning details about a place from what you can find on the internet, as well as from faculty working there, will not only allow you to develop more tailored materials, this process will also help you determine if working in that particular department and that specific institution fits with your own values and priorities.

More Resources

• How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy (NC State Graduate School workshop)
• Biology position
• Chemistry position
• My own teaching statement
• Samples of a variety of application materials from UCSF
• Vanderbilt Center for Teaching: Guide to Teaching Statements
• UCSF Office of Career & Professional Development: Academic Career Resources
• Including guides to & examples of application materials
• CIRTL: Center for Integration of Research, Teaching, & Learning
• How to write a teaching statement that stands out
• Teaching Statement as Self-Portrait
• Writing Teaching & Diversity Statements
• How to writing a statement of teaching philosophy that shines
• For more on the development of ACRA
• Academic Packways
• ImPACKful Tips

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Different types of teaching styles with examples

Considering different teaching styles is important because everyone has a different learning style too. If you want to engage students and increase participation and retention, it’s important to consider different approaches that will resonate with them. Those various approaches will also help you get through to them.

Plus, depending on what you’re teaching, different subject matters are better suited for certain teaching styles. While most teachers have a personal model, it’s important to be flexible and try different teaching styles to find an approach that will reach all of the needs of your current and potential students.

The relationship between a teacher and student is a special one. Think back to one of your favorite teachers growing up. What was something you loved most about them? Maybe it was how they encouraged or challenged you, or perhaps it was their passion for the material. Whatever it was about the style the teacher presented that landed for you, chances are their approach to teaching was compatible with your learning style.

Some common student learning styles include:

• Audio learners: These people retain information best by hearing it.
• Visual learners: These students retain information best by seeing it.
• Kinesthetic learners: Those who learn best this way retain information best by doing or moving their bodies.

To accommodate these different learning styles, an effective teaching style would incorporate a blend of audio (i.e. lesson), visual (i.e. presentation), and kinesthetic (i.e. hands-on activity) materials and/or exercises.

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Creating a space for learning

For effective teaching to occur, students should ideally feel encouraged, respected, and acknowledged. We can’t always guarantee our classroom—whether physical or virtual—is a safe space. That’s because as teachers, we don’t always know what personal experiences students have gone through. But what we can offer is a brave space for learning, as Micky ScottBey Jones describes .

It’s important to understand that if a student feels put down or shamed during their learning process, the part of their brain that retains information shuts down. They actually can’t learn in that type of environment. This is perhaps not as common in online learning spaces, but certainly, something to be aware of. Especially for teachers who lean more toward authoritative styles, which we’ll cover below.

Before we dive into various teaching styles, as well as the pros and cons for each of them, let’s look at two different approaches to teaching:

1. Teacher-centered approach

Imagine walking (or tuning) into a class, and the teacher follows their lesson plan to a tee, never going off script. They take on the role of authority. Passing on information through direct instruction, while students merely listen and absorb. This is an example of a teacher-centered approach to teaching. While this type of teaching is generally considered the most traditional, it isn’t necessarily always the most effective.

2. Student-centered approach

On the other hand, you have a student-centered approach. For this one, imagine you walk (or tune) into a class, and the teacher checks in with their students to see where everyone is at. They ask if anyone has any questions and connects with the class to start. Then, the teacher tailors class time to meeting students where they are. This is an example of a student-centered approach to teaching. This offers space for building trust and fostering connections with students.

It’s important to note that neither approach is good or bad, nor right or wrong. Each can work in different settings and with diverse audiences. It is, however, a good idea to try to incorporate both approaches. Finding a balance between the teacher-centered approach’s structure and the student-centered approach’s flexibility is ideal. This is not a one-size-fits-all undertaking and, most likely, will differ with each new group of students or cohort .

List of different types of teaching styles

We’re going to cover five different types of teaching styles.

• Lecturer is a traditional teacher-centered approach of one-way communication from teacher to students. Also referred to as an authoritative style. Lecturing is ideal for large groups of students, like a college lecture course. Or for online, pre-recorded courses , when two-way interaction isn’t realistic. While a pro of this type of teaching style is covering a lot of material quickly, a drawback is lower retention rates, as there is minimal active learning occurring.
• Demonstrator is mostly teacher-centered but more open to student involvement. The teacher is still the formal authority presenting the material but might ask engaging questions to start a discussion. And they might go beyond lectures to include exercises, presentations, and other visuals. Because of this, it supports more learning styles though may not accommodate all the needs of various students.
• Hybrid offers a balance between student-centered and teacher-centered approaches. In this blended style, the teacher provides structure and flexibility, adapting a lesson plan to activities that keep students engaged. While there is higher student engagement, learning may take place at a slower pace.
• Facilitator is a student-centered approach, in which the teacher moves away from an authoritative role and instead facilitates discussions. Students are free to share their wisdom and use their problem-solving skills through inquiry-based learning. While ideal for real-world applications, this approach might not work as well for theory-based or information-specific classes.
• Delegator is the most student-centric approach. Also referred to as a group style, the teacher observes students in peer-to-peer discussions and collaborations.

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Teaching style examples

There are pros and cons to each teaching style. So what those styles look like really depends on your subject matter and what will keep your particular group of students engaged. All groups of students are different, so it’s important for teachers to be prepared and adaptable. This might mean experimenting with what will support all students learning.

For instance, lecturing is ideal for a large audience and for covering a lot of material quickly. However, it doesn’t involve active learning or student participation. In addition to college lecture courses, this is also the most common approach for pre-recorded courses, as students can watch at their leisure and engagement is minimal.

• Lecture-based course on a science topic
• Lecture-based software classes

Demonstrating

With an online course, you can apply demonstrator teaching methods by offering a community space , such as a discussion board, Facebook group, etc., where students are asked to participate and share responses to different prompts or assignments.

Or, if the subject matter you’re teaching has to do more with showing, not telling, you can utilize video. Exercise classes, art classes, and anything else that involves action can be a great course to use demonstrations for.

• Fitness classes
• Art classes
• Cooking classes

A hybrid style strikes a balance between a student-centered and teacher-centered approach. The teacher offers the structure of a traditional classroom, as well as the flexibility to incorporate class activities and meet students where they are. One way to do this for an online course specifically is to offer both pre-recorded and live lessons.

• Writing classes
• Photography classes
• Music classes

Facilitator and delegator

Both the facilitator and the delegator styles are most likely to require live sessions rather than prerecorded ones. Although with the latter you can oversee small group activities that take place outside of class in a community space. Teaching strategies that support these teaching styles might include Zoom break-out rooms, relational work through small group or partner exercises, and facilitating discussions that offer space for all students.

As the saying (attributed to Joseph Joubert) goes, “To teach is to learn twice.” To be an effective teacher requires trial and error,  and experimenting with different approaches to see what will best support each new group of students. When you find yourself going back to the drawing board, or simply wanting to connect more with your students, refer back to this handy article to consider the approaches again.

• Writing workshops
• Emotional work classes
• Meditation or mindfulness practices

What are the 5 teaching approaches?

• Lecturer: A traditional teacher-centered approach of one-way communication from teacher to students.
• Demonstrator: A mostly teacher-centered but more open to student involvement.
• Hybrid: A balance between student-centered and teacher-centered approaches. The teacher provides structure and flexibility, adapting a lesson plan to activities that keep students engaged.
• Facilitator: A student-centered approach, in which the teacher moves away from an authoritative role and instead facilitates discussions.
• Delegator: The most student-centric approach. Also referred to as a group style, the teacher observes students in peer-to-peer discussions and collaborations.

What is the most effective teaching style?

There are pros and cons of each teaching style, so it really depends on your subject matter and what will keep your particular group of students engaged. For instance, lecturing is ideal for a large audience and covering a lot of material quickly, however, it doesn’t involve active learning or student participation. A hybrid style, on the other hand, is ideal because it offers a balance of both a student-centered and teacher-centered approach; the teacher offers the structure of a traditional classroom, as well as the flexibility to incorporate class activities and meet students where they’re at. All groups of students are different, so it’s important for teachers to be prepared and adaptable, experimenting with what will support all students learning.

Why are teaching styles important?

Considering different teaching styles is important because everyone has a different learning process. If you want to engage students, it’s important to consider different approaches that will resonate and help you get through to them. Plus, depending on what you’re teaching, different subject matters are better suited for specific teaching styles. It’s important for teachers to be adaptable and try different teaching styles to find an approach that will reach each of their students’ needs.

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Katie Davidson , Katie is a freelance writer, copy coach, and certified yoga teacher currently based in California. Her work has been published on ELLE.com, InStyle.com, StyleCaster.com, and more. She has also been featured as a yoga expert on POPSUGAR Fitness. When she's not writing (or practicing her handstands), you can find her somewhere on a beach, cacao-chai latte in hand, with her beloved pup Toby.

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Teaching Styles: Everything you need to know about teaching methods and strategies

Have you ever thought about how each classroom teaches things differently? In this article, we answer what are teaching styles, why are there multiple teaching styles, what are the different styles, and which style works the best today?

What are teaching styles?

Teaching styles , also called teaching methods, are considered to be the general principles, educational, and management strategies for classroom instruction.

The use of different teaching styles started in the beginning of the twentieth century. This was due to the amount of research being poured into different learning methods. Once we understood that everybody learns differently, it became obvious that there need to be different teaching styles to accommodate the learning styles .

Two philosophers, John Locke (Some Thoughts Concerning Education) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (On Education), developed different theories as to how to educate which lead us to have the idea of different teaching styles today. Locke saw the importance of developing a child’s physical habits first anything else. To Locke, this was essential to a child’s development. Rousseau believed that education should be more centered on a child’s interactions with the world and the teaching style should concentrate less on books.

Why have different teaching styles?

Why can’t everyone be taught the same way? Well, why can’t you learn something the same way as your partner or next door neighbor? Everybody learns different ideas at different times at different paces. Some people can learn something on the first try after being told what to do whereas others might need to have hands-on experience in order to learn and possibly repeat it a few times to really get the hang of things. 

Different teaching styles  are necessary because the students need to be able to learn what the teacher is teaching. However, the choice of teaching styles used can also depend on the school mission statement, the classroom demographics, the educational philosophy of the teacher, and most importantly, the subject area.

Types of teaching styles:

There are five main types of teaching styles and methods to choose from.

• The Authority method , also known as the lecture style , involves sitting and listening to the instructor speak about a pre-assigned topic while the students take notes and memorize to the best of their ability what is being said. This particular style is more popular in universities and some high schools due to a larger student population. However, less common in the standard classroom setting due to its lack of allowance of student participation and inability to meet individual needs. The Authority method , also known as the lecture style , involves sitting and listening to the instructor speak about a pre-assigned topic while the students take notes and memorize to the best of their ability what is being said. This particular style is more popular in universities and some high schools due to a larger student population. However, less common in the standard classroom setting due to its lack of allowance of student participation and inability to meet individual needs.
• The Demonstrator method , widely known as the coaching style , similar to the lecture style, The Demonstrator method tries to maintain authority in the classroom. Even so, instead of using only a verbal lecture to give information and teach, this style coaches students using gateways like multimedia presentations, class activities and demonstrations. For subjects like music, art, and physical education subjects, this style is perfect because the demonstration is usually necessary to acquire a full understanding of the subject. However, a downside is that there is little individual interaction between the teacher and students which makes it difficult to accommodate to personalized needs.
• The Facilitator style recognized also as the activity or action method , tries to encourage self-learning through peer-to-teacher learning. In contrast to the lecture style, teachers ask students to question rather than give them the answer. The goal is for students to develop a deeper understanding of the topic by using self-discovery and develop problem-solving skills. This technique is best used in small classroom settings because, as a facilitator, the teacher needs to interact with students on an individual basis, which can be difficult with a larger number of students.
• The Delegator style , or group method , is used for school subjects that require group work, lab-based learning, or peer feedback. For example, science classes and certain language learning classes. The teacher acts as a delegator, becoming an observer to promote peer collaboration and encourage student-to-student learning. The Delegator style is becoming more and more popular throughout many classrooms. However, some people consider other styles to be more proactive due to the fact that the group method removes the teacher from a position of authority.
• Last, but not least, the Hybrid method , also known as   blended learning , is an integrated teaching style that incorporates personal preferences, individual personalities, and specific interests into their teaching. It’s popular in English, science, and religion classes because it’s easy to incorporate extra-curricular knowledge into a developed, deeper knowledge of a particular topic. Some argue that this style weakens the learning process because the teacher tries to be all things to all students.

Teaching style Inventory

Teaching styles can also be organized into four categories with two parameters each: a teacher-centered approach versus a student-centered approach , and high-tech material use versus low-tech material use .

Teaching Styles: Student-Centered Approach

In a student-centered approach to learning, teachers and students share the focus and interact equally while the teacher still maintains authority. This can be beneficial to students because group work is encouraged; thus, communication and collaboration are used and encouraged. However, due to the fact that students are talking, classrooms may be noisier and may be more difficult to manage.

One method to use is inquiry-based learning which makes the teacher more of a supportive figure (rather than completely authoritative) who can provide support and guidance throughout the learning process. By being an inquiry-based learning facilitator , the teacher and student undergo the learning process together with student learning lightly guided by the teacher. By being the personal model , comparable to the personal model in the direct instruction, the teacher acts as the guide and mentor to help enable students to learn by observation and copying the teacher’s actions. By using the delegator method, teachers act as a support for students, are able to answer questions and most importantly are there to provide a sense of freedom and independence for the student.

Another method commonly used is the cooperative learning style where students work in small groups and the teacher can act as the facilitator, where everyone learns together, or as the delegator, where the teacher gives more free-reign to the student while still pointing them in the right direction.

Teaching Styles: Teacher-Centered Approach

In the teaching styles, especifically the teacher-centered approach to learning, the students put their attention on the teacher, students work alone, and collaboration is prevented. This is great because students are, in theory, quiet and paying full attention to the teacher while being able to make individual decisions. However, a student may suffer in their communication skills and feel unable to ask questions due to the fact they normally work alone and quietly. Plus, this classic method is sometimes thought of as dull and uninteresting.

Direct instruction is a method that uses little technology and relies on lecturing. The teacher may take on the formal authority role, where the teacher is in power due to their senior and level of knowledge over the students. They may also take on the expert role where students can be referred to as “ empty vessels” because they are viewed solely as receptors of information and knowledge. The other role a teacher can take on in the direct instruction method is that of a personal model . This method uses the teacher as a model of instruction, to lead by example, and students learn by observation.

Teaching Styles: High-Tech Approach

Many schools and classes are taking advantage of the recent advancements in technology which has enabled us to develop a high-tech approach to learning.

The flipped classroom is a high-tech idea developed in 2007 by two teachers who began to pre-record their lectures which allow students to learn from home by completing assignments to go along with the lectures. This is great if students want to work at their own pace, but if there’s a slow internet connection it’s near impossible to use this method.

Inquiry-based learning can involve technology by asking the students a question about the world and they have to do some research. The findings could be presented in the forms of a website, self-made videos, or PowerPoints.

Based on the man who founded Outward Bound , expeditionary learning is a project-based learning involving expeditions and engagement in in-depth topics that impact their schools, communities, and lives. This was created so students can see how problem-solving is happening in the real world, that is, the world around them. A student in NYC could study statistics about the pollution surrounding them or a student from Alaska could study the snow impact from where they live. G-Suite (Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Drive ) is used for this method because it helps students collect and show research in a way that makes it easy for everyone.

Personalized learning is a relatively new style of teaching that, as the name gives away, is all about personalizing the student’s method of learning according to their specific interests and skills. It’s founded on the idea of student self-direction and choice. The assessments are also personalized and quite individual by using a competency-based progression. This means that once a student has mastered a certain skill or subject, they can move on to the next level, regardless of their current grade level. There is also an emphasis on college and career preparation involved because students work on their own, with a mentor (boss) guiding them along. The technology involved is, like the learning itself, quite personalized. However, everyone involved will need to have a certain comfort level with navigating online lessons and programs between the student and instructor.  

Another high-tech learning option is game-based learning which encourages students to develop a “mastery” mindset rather than focus too much on grades. Students develop problem-solving skills by working on accomplishing a specific goal (also known as a learning objective ) by choosing actions and different activities and then experimenting with them to achieve the goal. As students progress, they can earn badges and points, as they would in video games . Some of the software that makes game-based learning possible on the teacher’s part is 3DGameLab and Classcraft . Although this style of teaching isn’t completely student-centered, it’s still rather relatively focused on the student because they are able to work at their own pace and make independent choices while still in a gaming environment.

Low-Tech Approach

Some schools or teachers may not enjoy or have the money for high-tech learning and instead, they opt for a low-tech approach to teaching by using a technique called kinesthetic learning . Also known as tactile learning or hands-on learning , kinesthetic learning is a teacher-centered approach that uses the concept of multiple intelligences , the idea that everyone has a strong suit in certain intelligences than in others (i.e. better with words than math). Instead of lectures, students use physical activities to learn. For example, drawing, role-playing, and building. This isn’t as common of a teaching style one might think. However, this teaching style rarely uses technology by putting a stronger emphasis on movement and creativity. Because of this, it’s a cheap and screen-free teaching style.

Another low-tech teaching method is d ifferentiated instruction . Although this is a student-centered teaching style that aims to meet a student’s specific needs, it is mostly implemented by the teacher. Used commonly with students with special needs, differentiated instruction became popular in the United States in 1975 when a law was passed that ensure every child has equal access to an equal education. Some examples of differentiated instruction could include having students read books at their own reading levels or offering different spelling tests to different students depending on their literacy ability. Due to the lack of necessity to use technology and the adaptability of the teaching style, it’s a low-key and traditional teaching style.

What teaching style is best for today’s students?

As a teacher, it’s difficult to cater to each student’s needs. Constructivist teaching style  follows the theory that learning is an active, constructive, and valuable process. It carries with it the idea that people construct their own personal reality and any new information is given is then linked and connected to prior knowledge . Every person will bring with them cultural factors and past experiences to the table. Thus, any mental representation is made personal and individual. The constructivist teaching style assumes that all knowledge is constructed from information given in the past, regardless of how one is taught. It’s important to keep this idea in mind when choosing a teaching style.

Some students might learn better with being an empty vessel and having information , simply processed data, lectured to them. This is a form of passive learning and is commonly used when “teaching to the test,” meaning that the teaching style is structured to pass a certain exam like the ACT, for example.

Proven to be the most effective in a number of ways, an active learning style is best suited for interactive classrooms . That is to say, both the teacher and the student are engaged in the teaching style and learning process which helps the student gain knowledge , information modeled to be useful.

Do you have any fun teaching styles or strategies? What’s your favorite way that you were taught in school? Let us know in the comments below.

• Category: Educators
• Tag: learning , school , teaching styles

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Teacher Interview Questions: What is your teaching philosophy?

Each teacher has their own way of teaching and of reacting to various situations in a classroom, including the difficult ones. Following the same goal– helping students to develop their full potential , different teachers use different means of getting their message over, and motivating the students. And what is your teaching philosophy? Do you even have one? And if you do, can you explain it in a meaningful way in a job interview? If you cannot, I will show you how to do that.

Do not be afraid though. You do not have to come up with anything groundbreaking . Nor do the interviewers expect to be blown away by some scientific or philosophical terminology. On the contrary, your main goal is to explain, in an easy to understand way , how you approach teaching and what matters to you the most.

7 sample answers to “What is your teaching philosophy” interview question

Speak with enthusiasm and focus on the children.

Teachers are in school for the children, and not contrariwise. You should relate to it while explaining your teaching philosophy. Ensure the members of the interviewing panel that you do your best for the children, and your primary goal is to help them achieve their educational goals . It should be clearly reflected on your teaching philosophy.

Ready to answer this one? I hope so! Do not forget to check also 7 sample answers to other tricky teacher interview questions:

• Teaching Tips

11 Teaching Styles to Increase Student Engagement

We uncover the key types of teaching styles to help you accelerate student engagement

Christine Persaud

A one-size-fits-all approach never worked in higher education—for learning or teaching. Just as no two students learn the same way, no two educators can deliver their courses identically. Teaching styles offer a more flexible course experience , for both students and educators. 1 Mixing and matching teaching styles , or simply re-evaluating your current ones, can make your course delivery feel fresh and even improve student engagement.

In this guide, you will:

• Learn what teaching styles are and how they impact learning
• Get teaching styles examples and resources
• Review an inventory of different teaching styles, informed by higher ed experts like Anthony Grasha, Kay Mohanna, Ruth Chambers and David Walls
• Receive methods for experimenting with a range of different teaching styles (including the demonstrator and facilitator teaching styles) to improve your course delivery

Table of contents

• What are teaching styles?
• How different teaching styles affect learning
• What are the different types of teaching styles?
• Teaching styles proposed by Mohanna, Chambers and Wall
• Teaching styles proposed by Grasha
• Why teaching styles are important
• How teaching styles can improve student engagement

1. What are teaching styles?

Teaching styles are linked to a professor’s educational value system and stem from their philosophy of education. Being aware of your own teaching style (or styles) can help you improve your teaching methods, by designing your course to increase student engagement and, ultimately, enhance student outcomes. The types of teaching styles you adopt will depend on your course goals, course material and learning objectives.

Teaching styles not only refer to the instructional strategies and methods employed but also the use of certain types of rhetoric. In fact, Daniel K. Schneider, an associate professor at TECFA , a research and training unit in the faculty of psychology and education at the University of Geneva, says that educators are usually not aware of their own teaching style and it could even be described as an “emergent property.”

One educator, for example, might be more teacher-centered, viewing themselves as an authority figure on a particular topic. Another, meanwhile, might approach teaching from a mentorship perspective, functioning more in an advisory role and giving students the latitude to work more independently. Neither would be making a necessarily conscious decision to teach in that way.

Anthony Grasha, the late Professor of Psychology at the University of Cincinnati, and a noted expert on teaching styles defined five types of teaching methods: expert , formal authority , personal model , facilitator and delegator . Ideally, educators can experiment with multiple styles, consider their strengths and develop an approach that they’re comfortable with that can maximize student engagement. Often, this will involve making conscious use of a mix of teaching styles.

2. How different teaching styles affect learning

Harry and Rosemary Wong, former teachers and co-authors of The First Day of School: How to be an Effective Teacher and The Classroom Management Book , believe that there are three goals of teaching styles: to develop effective classroom management skills, to achieve lesson mastery and to have positive expectations.

Teaching styles can vary considerably based on individual classroom settings, the subject you’re teaching and the diverse group of students in your class. An authority or lecture-based teaching style, for example, is well-suited to large classes and subjects that require heavy memorization, like history. A delegator or group teaching style might be more conducive to subjects that require lab activity, like chemistry, or subjects that involve significant feedback, like debate and creative writing. In the latter style, the teacher inspires and observes rather than recites facts.

The goal of any teaching style is to remain focused on teaching objectives and engaging students as best you can. Not all students respond well to a particular style, which is why many professors who are versed in teaching styles use a combination of them based on the subject matter or environment.

Students are the most important factor in building your course environment: and it’s essential to use a teaching method to engage students at all levels of learning and ability. Using a balanced mix of teaching styles that blend the best of what you have to offer will reach every student effectively.

2.1. A teaching style inventory made for any course or instructor

The first step in developing and understanding your curriculum delivery is to review a teaching style inventory. 2 Several resources can offer structure to this self-reflective exercise. The most effective resources that can help you understand the different teaching styles are below.

• Mohanna, Chambers and Wall’s Staffordshire Evaluation of Teaching Styles (SETS) is a self-evaluation questionnaire and scoring sheet that helps educators select their own teaching style from a list of six options. The types of teaching methods include: a) all-around flexible and adaptable, b) student-centered and sensitive, c) official curriculum, d) straight facts; no-nonsense, e) big conference and f) one-off. 3
• The Teaching Behavior Preferences Survey by Behar and Horenstein (2006), meanwhile, includes statements (such as “My teaching is guided by instructional strategies”) to determine if you are more teacher- or student-centered, and into which of four subdomains you might fall. 4
• The Principles of Adult Learning Scale by Conty (1983) includes 44 self-administered questions to determine where you fall on the spectrum of teaching styles. 5
• Another option is the Constructionist On-Line Learning Environment Survey by Taylor and Maor (2000), which measures the quality of an online environment and teaching styles. 6

3. What are the different types of teaching styles?

There’s no canonical group of teaching styles. The concept can be sliced in many different ways in terms of definition. One group of classifications, for example, is based on content while another is based on student communication.

The important consideration is that teaching styles identify the gaps between where learners are and where they need to be and find a way to help bridge that gap.

Teaching styles can range from strict authorities to, more commonly nowadays, those that promote active and collaborative learning. Here are two of the most commonly used sets, which stem from Mohanna, Chambers and Wall’s teaching styles and Grasha’s teaching methods.

3.1. Types of teaching styles proposed by Mohanna, Chambers and Wall

Kay Mohanna, Ruth Chambers and David Wall developed SETS in 2007, to discover if there were distinct teaching styles that could be measured. 7 They were familiar with the idea of learning styles but felt that these did not take into account the importance of the teacher in the learning process as well. They also wondered if a mismatch between an educator’s teaching style and a student’s preferred learning style could stand in the way of positive educational outcomes.

The researchers analyzed aspects of teaching by studying educational literature and looked for patterns and associations. The themes they came up with fit into six identifiable teaching styles: all-around flexible and adaptable; student-centered, sensitive; official curriculum; straight facts, no-nonsense; big conference; and one-off. From there, they created a self-evaluation questionnaire and scoring sheet to provide professors with personal scores in each type to identify their strongest preferences. Plotting these points onto a Staffordshire Hexagon provides a visual representation of an educator’s personal teaching style matrix.

Below, we break down the six types of teaching styles as proposed by Mohanna, Chambers and Wall.

3.1.1. Student-centered, sensitive

This teaching style emphasizes emotions and gives students more responsibility for their own learning. It’s used by educators who are not comfortable delivering lengthy presentations, or when a subject does not necessarily call for formal lectures. Roleplay and drama can even be involved. For example, professor Sergio Juarez at California State University, Fresno takes an empathetic approach to student assessment. Using a dynamic Top Hat textbook, he allows students to deliver speeches in the language they feel most comfortable in, boosting student engagement and morale.

This student-centered teaching style promotes greater interaction and uses an active learning environment to help students develop critical thinking and meta-cognitive skills. However, this teaching method might not be effective for all students—many people can quickly get frustrated or lose a sense of direction with personal, unsupervised learning. Top Hat’s interactive and inclusive discussion tool sparks conversations where students are invited to share their ideas in a variety of ways, no matter how big the class.

This teaching style is best used in smaller classrooms, and where discovery and exploration would be more effective in the learning process than reciting facts and note-taking. It can be used in disciplines such as medicine and teaching a patient-centered mindset. It’s also ideal for a subject where activities like role-playing, lab work and drama can be used, such as debate and creative writing.

3.1.2. Official curriculum teacher

Teaching styles like this one are for the well-prepared and accredited educator who is aware of and wants to follow the formal curriculum to a tee. As Wall explains, “As well as being familiar with the curriculum statements, this teacher is very careful to match their teaching with these curriculum statements so that over time, the whole curriculum has been properly covered.”

This teaching style focuses on external targets for teaching, as well as faculty development and “teaching the teacher,” and offers dependency and security to instructors and students alike. Knowledge of the curriculum itself, of course, is paramount and this teaching style cannot work without it. However, one major disadvantage to this is that teaching with a structure in place means that one cannot deviate from it, even for subjects that students may find interesting or worth more time. As a result, student engagement can potentially suffer.

3.1.3. Straight facts, no-nonsense

Similar to the official curriculum teaching style, this style describes educators who like to teach facts and figures, typically in a lecture format. These educators are less focused on multi-disciplinary teaching and learning and place more value on specific course material that needs to be taught. It’s most appropriate for students at the beginning of a subject who need to absorb the foundations of a topic. This teaching style also works well for subjects that involve heavy memorization.

Content-based, teaching styles like this align well with the cognitive domain in Bloom’s taxonomy . For skills, Miller’s pyramid may be more useful. But aligning to structure could be hard for educators who prefer to take a more personal approach to their class—the authors recommend anybody who wants to adopt this teaching style attend ‘teach the teacher’ courses.

3.1.4. Big conference

This teaching style is adopted by professors who like to get up on stage in front of a big audience to share their knowledge on a topic. These teachers can potentially be very engaging speakers who can hold students’ interest, even if there is little interaction in class.

This teaching style works well when applied to subjects like psychology, philosophy or law, especially for large first-year courses. Quizzes and polls are one of the best ways to get a read on how your students are progressing. You can use them to highlight concepts in different, interactive ways and encourage student collaboration—but with Top Hat, they also create real-time insights that instantly let you know how your class is doing.

Of course, stage fright or fear of public speaking can be a significant problem for many teachers in this particular teaching style. Being able to network, engage others and engender respect are vital parts of speaking at a conference and teaching in a conference style. And, just because somebody can give a compelling presentation, it doesn’t mean they can necessarily teach. As Chambers says, “Quite often when a charismatic speaker has given a rousing lecture, you can think afterward, ‘Well, what did they actually say?’ and not be able to voice a single take-home message.”

3.1.5. One-off

The one-off teaching style is defined by professors who prefer to deliver small, self-contained bits of teaching on a one-on-one basis versus lecturing on a topic for an hour in front of a big audience. There are no props or fancy presentations—just the teacher and student. It can also cover any impromptu teaching time or guest workshops. The downside to this teaching method is that students often have little-to-no connection with their professor, making learning feel highly impersonal.

“One-off teaching is impersonal, flexible, self-confident, self-contained, resourceful, centered more on the purpose of teaching than learners’ needs [and] discontinuous,” Chambers writes. A one-off teacher ultimately might be brought in to fill a knowledge gap so that curriculum goals can be fulfilled.

3.1.6. All-round: Flexible and adaptable

Those who prefer this teaching style are comfortable using different skills and methods in the classroom. Educators take into account both the environment and individual student needs and adapt on the fly—knowing that students differ in needs and learning styles. The integrated approach is inclusive and allows professors to adjust as needed, thus potentially reaching more students effectively.

Some educators might feel that it’s easier to stick to one teaching style, but a base awareness of different teaching styles and how they can apply to different students is a good first step towards developing an all-around mentality. “The all-around flexible teacher does however possess one skill we should all aspire to as teachers; the main role of any teacher is to create an educational environment that supports learning,” says Mohanna.

3.2. Teaching styles proposed by Grasha

Anthony Grasha coined five approaches to teaching styles in 1996 8 : expert, formal authority, personal model, facilitator and delegator.

Grasha believes that all educators possess each of these five teaching styles to varying degrees, though they gravitate to some more than others. He likens teaching styles to an artist’s palette: the teacher’s primary or dominant teaching style(s) are similar to the foreground of a painting, while the other qualities still exist, but are farther into the background. All styles and colors, however, are needed to some degree to create a painting with dimensions and layers.

Many educators and educational institutions use Grasha’s styles to help define their approaches to learning and teaching. One study with English as a First Language (EFL) 9 educators found that this group most frequently adopts the facilitator teaching style, followed by delegator, personal, expert and formal authority. The study determined that these types of teaching methods helped create an environment that was more conducive to learning, promoted higher levels of motivation and helped students achieve their goals.

3.2.1. Expert

The expert teaching style defines professors who want to showcase a high level of knowledge and expertise in a subject and use the information to challenge students. The goal is to transmit information to students to prepare them for assignments, exams and further studies. This tremendous knowledge transfer can be helpful for students looking to soak up information from credible resources in their field. But this method can be intimidating for students if it’s overused. And while this style focuses on facts and figures, it might not successfully show the processes used to find answers to problems.

Similar to the official curriculum teaching style—and the one-off style, for parachuted-in knowledge—the expert style is ideal for large and more mature classes in higher education, including introductory sophomore classes where there are countless facts and figures that students need to grasp.

3.2.2. Formal authority

Educators who use the formal authority teaching style establish status among students, clearly define their learning goals and expectations and follow a set list of rules of how things should be done. This teaching style is great for students who need structure since there are clear guidelines and expectations, and an understanding of the acceptable way to do things. 

However, this teaching style can also be too rigid and standardized for many students who appreciate more active learning settings, interaction and better engagement. This teaching method can work effectively in disciplines like law or music where there are established rules that need to be followed, and where an instructor can lead by example by playing an instrument or discussing legal procedures.

3.2.3. Personal model

In the personal model, educators use any opportunity they can to teach by using real-life examples and establishing a prototype of how to think and behave based on their own beliefs and methods. Educators oversee, guide and direct work, but don’t necessarily present themselves as authorities on a subject. Rather, they show students how to do things and encourage them to observe and follow directions to complete tasks. This educator, then, is essentially a role model.

This type of teaching style provides hands-on experience and direct observation. But some educators run the risk of pushing their own way as the best way, which can cause some students to feel inadequate if they can’t live up to the standards. This method could work well, however, in a higher education setting where students already have a good grasp of the material and abstract concepts, and where all students are working on the same level, like in advanced medical studies.

3.2.4. Facilitator

Providing a warm, more emotional climate, the facilitator’s teaching style focuses on teacher-student interaction on a personal level. Students are encouraged to ask questions, explore different options and suggest alternatives, and are guided along the way as they learn by trial and error. The goal is to help students think independently and take more responsibility for their own learning process. Elizabeth Sargent, Biology Lecturer at Georgia Southern University , takes on a facilitator teaching style in her classroom. During assessment time, she asks students to suggest new topics to discuss and debate. Sargent also runs group exams—held before a formal end-of-term test—to allow students to build connections with their peers and to help one another arrive at a solution.

In this teaching style, the instructor works in a more consultative role, providing support and encouragement. This style allows for much greater flexibility in the classroom and focuses on student needs and goals. But it can be time-consuming and ineffective if the subject matter is one where a more direct approach is needed. Some students might also be uncomfortable with a less structured approach. Facilitation can work well in smaller classroom settings or upper-level and graduate courses where creativity and exploration are encouraged, and if students are at a point they feel willing to take risks.

3.2.5. Delegator

The ultimate goal for someone adopting this teaching style is for students to be able to function autonomously, working independently on assignments and projects or as part of small teams with peers. The instructor is available when needed, to be used as a resource. Educators who use the delegator teaching style don’t host formal lectures.

A teaching style like this can help students develop the tools to be confident and independent learners. Still, students who aren’t ready for such autonomy could become anxious and not perform well. This method is great for upper-level studies where students already have an appropriate level of knowledge and don’t need much hand-holding. They are ready to rise to the next level of learning and view the educator as a guide, not someone who’s there for standard instruction.

4. Why teaching styles are important

4.1. teaching style examples in higher education.

Teaching styles used in K-12 classroom settings won’t necessarily work in higher education settings. Younger children will initially respond more to authoritative teaching methods, and while older students might benefit from blended learning or working on their own projects, incoming college students will be expected to do a great deal of research and work on their own.

Many studies have found that there is value in higher education instructors sharing some aspects of their personal lives with students. It humanizes them and makes them appear more relatable and approachable. Doing so could be as simple as mentioning your love of a popular TV series as an aside (bonus points if you can relate it to the course material) or even some family circumstances. “When [a faculty member] shared that she has a daughter beginning college at another university, she showed that she understands from multiple perspectives what it is like to be a college student,” says Dr. Sarah M. Ginsberg, associate professor at Eastern Michigan University, in an essay entitled Shared Characteristics of College Faculty Who Are Effective Communicators .

Content isn’t the be-all, end-all of classroom management. More important than knowing is being able to use effective instructional strategies to share it. In other words, how you teach something is just as important as what you teach.

“I think that deep engagement is really hard work for students. If they become engaged that means they’re applying effort, it means they’re exposing themselves to possible failure, it means they’re taking risks. One of the best ways to engage students is to challenge them. To push them to the outskirts of their ability and even a bit beyond. For all of those reasons, engagement is hard work for students. I view it as offering them an open hand to succeed.” Professor Sarah Rose Cavanagh, author and psychology professor, author of Hivemind and Spark .

In addition to trying to make your curriculum more personal, seeking feedback from students throughout the year (not just at the end of a course) can help educators gain a better understanding of how well their teaching style is working, and how they can adjust it to better reach students. Technologies like clickers and in-class polls and surveys can help, as well as simply observing student behavior to gauge their interest and enjoyment in the class.

Change doesn’t have to be drastic. Employing simple tactics can go a long way to increasing student engagement . It could be asking students to write their questions, comments or responses on assignments for your feedback—taking some inspiration from the more student-centered teaching styles—or structuring an otherwise lengthy lecture to include breaks, which would require some flexibility in teaching.

4.2. Teaching styles and academic performance

Many studies have found a relationship between teaching styles and academic performance. In Malaysia, one study 10 found a “significant but moderate” relationship between a lecturer’s teaching style and student academic engagement. More support for the relationship between student engagement and a teacher’s teaching style can be found in the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (2000).

A student’s ability and willingness to learn also depends on how suitable a teaching style is to the way they prefer to absorb course material. Psychological investment and the institution’s culture can also impact student participation.

Overall, student involvement is an important predictor of academic performance. The more students are involved in and engaged with their studies, the better they are likely to perform.

4.3. Teaching styles and active learning

Not surprisingly, some teaching styles lend themselves more to active learning than others. Any teaching style that involves less lecture time and more student interaction is conducive to active learning. This includes teaching styles like the delegator, facilitator and personal model in Grasha’s classifications, and the student-centered, sensitive, one-off and all-around, flexible and adaptable teaching methods in Mohanna, Chambers and Wall’s. Any blended teaching style, of course, incorporates some active learning components.

To encourage an active learning environment, and ensure that it thrives, find a comfortable balance between both the cognitive and affective dimensions of teaching and work to develop a genuine relationship with students in some way.

Even if you gravitate more toward an expert or authoritative teaching style, try and make yourself more approachable by carving out some time to create meaningful activities for students. Presentations, demonstrations, and responsive feedback—part of the delegator or facilitator teaching style—are vital aspects of active learning.

Even teaching styles such as formal authority or a one-off lecture can incorporate some active learning strategies. Flipped classrooms can be achieved with a curriculum-based teaching style; a ‘straight facts’ approach melds well with a ‘muddiest point’ exercise.

4.4. Teaching styles versus learning styles

Teaching styles and learning styles can work hand-in-hand. And when they match, it can result in a positive experience all around

Learning styles, in general, describe ways that students prefer to absorb and understand information, and the classifications they put themselves in based on their preferences. Some sets include visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners or verbal learners. Since there’s no common definition for learning styles, there’s no scientific basis to them: nevertheless, taking the student’s perspective is valuable when considering your teaching style.

Like learning styles, it’s widely acknowledged that teaching styles fall on a spectrum and are contextual rather than fixed. An educator doesn’t necessarily adopt just one type of teaching style but they might employ a secondary or tertiary style when necessary. Or the instructor might switch styles based on subjects, students, course curriculum or other mitigating factors as part of a plan to adopt more effective learning strategies.

At least one study has found a statistically significant correlation between successful teaching styles and learning styles. 11 But a mismatch between the two, for example, could in some ways be beneficial for first-year students and those in the early stages of learning. Some students can benefit from being pushed to learn in new ways outside of their comfort zones, and thus develop new learning skills.

Regardless of the primary teaching style, the goal should always be to adopt a balanced method that doesn’t favor one style too much, that is open-minded to different types of teaching and can accommodate different learning styles.

5. How teaching styles can improve student engagement

The teaching style(s) you choose to employ can directly predict student engagement, collaboration and participation. Research shows that when students feel that their teacher is more involved and supportive of their goals, students will be more engaged inside the classroom and, in turn, more likely to perform better academically. 12 For example, the delegator teaching style may require a greater level of effort and persistence on students’ part. The facilitator teaching style prompts students to take the lead in managing discussions and projects, which will simultaneously increase their engagement and sense of agency. Here are some ways that students may feel more involved in the learning process.

• Polls and discussions may encourage students to reflect upon a statement and voice their opinions
• Visual diagrams, 3D simulations and even hands-on dissections can allow students to observe and experiment with something foreign
• Group work and activities can lead to friendly competition and help learners forge connections with their classmates

6. Conclusion

Teaching styles are not set in stone, and course delivery shouldn’t be placed in specific boxes. Every educator falls somewhere on a spectrum, from the authoritative expert to the student-centered facilitator and delegator. More important than defining where you fall on the spectrum—though this is useful to determine—is analyzing and observing your curriculum, students and subject matter and finding the best teaching style to match.

Teaching styles that match students’ learning styles, and that put student needs and learning at the forefront, can lead to more positive academic outcomes. Students tend to be more engaged, and thus better grasp the material.

Educators who are aware of their teaching style, who re-evaluate it, try new things and get feedback from students can take teaching to a new level.

• Bohren, A. (2019, March 8). Teaching styles: Everything you need to know about teaching methods and strategies. CogniFit. https://blog.cognifit.com/teaching-styles/
• Teaching Styles. (n.d.). Center for Research on Learning & Teaching, University of Michigan. https://crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tsts
• Mohanna, K., Chambers, R., & Wall, D. (2007). Developing your teaching style: increasing effectiveness in healthcare teaching. Postgraduate medical journal, 83 (977), 145–147. https://doi.org/10.1136/pgmj.2006.054106
• Teaching Style. (2018). ART 601: Teaching Assistant Seminar. http://art601.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/5/1/22512830/teaching_style.pdf
• Principles of Adult Learning Scale. (n.d.). Conti-Creations. http://www.conti-creations.com/Online_Page.htm
• The Constructivist On-Line Learning Environment Survey (COLLES). (n.d.). Curtin University of Technology. https://surveylearning.moodle.com/colles/
• Mohanna, K., Chambers, R., & Wall, D. (2008). Your teaching style: A practical guide to understanding, developing and improving. Oxford: Radcliffe.
• Grasha, A. F. (1994). A Matter of Style: The Teacher as Expert, Formal Authority, Personal Model, Facilitator, and Delegator. College Teaching , 42(4). 10.1080/87567555.1994.9926845.
• Heydarnejad, T., Fatemi, A. H., & Ghonsooly, B. (2017). An Exploration of EFL Teachers’ Teaching Styles and Emotions. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research , 4(2), 26-46.
• Shaari, A. S., et al. (2014). The Relationship between Lecturers’ Teaching Style and Students’ Academic Engagement. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences , 118. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.02.002.
• Hussain, Nasreen & Ayub, Nadia. (2012). Learning Styles of Students and Teaching Styles of Teachers in Business Education: A Case Study of Pakistan. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences. 69. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.12.122.
• Fall, A.-M. and Roberts, G. (2012), High school dropouts: Interactions between social context, self-perceptions, school engagement, and student dropout. Journal of Adolescence, 35: 787-798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2011.11.004

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Your teaching philosophy is a self-reflective statement of your beliefs about teaching and learning. It's a one to two page narrative that conveys your core ideas about being an effective teacher in the context of your discipline. It develops these ideas with specific, concrete examples of what the teacher and learners will do to achieve those goals. Importantly, your teaching philosophy statement also explains why you choose these options.

+ Getting Started

Your reasons for writing a teaching philosophy may vary. You might be writing it as an exercise in concisely documenting your beliefs so that you can easily articulate them to your students, peers, or a search committee. It might serve as the introduction to your teaching portfolio. Or, it can serve as a means of professional growth as it requires you to give examples of how you enact your philosophy, thus requiring you to consider the degree to which your teaching is congruent with your beliefs.

Generating ideas

Teaching philosophies express your values and beliefs about teaching. They are personal statements that introduce you, as a teacher, to your reader. As such, they are written in the first person and convey a confident, professional tone. When writing a teaching philosophy, use specific examples to illustrate your points. You should also discuss how your values and beliefs about teaching fit into the context of your discipline.

Below are categories you might address with prompts to help you begin generating ideas. Work through each category, spending time thinking about the prompts and writing your ideas down. These notes will comprise the material you’ll use to write the first draft of your teaching philosophy statement. It will help if you include both general ideas (‘I endeavor to create lifelong learners’) as well as specifics about how you will enact those goals. A teaching philosophy template is also available to help you get started.

Questions to prompt your thinking

Your concept of learning.

What do you mean by learning? What happens in a successful learning situation? Note what constitutes "learning" or "mastery" in your discipline.

Your concept of teaching

What are your values, beliefs, and aspirations as a teacher? Do you wish to encourage mastery, competency, transformational learning, lifelong learning, general transference of skills, critical thinking? What does a perfect teaching situation look like to you and why? How are the values and beliefs realized in classroom activities? You may discuss course materials, lesson plans, activities, assignments, and assessment instruments.

Your goals for students

What skills should students obtain as a result of your teaching? Think about your ideal student and what the outcomes of your teaching would be in terms of this student's knowledge or behavior. Address the goals you have for specific classes or curricula and that rational behind them (i.e., critical thinking, writing, or problem solving).

Your teaching methods

What methods will you consider to reach these goals and objectives? What are your beliefs regarding learning theory and specific strategies you would use, such as case studies, group work, simulations, interactive lectures? You might also want to include any new ideas or strategies you want to try.

Your interaction with students

What are you attitudes towards advising and mentoring students? How would an observer see you interact with students? Why do you want to work with students?

Assessing learning

How will you assess student growth and learning? What are your beliefs about grading? Do you grade students on a percentage scale (criterion referenced) or on a curve (norm referenced)? What different types of assessment will you use (i.e. traditional tests, projects, portfolios,  presentations) and why?

Professional growth

How will you continue growing as a teacher? What goals do you have for yourself and how will you reach them? How have your attitudes towards teaching and learning changed over time? How will you use student evaluations to improve your teaching? How might you learn new skills? How do you know when you've taught effectively?

+ Creating a Draft

Two ways of organizing your draft.

Now that you've written down your values, attitudes, and beliefs about teaching and learning, it's time to organize those thoughts into a coherent form. Perhaps the easiest way of organizing this material would be to write a paragraph covering each of the seven prompts you answered in the Getting Started section. These would then become the seven major sections of your teaching philosophy.

Another way of knitting your reflections together—and one that is more personal—is to read through your notes and underscore ideas or observations that come up more than once. Think of these as "themes" that might point you toward an organizational structure for the essay. For example, you read through your notes and realize that you spend a good deal of time writing about your interest in mentoring students. This might become one of the three or four major foci of your teaching philosophy. You should then discuss what it says about your attitudes toward teaching, learning, and what's important in your discipline.

No matter which style you choose, make sure to keep your writing succinct. Aim for two double-spaced pages. And don't forget to start with a "hook." Your job is to make your readers want to read more; their level of engagement is highest when they read your opening line. Hook your readers by beginning with a question, a statement, or even an event from your past.

Using specific examples

Remember to provide concrete examples from your teaching practice to illustrate the general claims you make in your teaching philosophy. The following general statements about teaching are intended as prompts to help you come up with examples to illustrate your claims about teaching. For each statement, how would you describe what happens in your classroom? Is your description specific enough to bring the scene to life in a teaching philosophy?

"I value helping my students understand difficult information. I am an expert, and my role is to model for them complex ways of thinking so that they can develop the same habits of mind as professionals in the medical field."

"I enjoy lecturing, and I'm good at it. I always make an effort to engage and motivate my students when I lecture."

"It is crucial for students of geology to learn the techniques of field research. An important part of my job as a professor of geology is to provide these opportunities."

"I believe that beginning physics students should be introduced to the principles of hypothesis generation, experimentation, data collection, and analysis. By learning the scientific method, they develop critical thinking skills they can apply to other areas of their lives. Small group work is a crucial tool for teaching the scientific method."

"As a teacher of writing, I am committed to using peer review in my classes. By reading and commenting on other students' work in small cooperative groups, my students learn to find their voice, to understand the important connection between writer and audience, and to hone their editing skills. Small group work is indispensible in the writing classroom."

Go back to the notes you made when getting started and underline the general statements you’ve made about teaching and learning. As you start drafting, make sure to note the specific approaches, methods, or products you use to realize those goals.

+ Assessing Your Draft

Assessing your draft teaching philosophy.

According to a survey of search committee chairs by the University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, there are five elements that are shared by strong teaching philosophy statements:

• They offer evidence of practice (specific examples)
• They are student-centered
• They demonstrate reflectiveness
• They demonstrate that the writer values teaching
• They are well written, clear, and readable

Now that you’ve completed an initial draft, ask whether your statement captures these elements and how well you articulate them.

You might find it useful to compare your draft to other teaching philosophies in your discipline. It can also be useful to have a colleague review your draft and offer recommendations for revision. Consider printing out a teaching philosophy rubric from our “Rubrics and Samples” tab to provide your reviewer with guidelines to assess your draft. These exercises will give you the critical distance necessary to see your teaching philosophy objectively and revise it accordingly.

+ Rubrics and Samples

Rubrics and sample teaching philosophies.

Here are links to three teaching philosophy rubrics to help you assess your statement. We have included four different rubrics for you to choose from. These rubrics cover similar elements, and one is not necessarily better than the other. Your choice of which to use should be guided by how comfortable you feel with the particular instrument and how usable you find it. 

• Teaching Philosophy Rubric 1   This rubric allows a reader to rate several elements of persuasiveness and format on a scale of 1 to 5.
• Teaching Philosophy Rubric 2   This rubric contains prompts for assessing purpose and audience, voice, beliefs and support, and conventions.
• Teaching Philosophy Rubric 3   This rubric contains prompts for assessing content, format, and writing quality.
• Rubric for Statements of Teaching Philosophy  This rubric was developed by Kaplan et. al. from the University of Michigan.
• Marisol Brito – philosophy 
• Benjamin Harrison – biology  
• Jamie Peterson – psychology
• The University of Michigan has a wide variety of  samples  organized by field of study.
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Teaching statements.

Print Version

• What is a teaching statement?
• What purposes does the teaching statement serve?
• What does a teaching statement include?

General Guidelines

• Reflection questions to help get you started
• Exercises to help get you started
• Evaluating your teaching statement
• Further resources

What is a Teaching Statement?

A Teaching Statement is a purposeful and reflective essay about the author’s teaching beliefs and practices. It is an individual narrative that includes not only one’s beliefs about the teaching and learning process, but also concrete examples of the ways in which he or she enacts these beliefs in the classroom. At its best, a Teaching Statement gives a clear and unique portrait of the author as a teacher, avoiding generic or empty philosophical statements about teaching.

What Purposes does the Teaching Statement Serve?

The Teaching Statement can be used for personal, professional, or pedagogical purposes. While Teaching Statements are becoming an increasingly important part of the hiring and tenure processes, they are also effective exercises in helping one clearly and coherently conceptualize his or her approaches to and experiences of teaching and learning. As Nancy Van Note Chism, Professor Emerita of Education at IUPUI observes, “The act of taking time to consider one’s goals, actions, and vision provides an opportunity for development that can be personally and professionally enriching. Reviewing and revising former statements of teaching philosophy can help teachers to reflect on their growth and renew their dedication to the goals and values that they hold.”

What does a Teaching Statement Include?

A Teaching Statement can address any or all of the following:

• Your conception of how learning occurs
• A description of how your teaching facilitates student learning
• A reflection of why you teach the way you do
• The goals you have for yourself and for your students
• How your teaching enacts your beliefs and goals
• What, for you , constitutes evidence of student learning
• The ways in which you create an inclusive learning environment
• Your interests in new techniques, activities, and types of learning

“If at all possible, your statement should enable the reader to imagine you in the classroom, teaching. You want to include sufficient information for picturing not only you in the process of teaching, but also your class in the process of learning.” – Helen G. Grundman, Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement

• Make your Teaching Statement brief and well written . While Teaching Statements are probably longer at the tenure level (i.e. 3-5 pages or more), for hiring purposes they are typically 1-2 pages in length.
• Use narrative , first-person approach. This allows the Teaching Statement to be both personal and reflective.
• Be sincere and unique. Avoid clichés, especially ones about how much passion you have for teaching.
• Make it specific rather than abstract. Ground your ideas in 1-2 concrete examples , whether experienced or anticipated. This will help the reader to better visualize you in the classroom.
• Be discipline specific . Do not ignore your research. Explain how you advance your field through teaching.
• Avoid jargon and technical terms, as they can be off-putting to some readers. Try not to simply repeat what is in your CV. Teaching Statements are not exhaustive documents and should be used to complement other materials for the hiring or tenure processes.
• Be humble . Mention students in an enthusiastic, not condescending way, and illustrate your willingness to learn from your students and colleagues.
• Revise . Teaching is an evolving, reflective process, and Teaching Statements can be adapted and changed as necessary.

Reflection Questions To Help You Get You Started:*

• Why do you teach the way you do?
• What should students expect of you as a teacher?
• What is a method of teaching you rely on frequently? Why don’t you use a different method?
• What do you want students to learn? How do you know your goals for students are being met?
• What should your students be able to know or do as a result of taking your class?
• How can your teaching facilitate student learning?
• How do you as a teacher create an engaging or enriching learning environment?
• What specific activities or exercises do you use to engage your students? What do you want your students to learn from these activities?
• How has your thinking about teaching changed over time? Why?

* These questions and exercises are meant to be tools to help you begin reflecting on your beliefs and ideas as a teacher. No single Teaching Statement can contain the answers to all or most of these inquiries and activities.

Exercises to Help You Get You Started:*

• The Teaching Portfolio , including a section on teaching statements, Duquesne University Center for Teaching Excellence. This website includes five effective exercises to help you begin the writing process
• Teaching Goals Inventory , by Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross and their book Classroom Assessment Techniques . This “quiz” helps you to identify or create your teaching and learning goals.

Evaluating Your Teaching Statement

Writing A Statement Of Teaching Philosophy For The Academic Job Search (opens as a PDF), The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan.

This report includes a useful rubric for evaluating teaching philosophy statements. The design of the rubric was informed by experience with hundreds of teaching philosophies, as well as surveys of search committees on what they considered successful and unsuccessful components of job applicants’ teaching philosophies.

Further Resources:

General information on and guidelines for writing teaching statements.

• Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement , Faculty and TA Development at The Ohio State University. This site provides an in-depth guide to teaching statements, including the definition of and purposes for a teaching statement, general formatting suggestions, and a self-reflective guide to writing a teaching statement.
• Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement , Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Iowa State University. This document looks at four major components of a teaching statement, which have been divided into questions—specifically, to what end? By what means? To what degree? And why? Each question is sufficiently elaborated, offering a sort of scaffolding for preparing one’s own teaching statement.
• Writing a Meaningful Statement of Teaching Philosophy , McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University. This website offers strategies for preparing and formatting your teaching statement.

Articles about Teaching Statements

• Grundman, Helen (2006). Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement (opens as a PDF), Notices of the AMS , Vol. 53, No. 11, p. 1329.
• Montell, Gabriela (2003). How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy , from the Chronicle Manage Your Career section of the Chronicle of Higher Education .
• Montell, Gabriela (2003). What’s Your Philosophy on Teaching, and Does it Matter? , from the Chronicle Manage Your Career section of the Chronicle of Higher Education .

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ESL Philosophy of Teaching Statement: What Is It & Why Does It Matter?

Coleen monroe.

• May 31, 2021

If you’re teaching English, you’ll eventually come across an important question. Someone — a student, a colleague, an interviewer — will ask you, “What’s your ESL philosophy of teaching statement?” In order to best answer this common question, you’ll need to formulate and reflect on an ESL teaching philosophy of your own. This article will help you discover and develop your personal ESL teaching philosophy and know how to talk about it with others.

What is an ESL teaching philosophy statement?

An ESL teaching philosophy statement is a summary of why you teach ESL and how. It’s basically that simple! The details you choose to include in your teaching statement are very important.

Are you interested in communication above all? Are you happy to be flexible, or do you hope to bring discipline to your learners? Where do you think learning English should fit into a student’s life? How important are test results to you? Do you strive for immersion by not using any translation in the classroom, or do you promote a bilingual environment? All of these questions can be answered succinctly if you formulate an ESL teaching philosophy statement.

A statement will also help guide your teaching, keep you positive when a lesson goes wrong (because lessons will inevitably go wrong at times), and make you a more reflective teacher overall.

Why is it important to have an ESL teaching philosophy statement?

We listed some of the reasons above, but there are lots of ways that having an ESL philosophy of teaching statement will benefit you. Let’s drill down.

It makes your teaching consistent

You need to have some consistency in your teaching. Language learning (and teaching) can be tough at times. If you’ve got a headache after a grueling grammar lesson or your learners lose it over the fifteenth exception to the rule, a statement of your teaching approach in ESL can remind you why you’re teaching and what you want your learners to get out of every lesson. It will help you to maintain consistent goals, discipline, and lesson-to-lesson continuity of character.

Take a look at some popular ESL teaching methods that all teachers should know.

Mohammed Hashiru, from Ghana, teaching in Turkey

It helps you become a reflective teacher

By formulating your own ESL philosophy, you’ll be reflecting on how you want to teach and also the more important question of why you want to teach. If you want to become good at anything, structured self-reflection on a regular basis is crucial. Without a guiding philosophy, you will possibly be tempted to label lessons as simply “good” or “bad” and move on, missing out on both the details and the big picture at the same time. Having a guiding philosophy for your teaching will make your self-reflection sessions more specific and goal-oriented.

Check out these 10 powerful goals for English teachers.

It provides context for what you’re doing

More people are now attempting to learn English than have ever tried to learn any language in history. But learning English does not exist in a historical vacuum; the context of imperialism and colonialism do play a role in English becoming the lingua franca it is today. Without an ESL philosophy, you may not reflect on how you came to teach English to those who want to learn it. You could stumble into problematic ways of thinking that are descended from the imperial and colonial history of English teaching. Being aware of your own motivations for teaching English can help you to react to the world more compassionately and with less bias.

As a global language, English has many different dialects and accents. Here’s why teachers should incorporate them into the classroom!

It leads to self-understanding

You need to start defining yourself as a teacher even before you begin teaching. Understanding yourself as a teacher will help guide your career path and ensure that you’re always improving as an ESL instructor.

Taking a TEFL course like the graduate-level IDELT Online™  TEFL/TESOL certification program will help you formulate and define your teaching, as it’ll give you an in-depth look at how to form a teaching philosophy, cover the principles of language acquisition, help you set learning objectives for your students, and more.

“What I always tell the trainees to do is take what they’ve learned, including the research that they’ve done, and translate it into how they would be in the classroom — and give a portrait of themselves as a teacher,” says Katrina Schmidt, an instructor for Bridge’s IDELT Online™ course .

What exactly is the IDELTOnline™ TEFL/TESOL course? Find out!

It establishes your credibility as a professional

Professionals are guided by their principles and make decisions based on them. If you don’t have a strong center, you’ll be easily pulled in directions that may eventually hurt your career prospects or lead to teaching burnout. Establishing a clear, personal teaching philosophy will help keep you on the right professional path.

Check out 8 strategies to avoid burnout when teaching English online.

You will be asked about it by employers

When you interview for an English teaching job, there’s a good chance that you’ll be asked to explain your personal education philosophy. Being able to easily discuss your ESL philosophy of teaching statement is one of the main reasons you should put the effort in now to develop a clear statement.

Find out how you should prepare for a TEFL/TESOL interview.

Lorena (center), an ESL business owner, offers insight into TEFL interviews in this article .

What should be included in an ESL philosophy of teaching statement?

When you craft your ESL philosophy statement, you’ll want to think about things from several perspectives. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to ask yourself open-ended questions, such as:

• What is your reason for teaching in general?
• How do you believe people learn best?
• What is your professional background? (I.e., What education or training can you bring to your ESL teaching?)
• What are your goals for English teaching in particular? What will you focus on in your classes? (E.g., Communicative competency? High scores on tests? Academic skills? Soft skills?)
• What is your broader personal morality, and what are your ideas about learning? (I.e., What is acceptable for a teacher to do? How much do teachers need to put into their work? What is your definition of effective learning?)
• What are your ideas about communication? (I.e., How much should you speak in the classroom? Are you a facilitator or an instructor?)

How do I write an ESL teaching philosophy?

There’s a sense of trepidation that some people get when actually crafting their personal or professional philosophies. Taking an online TEFL course like the 150-hour, graduate-level and university-affiliated IDELT Online™  can help you immensely, as you will get feedback from an instructor about the writing process and your final statement.

If you want to go ahead and get started with your ESL teaching philosophy statement, you can follow these steps:

• Set aside time to reflect on your own, removing any distractions.
• Using a journal of your choosing (digital, paper, sketchbook, whatever!), reflect on and make notes about the following:

1. What are your academic goals for teaching English? Where does your class fit in on the path that your students will take toward fluency in English?

2. What is your philosophy about classroom management? What types of communication will you encourage in your classroom?

3. What is your goal for your students in terms of using English? Is it for them to ace an English proficiency test? Communicate with others in the world?

4. What kind of teacher do you want to be remembered as? Your students may remember you for their whole lives. How would you prefer to be seen as a teacher and what can you do to achieve that?

• Use affirmative “I am” statements to communicate your philosophy, and keep yourself positive/focused on your role in teaching English.
• Take your notes and aim to write a paragraph about 5-10 sentences long. Keep it simple. The easier it is to explain your personal ESL philosophy of teaching statement, the easier it will be to follow!

Please note that this is not a one-time process. You should regularly examine your personal ESL philosophy and change it as needed to keep it relevant, useful, and thoughtful.

IDELT Online instructor, Terry McLean shared her “3 M’s” of creating a philosophy of teaching in a BridgeUniverse expert series webinar:

ESL teaching philosophy statement examples

Let’s look at some examples of personal ESL philosophy statements.

I am a kind and compassionate teacher who prefers to work with the “difficult” students because, often, there are valid reasons that they are acting out in a class. I believe that anyone can learn a language given enough time and practice, and I’m willing to be creative and find ways and unusual learning styles to help all students benefit from my lessons. My goal is to expose English learners to more of the world and prepare them for intercultural communication. I teach using a variety of techniques because every class is different and has unique needs.

In my classes, I work to create a genuine rapport with learners . This allows me to build on that connection and make them trust that I will not ask them to do something that wouldn’t benefit their learning, even if it’s hard. I think that English learners need to be able to trust themselves, their instructors, and their classmates above all. That way, in a safe environment, the mistakes that they will make as a learner don’t knock their confidence. I will intervene, early on and with dynamic classroom management skills, when I see bullying or other confidence-reducing behaviors to protect that trust in the classroom. I want the students to see my class as a refuge from normal life where they can practice English and thrive in a small community of learners.

My personal ESL teaching philosophy is influenced by my academic background. I provide rigorous thinking opportunities and challenge students to be their very best, even if it’s difficult. For me, teaching is a lot like coaching a sport. I want to help the students learn the drills and practice the skills that make up a great academic mind so that eventually they will no longer need me to be able to learn. My goal is to put myself out of a job! In the classroom, I demand focus and precision, but I also provide a space for error correction and peer feedback. In this way, I hope to build resilient learners.

When I am asked about my personal ESL philosophy, I’d like to tell people that I don’t even really believe I’m an “English teacher!” I’m not interested in old-fashioned ideas about teaching and being the center of attention in my classes. I see myself as a mostly quiet facilitator who sets up the discussions and provides materials for the learners to use mostly on their own. Obviously, I don’t just abandon them to their fate; rather, I hope that they will be independent learners if I step out of the traditional “teacher” role. When I find myself working on my lesson plans, I try to think deeply about the possible outcomes of an activity. This anticipation is what sets me apart as a teacher.

To be a professional ESL teacher and continue to grow on your teaching journey, it’s important to craft an ESL philosophy of teaching statement. Doing so will help you establish a better, more coherent teaching style and be able to express your beliefs about ESL education.

If you want to learn more about ESL philosophy statements, take the IDELTOnline™ TEFL/TESOL course, which will arm you with the methodology and practical skills needed in the ESL classroom.

Coleen Monroe is a Colorado native who has left a trail of new homes for herself around the world. She's set foot in 30 countries and lived on four continents in the last eleven years. Her nomad homes have been in Chilean Patagonia, France, Italy, Switzerland, South Korea, England, and Iceland. Her latest travel adventures took her to Yunnan, Beijing, Jiangxi, and Southern China, where she's currently teaching.

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