The Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington recognizes the importance of including a teaching philosophy statement in instructors' portfolios or as a way that an instructor can convey their personal philosophies on how they conduct themselves and their expectations in the classroom. Dr. Don Bushman provided the followg ten prompts to consider when theinking about one's teaching philosophy.

 
Ten prompts to promote thinking about your teaching philosophy

1. What is your style of interaction with students?
2. What pedagogical activities make for good teaching?
3. To what extent are those activities specific to your discipline?  How do they reflect the theories that drive thought in your discipline?
4. What is the relationship between your teaching and your research?  How are your classroom activities influenced by your research?
5. How do you judge the success of your teaching?
6. What is the ideal learning environment in your classes and how do you attempt to create that environment?
7. Describe your teacherly role model (e.g., a former professor or a colleague) and what that person does that you find so appealing.
8. How would your peers describe you as a teacher?  How would your students describe you?
9. To what extent do you agree that teaching is a form of “performance”?   What are the qualities of your “teacherly persona”?
10. Why do you enjoy teaching?  (Why do you enjoy being a “professor”—one who “professes”?)