A personal statement is one of the best opportunities you will have to explain to your prospective employer how you are prepared to fill the position.
Personal Statement
A personal Statement centers on your life, your goals, motivation, and interests in addition to your academic qualifications and other professional achievements. Your choice of words and style will be vital to show your employer the kind of person you are.
Tips to make a distinct personal Statement
Personalize it. Make it unique and tailored to the role and institution. Make a draft list of those points you would like to address and choose the ones you would like to highlight, such as achievements, experience, your best qualities, how you turn setbacks into successful experiences, etc.
Give examples. Use concrete and tangible examples that prove your passion and connect to the position. Remember why you chose that particular experience as an example, what led you there, and what you learned that might contribute to the job.
Show competence. All points covered in your narrative should center on your competence for the job, highlighting those aspects you have that make you a top choice.
Watch your writing. Grammar mistakes and spelling errors will give an image of carelessness that will not help you deliver a professional message. Read it and proofread it.
Write in the first-person. Try to avoid sentences starting with: students, the chair, etc.
Study and use other personal statements. Sample statements will help you generate or shape your ideas.
Review the job posting. Being clear about the requirements, job descriptions, etc., in the job posting will give you a hint where to start and what to include in your statement.
Teaching Statement vs. Teaching Philosophy
More than often, Teaching Statement and Teaching Philosophy are used interchangeably. However, there is one main difference worth noting.
Strictly speaking, a teaching philosophy focuses on describing your values, ambitions, and beliefs about the teaching and learning process. On the other hand, a teaching statement focuses on your practices implemented when executing your teaching philosophy. In other words, your teaching philosophy shapes your teaching practices.
In the case you apply for a teaching position, it is advisable to place particular emphasis on how you translate your teaching philosophy into your classroom practices, thus giving a clear picture of who you are.
Some questions to help you prepare your teaching philosophy
- Why do I choose to teach in this way?/ How do I think learning occurs?
- What intellectual work do I want my students to perform and why?
- What challenges I want them to face and why?
- How do I tackle the learning styles of my students?
- How do I help and encourage my students to understand the relevance of what they learn in my classes?
Some questions to consider for your teaching statement
- How what I choose to do in class reflect my teaching philosophy?
- What goals do I set for my students and myself?
- What supporting evidence do I have to prove student learning?
- How do I create an inclusive environment?
- What techniques, activities, and content do I use in my classes?
As a personal statement, teaching philosophy or statement should be specific and clear, grounding your ideas in explicit examples. Your narrative should be unique and modest. And lastly, revise, revise and revise.
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