PJ Zaborowski

Teaching philosophies age nearly as quickly as our students do. Mine certainly has, and my Statement of Teaching Philosophy now feels nearly as outdated as my first (and only) pair of Yeezys. I hear that we’re not even calling them “philosophies” anymore, and that the more precise—but somewhat unwieldy and cumbersome—”Statement of Teaching Principles and Practices” has become en vogue in some pedagogical circles. Whatever you prefer to call it, mine is clearly in dire need of some serious updates and upgrades. The current version was written in an excellent Introduction to Graduate Studies course, but, as I’m now approaching the end of my graduate studies and transitioning into a full-time professor-ing gig in the fall, it seems like now is the proper time to reflect on how my approach to teaching has adapted and evolved over the past several years. As a document, my current Statement of Teaching Philosophy feels distant, detached, and disconnected from the realities of my teaching.

What follows, then, is not a new document encompassing the particularities of my teaching theories and practices per se. Rather, it is an exploration—a space where I chart how my thoughts and strategies have evolved as I prepare to write the new document. I hope you might find it helpful, in some small way, as you consider—and reconsider—your own approach to teaching. Note: much of this material is recycled from a recent (successful!) job talk.

Read the rest on my new (and free) substack:

https://pjzaborowski.substack.com/p/interrogating-my-teaching-philosophy?r=fjrdr