by Christopher D. Lee, Ph.D., SPHR
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Question: What is it that the search committee is looking for in a teaching statement? How should it differ from the diversity statement? What sections should you have in the teaching statement?
Answer from Christopher D. Lee, Ph.D., SPHR: Many people — lay persons and philosophers alike — find enjoyment, wonder, and amazement in the simple power of asking good questions. However, the secret to answering questions well often lies in knowing who is asking the question. If a teenager, businesswoman, or professor asks what the meaning of life is, the answer will differ in length, dimension, and quality. Likewise, given the job application process, the very context gives clues to how to answer interview questions and how to deliver statements of philosophy about teaching, diversity, leadership, and related topics in your application materials.
The prompt, “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a conflict among colleagues and what you did to resolve it” is a question given in an interview context. The not-so-hidden subtext is that the prompter values someone who can negotiate difficult situations. Not only does a request for a teaching statement tell you the requester values teaching, but more importantly, they really want to know if you value teaching the way they value teaching.
Most questions or prompts provided by a would-be employer are self-appreciating. If you value the Socratic method but the institution you are applying to prefers appreciative inquiry, then there is a mismatch. If it is a liberal arts college that brags about its 12-to-1 teaching ratio, they probably prefer a personalized, tutoring, or mentoring-like relationship with individual students. This would be in contrast to other institutions that might value undergraduate research or open discovery where students are encouraged to look at the world in an interdisciplinary way. Their mission, curriculum, philosophy, strategic plans, reputation, and style give you some clues about how to respond and what to put into your statement — whether it be a teaching statement or a diversity statement.
Therefore, the short answer to what to put into a teaching statement is inferences and aspects of your background, experience, and philosophy that align with the perspectives of the institution that is asking you the question. So, the question isn’t really, “What is your teaching philosophy?”; it is more likely, “How does your teaching philosophy align with our mission, philosophies, and ways of thinking about pedagogy, and what can you bring to the table in this regard?” Examples from your experiences with students like theirs will resonate. Your statement reflects you and should be 50% the same and 50% tailored when applying to a community college, liberal arts college, or at a comprehensive or research institution.
Diversity statements function in the same vein. “Can you relate to, develop rapport with, and support the educational attainment of all of our students?” This is not about the theoretical idea of a diverse student body; this is about ‘our students.’ While the appreciation for students along all dimensions of diversity — including veteran status, disability, neurodiversity, race, gender, and age — is an expectation of a competent instructor, experience with and fondness for our students are likely deciding factors in who an institution wants to consider further in the application process.
While a teaching statement and a diversity statement may have similarities, the earlier advice applies. Both statements are asking if you are similar to us in how you think and work and if you can help us achieve our mission and goals. The former may focus more on philosophy and pedagogy and the latter on values and cultural competence, but the end sought is the same: how do they apply to our context? In the end, one of the secrets to well-crafted application materials — resume/CV, cover letter, and statements — is to address the question behind the question. And the implied question is always, “We know that you are talented and experienced, but how does that enrich what we are trying to accomplish through our mission?”
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