The George Mason University Center for Teaching Excellence provides an excellent guide to writing a teaching vita, philosophy and portfolio. The section on preparing your teaching philosophy provides an excellent set of brainstorming questions, which generate not only ideas but also examples of successful learning and teaching. It also includes a sample peer observation form, which should be helpful in your structuring of your own observation.
The University of Minnesota Center for Teaching and Learning also provides an excellent tutorial for the creation of a teaching philosophy and examples from a wide range of disciplines/fields. Begin with the link on the left entitled “Getting Started” (horrible verb – avoid at all costs) and work through the remaining sections.
This presentation also refers to a “teaching philosophy rubric” which you may want to explore as a self-assessment project. I tend to prefer soliciting the response of other teachers to a teaching philosophy but one of the advantages of our access to networked information is that we can explore all sorts of approaches to self-assessment, assessment and feedback.
Most colleges and universities now support centers for teaching excellence (although the names may differ slightly), and it is always worth checking the resources in your home institution. But if you are applying for new positions, also check the center at those prospective employers, as you may gain crucial insight into the institution’s approaches to teaching and learning.
Hoping this material helps….