Hinchliffe- A personal philosophy of instruction and assistance: the foundation for information literacy and reference practice
Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe
A Personal Philosophy of
Instruction and Assistance:
The Foundation for Information
Literacy And Reference Practice
A philosophy statement is a powerful framework for exploring one's beliefs
about instruction and assistance, the role of the librarian, student learning,
classroom leadership, assessment, teaching and learning styles, and
Unfortunately, developing a personal philosophy statement can be a daunting
task. Librarians may find though that having a statement is necessary (e.g.,
promotion dossier) and/or desirable (e.g., personal reflection).
The workshop will offer a structured and scaffolded approach to drafting a
philosophy statement and identifying evidence from one's information literacy
and reference practice as the framework for a portfolio.
Workshop participants will be introduced to two tools, which are freely
available – the Teaching Perspectives Inventory and the Teaching Goals
Inventory – in order to explore their own personal understandings of
instruction and assistance.
Then, through the reflective lens outlined by Stephen Brookfield –
autobiographical, student, peers and scholarly literature – participants will
further examine their beliefs and practices.
Participants will have a draft of a statement of personal philosophy at the
conclusion of the workshop.
Tell a story of a teacher
who influenced you.
What are the qualities
of the teacher that
"A teaching philosophy is a
systematic and critical rationale
that focuses on the important
components defining effective
teaching and learning in a
particular discipline and/or
Schönwetter, Deiter J., Sokal, Laura, Friesen, Marcia, & Taylor, K.Lynn. (2002). Teaching philosophies
reconsidered: A conceptual model for the development and evaluation of teaching philosophy
statements. The International Journal for Academic Development, 7(1), pp. 83-97.
A Personal Statement
* beliefs, goals and purpose
* methods and processes
* growth over time
* focus attention
* rationale to make decisions
* baseline for evaluation
* document accomplishments
* reflect on practice
When you think
about yourself as
a teacher, what
that as a teacher my role is to…..
that knowledge is…..
that learning is…..
that the role of the researcher/learner is to…..
that researchers/learners are motivated by…..
that researchers/learners thinking should be….
I know researcher/learners have learned when …
that my role relative to content/information is….
that good interactions with researchers/learners are…..
that the best teaching and assistance strategies are….
Teaching Perspectives Inventory
Five Perspectives on Teaching in Adult and Higher Education (1998)
• Transmission – Effective Delivery of Content
• Apprenticeship – Modeling Ways of Being
• Developmental – Cultivating Ways of Thinking
• Nurturing – Nurturing Self-Efficiency
• Social Reform – Seeking a Better Society
Teaching Goals Inventory
Classroom Assessment Techniques (1993)
• Higher-Order Thinking Skills
• Basic Academic Success Skills
• Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills
• Liberal Arts and Academic Values
• Work and Career Preparation
• Personal Development
Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher (1995)
• Our Autobiographies as Learners and Teachers
• Our Students’ Eyes
• Our Colleagues’ Experiences
• Theoretical Literature
Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe