How to Teach and Learn Philosophy
If you have been put in charge of teaching a philosophy course, then your first task needs to be to learn all about the subject yourself. Occasionally, philosophy is added as a curriculum within school systems, and as an educator with a philosophy degree cannot be realistically hired at the time, then another educator will need to teach the class. Philosophy can also sometimes be an offered as a course in a community center or similar institution. Once you learn all you can about the subject, you can start creating your teaching strategy.
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Instructions
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Read through various philosophy textbooks. The textbooks you read can be on the same level as the students that you are going to be teaching.
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Study the textbook that you are going to use for your classroom. This will often be issues by the school or institution you're teaching for. The textbook will likely contain specific lessons and learning exercises that you can use to learn more about the subject.
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Pay attention to arguments, supporting information and connections within subjects when studying philosophy. Taking your time and thinking about each passage you read will help you learn.
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Take your questions to the experts. When you have questions about the field, ask an expert. Local universities likely have a philosophy department that you can consult with.
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Write the goals for the philosophy course you're going to teach. The goals involve what you want the students to learn and what they will be able to do at the completion of the course, such as identify key philosophical arguments and explain their logic.
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Create the syllabus for the philosophy course. The syllabus should include which passages from the text you will use on which days, any supporting materials and dates of assignments and exams.
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Create detailed assignment sheets and exams. For each assignment, supply your students with written instructions. An example assignment for a philosophy course might be writing a dialogue or analyzing a particular argument in essay form. Exams in philosophy are generally essay-based when it comes to arguments, logic and reason, and multiple choice or fill-in when it comes to names of philosophers and what each are known for and relevant dates.
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Stick with the plan. As you teach your first philosophy class, try to stick with the syllabus as closely as possible. Make notes when lessons don't work out as planned or when students do not respond well. This will help you make changes to your lesson plans for the next class you teach.
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References
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