what is wanted is a learner

preparing to be somewhat ready for the jobmarket next fall, i have spent a fair amount of time perusing job announcements. one thing i have seen relatively often in these postings is a request for teaching portfolios that include a philosophy of teaching statement. so, i talked with my advisors about such a beast and googled it as well. the advice i have received so far from all my sources on the topic of writing a philosophy of teaching statement is simple: think about what you hope to accomplish in the classroom and how you plan to reach such goals. then, put that on paper.
so, i think about it. i think about the classes for which i ta'd at uk. i think about the classes i taught at ius. i think about the classes i will teach in the next academic year. then, as i was reading wendell berry's poem healing a few days ago, i made to a starting revelation. i do not want to teach. what i want is to foster learning. when i think about the profs whom i enjoyed the most and grew the most under, they were men and women more concerned with helping me learn than they were with teaching me specific things. so, i think i may have a place from which to begin my philosophy statement.

"VIII
There is finally the pride of thinking oneself without teachers.

The teachers are everywhere. What is wanted is a learner.

In ignorance is hope. If we had known the difficulty, we would not have learned even so little.

Rely on ignorance. It is ignorance the teachers will come to.

They are waiting, as they always have, beyond the edge of the light."
(wendell berry, "healing" in what are people for?)