APA Committee on
Pre-College Instruction in Philosophy

Training in Philosophy for Instructors

It is essential to have training in philosophy. While this may seem obvious, teachers are often ill-prepared to handle the subtleties of teaching philosophy, and run into problems when trying to teach philosophy as an extension of a class in another discipline. If you don't have at least an undergraduate minor in philosophy, consider very carefully whether you have an adequate understanding of philosophy and what is involved in teaching it. It is as serious and difficult a subject as mathematics, physics, or history. Imagine teaching one of these subjects without any appropriate formal training.

You have many options for obtaining training in philosophy and in pre-college philosophy. You might consider a leave of absence for full-time study. Part-time study can be accomplished with evening or weekend courses or workshops, summer programs, or distance courses.

If you don't have substantial formal training in philosophy, are unable or unwilling to acquire such training, but still want to teach pre-college philosophy, consider the following advice: Your initial efforts should be limited, perhaps to a small amount of philosophical content in a course on another subject. In addition, seek advice from a trained philosopher. Contact the chair of the philosophy department of a local college or university for a referral. If there is no department of philosophy, trained philosophers are often employed in departments with names like "humanities" or "social science". Alternatively, contact the American Philosophical Association. The APA's Committee on Pre-College Instruction in Philosophy maintains a roster of persons interested in pre-college philosophy and will be happy to provide referrals in your area.

APA Committee on Pre-College Instruction in Philosophy

Training in Philosophy for Instructors

APA Committee on
Pre-College Instruction in Philosophy