1. My Pedagogical Philosophy
Teaching is a sacred art. It has been done through the ages from the beginnings of time.
Firstly, it was done to preserve tradition and practices, then it was used for the training of people
for war and armies, but eventually became the avenue through which people obtained knowledge
about a particular arena through which they would become proficient and able to work or teach.
In teaching, I reflect on the 3 forms of knowledge that Aristotle defines as Episteme, Techne, and
Phronesis. Each of these inform the understanding of education and teaching and allow students
to reflect on their goals and achievements throughout any specific course. The goal of my
teaching then is to facilitate in the learner a mindset that knowledge and learning is to be
respected, treated with proper dignity, and appreciated for the nuances with which come into
view when one’s imagination is broadened.
Episteme
Traditionally in Greek thought, this form of knowledge is scientific or fact-based. Its meaning is
literally “to know.” My hope is that the first part of gaining knowledge on a topic that I teach
will be the “knowing” aspect. The students should be able to identify and recognize the different
areas of thought that pertain to their specific subject matter and be able to rationally analyze the
concepts once a general and more specific introduction has been given into the subject matter.
Techne
This definition designates a type of knowledge that refers to the “art” of the craft. It deals with
craftsmanship, principles, and general application. After one masters the general and more
specific concepts of what has been taught, the “techne” aspect of this knowledge will help
students to understand how to apply the principles of the concept that has been learned. If you
learn of a specific area of interest that you study and want to know more, once you know enough
about that topic, you can begin to do something with it if you have the understanding and skills

2. behind it that allow you to do so. This type of knowledge helps students to go farther than
simply understanding the concepts.
Phronesis
This type of knowledge is sometimes called “practical wisdom” or simply wisdom, or also
practical or pragmatic knowledge for use in practical application. This type of learning goes one
step further than just hearing and understanding or applying the principles of the concept. This
type of application takes the whole of learning of this concept and takes it into the real world to
apply it. It becomes a faithful and calculated application of the specific practices and principles
outlined in the discipline of what has been studied. It is a combination of various disciplines
along with scientific facts, reason, experiences, and a response. This type of knowledge is hard
to obtain and is always a continuous and creative process. This knowledge is the goal, and it is
the responsibility of the student to take it seriously and learn it with proficiency and do it all
efficiently.