Mentioning teaching interests in SOP?

[justinmcducd]

Hello everyone,

 

I was wondering if teaching interests should be mentioned if you are applying to programs that predominately place people in teaching roles.  The programs I'm applying to are ranked in the 25-50 range, and several of these programs tend to place most of their grads in teaching roles.  

 

That said, a large part of your phd training anywhere consists of developing strong research skills and hopefully publishing a dissertation, and I would guess virtually all programs have a desire and incentives to place their grads in research positions as much as possible.  

 

From my own perspective, my motivations for wanting to go for the PhD are a combination of research interests, as well as being interested in teaching college level political science.  I know research interests should be central to the SOP, but would talking about teaching interests, reasons for wanting to teach be excluded and/or potentially perceived as weak desire to be a successful research scholar? 

 

Thanks!

Edited November 13, 2013 by justinmcducd

[astreaux]

This is too late to be helpful, I'm sure, but I emphasized my teaching interests right alongside my research interests in my SOP. Teaching is not merely part of the job that I eventually want-- it's part of most PhD programs in some form or another. I don't see why showing an enthusiasm for teaching would detract from your seriousness as a research scholar.

[IRToni]

I talked about teaching in one of my SOPs. One school specifically wrote on their website that they have an emphasis on teaching, offers courses that students have to take before TAing etc. I did not mention my teaching interests in all my other SOPs, also because I don't have a ton of teaching experience, and am much more interested in research.

[astreaux]

I talked about teaching in one of my SOPs. One school specifically wrote on their website that they have an emphasis on teaching, offers courses that students have to take before TAing etc. I did not mention my teaching interests in all my other SOPs, also because I don't have a ton of teaching experience, and am much more interested in research.

 

Although I mentioned my teaching experience and interest in all my SOPs, I emphasized it as a particular fit with programs that mention teacher training in their statements of department philosophy. And although I didn't mention this, I have to add here that if not for having great teachers as an undergraduate, I wouldn't be applying to grad programs at all.