Hmm. I can’t say that we have one, per se, except that we prefer to let the students lead us where they want to go. As one of my teachers said to me at our first meeting, “I hope you can teach me what you want to learn.”
I can offer that we have been taught that a great gulf can exist between what the student believes is important and worth learning and what those sharing their experience believe is important and worth learning. This gulf is the sea of misunderstanding and miscommunication, and is an area not often charted or explored, hence “Here there be dragons.”
It may surprise you to learn we encourage the exploring of that sea. We discourage misunderstandings and miscommunications, and to do that we explore that sea. There will still be dragons there, the exploration merely helps us recognize them as allies and fellow explorers rather than something to destroy or subdue.
Let the students lead
Part of this exploration is allowing the students to lead. They know where they want to go. Further, our training is to help others discover their path rather than show them ours.
Showing others our path diminishes all parties involved. One of the reasons we share what we’ve learned is because of something several of our teachers have shared with us, albeit in different languages and at different times; The only way to know you know it is to share it with others. They will ask you questions you never thought to ask, they will offer insights you would otherwise never have.
This is why all of our teachers actively encourage a multi-disciplinary background. As Grandmother Paula, an Oneida Medicine Woman told me, “To learn anything you must learn everything.” Her statement was echoed by Don Alejandro, a Quiche-Mayan Color Healer, and Qi Tsu, a Chinese Herbalist.
Hope that helps regarding teaching philosophy.