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Section Five: Teacher Candidate Reflection

Introduction

Throughout this section of my portfolio, I will be reflecting on the journey Ive had in my

preparation to become a teacher. I will be referencing key experiences, courses and learnings

Ive had and relating them to the claims listed by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council

and the Council for Accreditation for Educator Preparation. It is through this personal reflection

that youll see how passionate I am about the field of education and you will feel as confident as

I am that I am ready to step into this role and lead our future generations.

This portfolio assignment has provided me with the opportunity to look back over all the

experiences, assignments and challenges Ive had in getting to this stage of my journey. It has

been a mirror to show me where my strengths are and where my areas of opportunities lie. I have

been confronted with the realization of the impact teachers have in their students lives and my

passion for education has been reignited. In reflecting on this process I am more sure than ever

that this is where I am supposed to be and that I am ready to be a teacher.

Portfolio Project/Teacher Education Learning Experiences

The process of reflection is the most important aspect of any career but especially so in

the field of education. With the diversity of the classroom changing regularly along with the

needs of the individual students, the ability to reflect on and improve will be paramount in

ensuring each student is given the best educational opportunities. (TEAC/CAEP Claim 2:

Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices & Claim 3: Caring Educators)

When I look back on my journey to this point, I realize that I have been in a teaching role

in some way in every job Ive done. From my 10+ years working as a personal trainer, my entire
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day was spent learning and teaching my clients in a 1:1 fashion, ensuring that I was tailoring my

instruction to that individual so they could most successful. I had to be an expert in my field so I

was able to modify my instruction and assessment to meet each clients needs (TEAC/CAEP

Claim 1: Subject Matter). It was in this role where my passion for educating and helping other

succeed really took off.

This lead me to venturing into a new realm of managing a retail store where I was

responsible and held accountable to the actions and results of 30+ team members. It was in this

position where I enhanced my teaching and facilitation of larger groups as I was responsible for

the training and development of each member on my team. I had to adapt to the diverse needs of

each teammate and ensure that my teaching style met their learning style (TEAC/CAEP Claim 2:

Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices). While working in this role I was confronted with a long

time goal of becoming a teacher and had to make a crucial decision in whether or not I should go

back to school as a mature student to follow my passion, or stay where I was. It was an easy

decision, although accompanied by a bit of fear, to attend Medaille College with their Masters of

Education program. And ever since making that choice, Ive been reminded many times that I

am doing what I am supposed to be doing and that Im meant to be a teacher.

Over the past three semesters of classes, there have been specific courses that have

impacted my philosophy of education and shaped who I will be in my classroom. In the Early

Field Experience course I completed 100 hours of observation in a variety of classrooms but one

in particular stuck out as most memorable. It was in this kindergarten class that I became fully

aware of the impact teachers have on their students. Being able to see each student as an

individual person and accommodate them to their needs was such an overwhelmingly amazing

feeling. Knowing that I was teaching these students the skills like reading and writing that they
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would use every day for the rest of their lives was such a privilege (TEAC/CAEP Claim 1:

Subject Matter and Claim 3: Caring Educators).

Another course that really changed the way I thought about teaching was in my first

semester and it was all about Culturally Responsive Teaching. My eyes were complete opened to

the diverse needs of my future students, and what it means to be culturally responsible in a

classroom (TEAC/CAEP Claim 2: Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices and Claim 3: Caring

Educators). I learned so many valuable strategies that I know I will bring with me to every class I

work with.

The last course that really stands out as having a large impact on my journey was

Technology in the Classroom, where we were shown a number of different tools and resources

that we can incorporate technology into our lessons to enhance the learning experience for our

students, further engaging them in the material (TEAC/CAEP Claim 1: Subject Matter and Claim

2: Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices).

It is through all these experiences, and many others I havent mentioned, that I was

confronted with my deep passion for education and the importance of reflecting on the value of

each experience. I am eager to take what Ive learned and put into to action in my teaching

placements coming up next semester, and Im sure my reflections will be even deeper at the end.

Readiness to Become a Teacher

When I first stated the Medaille program, it felt like it would take forever to complete and

almost seemed impossible, yet my passion fueled me as I completed the program while working

full time and tending to my family obligations as a mom of two young children. Yet, when I look
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back over my life, although it took me longer to reach my goal, I know that every other

adventure I had been on was to prepare me to be the great teacher I know I will be.

In reviewing my past work experiences, I feel that each one has had such a large training

aspect to it where the majority of my time was spent teaching and developing others, that Ive

actually been a teacher all along, just in a different capacity than in the classroom. Ive had to

work with a variety of different learning styles and had to adapt my training style to meet my

teams needs to ensure our business ran smoothly. These skills are ones that will definitely serve

me well when I am responsible for delivering curriculum content to a diverse classroom. Im

more sure now after this reflection process, that every experience Ive had has been in

preparation for me stepping into the classroom.

Another experience that has greatly impacted my journey was becoming a mother. When

my daughter was starting kindergarten I saw firsthand the importance of an effective teacher and

their ability to make or break the school experience for their students. I feel that my experiences

as a mom have taught me patience, understanding, the difference between fairness and equity,

and the invaluable skill of time management, all of which will help me in being a better teacher

to my students. I also feel that because I have taken a longer route to this place in time, I am so

grounded in my passion for teaching others that I will bring that into everything I do as an

educator and my students will know I am there for them.

I strongly feel that the courses Ive taken and the experiences Ive had have armed me

with the required skills to properly plan, instruct and assess my students to give them the best

opportunities to be successful in school. Paired with my love for reflection and receiving

feedback, I know that I will bring my best to my classes and provide my students with unique

learning experiences that will engage them and prepare them for their future endeavors.
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Conclusion

Looking back at all the different opportunities Ive had to teach and educate others its

clear to me that I am doing what I was meant to do. Im confident that when I step into my

classroom, my past experiences, my passion for education and my ability to easily connect with

others will aid me in being an effective and caring teacher. I cannot wait to take all Ive learned

and share it with the future generations I will be so privileged to teach, my only regret is that I

didnt follow this path earlier in my life, but also know all my experiences have lead me to where

I am today and will only enhance my readiness to teach.