Section One: Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary Portfolio Project

Introduction, Overview and Rationale

The elementary portfolio is giving me the opportunity to reflect upon my work in this

program as well as in the workplace. I will be able to use this portfolio as a representation of

who I am as an educator and what skills I possess that make me a competent teacher. During my

interviews I will refer to my portfolio as it will serve as a good resource for my potential

employers.

The purpose of my portfolio is to have a place where all my work can be referenced. I

will only be including work that is important to me and reflective of who I am as an educator.

The portfolio will provide examples of how I have been able to grow as an educator. As well as

how I have been able to utilize the skills and knowledge gained through this program and use

them throughout my practice. Before commencing this portfolio, I sat back and reflected on my

own experiences as a student. Although my childhood was a happy one, I did have a few years

in school where I was not happy and succeeding as I should be. These teachers had a profound

impact on my development and self-esteem. Even though some of the teachers who taught me

were not very encouraging and sometimes hard on me, I never allowed them to dampen my

spirits and I was always striving to prove them wrong. It was not until I was much older that I

gained a love for teaching. I always wanted to make sure I could provide a safe, warm and

welcoming classroom for my students and no matter how they struggled I would always be there

to support them and guide them on their way.

I currently work as an Early Childhood Educator in a Kindergarten classroom and

through this experience I have been able to watch students grow and develop. The Kindergarten
program allows students to explore on their own and lessons are developed based off of the

students interest. I have always liked this idea, as students are more engaged and willing to learn

if it is something that they are interested in. Why not build off that interest? It give educators

flexibility to change around the program and helps you as an educator to get to know your

students by asking open-ended questions. I will continue to use this model in the future.

There are six sections to this portfolio. They are as follows, teacher candidate

introduction, background experience, showcasing artifacts, alignment to the curriculum and

professional standards, a reflection and lastly a video interview. This portfolio will also outline

some other competencies required to be an effective educator such as, the ability to plan, have

effective instruction, be able to conduct assessments, be culturally responsive, engaging and

motivating as well as technologically savvy. Fortunately, throughout my time at Medaille I have

had the opportunity to complete courses that have prepared me with the competencies required to

be an effective educator. I have created numerous lesson plans in different subjects such as

math, science and literacy. This has taught me to ensure that I am creating plans that are grade

appropriate and that I am always including modifications for my students who are on an IEP or

have other special needs. This should be second nature however including it in your lesson plans

guarantees that all students needs are being met. Not only do you need to have effective lesson

plans, you need to create a welcoming environment for your students. They should feel as

though they are represented in the classroom and that they are set up for success. You may never

fully know or understand where a student is coming from, but you can always make sure when

they come to your classroom, they are supported and cared for.
 Assessments are a big part of the learning journey. I am currently enrolled in a course

through Medaille that is teaching me how to conduct effective assessments and evaluations. You

want to create assessments that are aligned with the learning outcomes. A lot of students become

anxious when they are being tested or assessed. You need to take that into consideration as there

scores may not accurately reflect their knowledge. One competencies I am really working on as

I know it is becoming widely used in today’s classrooms is being able to use technology. Almost

every interview I attend, I will be asked how I incorporate technology in the classroom. I must

admit I have not always been that great with technology as it was not that popular when I was

growing up. However, I have learned so much through the technology course I completed at

Medaille. I was so impressed by all the apps accessible to create interactive lesson plans and

assessments. Students are always using technology in some form at school or at home. By using

technology in the classroom, students will be excited and engaged in the learning.

Portfolio Development

The portfolio outlines and showcases six sections. Section one: Teacher Candidate

Portfolio Project Introduction. The introduction section introduces the teaching candidate. This

section highlights the importance and purpose of the portfolio. I will outline the important

competencies required to be an effective teacher. Also, the major sections of the portfolio are

introduced and their connections to best practices. Lastly, I will make connections to

theories/theorist and experts in the field of education.

Section two: Teacher Candidate Background Experience. This section will outline my

education and work related experiences. I will be making connections to my work in education

current and past. Throughout this section I will showcase classroom experiences and how I
applied what I learned during my time at Medaille. This will be connected to my resume and my

philosophy of education. In order to do so I will discuss my degree in Sociology as well as my

Diploma in Early Childhood Education. My time spent earning my Diploma in Early Childhood

Education has provided me with the foundational skills and knowledge in child development. I

will also discuss my experience working in a Kindergarten classroom. This has prepared me for

what it would be like working as a teacher. Adding my philosophy of education which touches

on Montessori and her believe that classroom materials should come from the nature. This is

something that I currently practice in my own classroom.

Section three: Teacher Candidate Artifact Guidelines includes pedagogical evidence. This

section will contain artifacts which will act as evidence of my learning and capabilities as an

educator. I will include a lesson plan, showing that I am able to create appropriate and inclusive

lessons. I will also be including a lesson plan for my technology class. This particular lesson

plan has links to external websites and worksheets. It proves that I am learning and ready to use

technology in the classroom.

Section four: Alignment to Curriculum and Professional Standards will prove that I am

able to align the curriculum and standards in my lessons. There are certain responsibilities of a

teacher and expectations one must follow. Every lesson plan created for Medaille includes the

standard for the grade and subject matter. The artifacts that I am including in this portfolio will

provide evidence for this. This section will include a chart and will address some of the

following curriculum and professional standards: New York State P-12 Common Core, New

York State Learning Standards, and the Ontario Curriculum Expectations. This section provides
evidence of my pedagogy, best practices, subject matter knowledge and ability to be a caring,

supportive, and effective teacher.

Section five: Teacher Candidate Reflection Guidelines will demonstrate my ability to be

a reflective practitioner. I will reflect on my overall experiences especially my experiences with

this portfolio. The overall reflection will focus on my experiences throughout the program, my

experience working on this portfolio and how all this experience has helped me become ready to

be a teacher. Reflecting is very important. I reflect every day. My teaching partner and I

discuss how the day went and what things went well and what we could improve on. That could

include the lessons for the day, the way the day flowed and how the tone of the classroom felt.

Section six: Teacher Candidate Teacher Interview Video is a 10-15 minute screencast

video. This video will help prepare me for a real interview. During this interview I will make

connections to my work and discuss my experiences in the workplace and in graduate school.

The viewer will see that I am dressed professionally and well prepared for a teaching career.

Theories, Theorists, and Experts in the Field of Education

Throughout the Masters program we have been exposed to many theories, theorists and

experts in the field of education. Theories, theorist and experts are important to learn as they

provide foundational information to the development of learning. A few theorist that I feel

closely match my philosophy are Maria Montessori, Friedrich Frobel, John Locke and Johann

Pestalozzi. Each one of these theorist have a concept that I feel as though I would include in my

teaching and classrooms.

Maria Montessori believes that “there should be emphasis on the school as part of the

community and the need for parent participation and support” (Ornstein et. al, 2011, p.123). I
agree, the community in which the school is located should play a vital role. Community is an

extension of the school. For example, if the school is located in a low economic neighborhood,

then the community could provide after school programs. This will give students a place to go

after school to get help with their homework and or to provide a safe place for the children to

hang out until their parents or guardians come home. Parents should also have involvement. If

parents show an interest in their children and their school work then the child might show some

pride in their work. Parents can also volunteer within the school and or classrooms. In a

Montessori classroom, the teacher provides children with an environment and materials that will

help them learn necessary skills through their personal interactions with their environment

(Ornstein et. al, 2011, p.122). I believe that much of the students learning should be hands on

and outside materials should be incorporated as much as possible. Being outside allows children

to get in touch with nature. The fresh air is great for your health and there is a lot to be learned.

If you find it difficult and or challenging to get outside, learning can also start in the classroom

and then be connected to the outside world to provide real life examples. Montessori is a firm

believer in this notion. Her schools provided learners with outside materials to be incorporated

into the classroom as much as possible.

When planning your lessons you should always try to get outside whenever possible. If

you cannot, then learning materials can be brought into a classroom. Rocks and sticks are great

tools for math problems. This is an example of how Froebel's’ kindergarten classroom would be

organized. He had “materials that children could shape and use in design and construction

activities, for example, clay, sand, cardboard and sticks could be manipulated and shaped into

castles, cities and mountains” (Ornstein et. al, 2011, p.112). Sometimes learning can happen
organically or “through experience, externally through the senses, and internally through

reflection “as stated by John Locke, who also agrees that learning is active. It is happening all

the time (Transitions from education’s roots-present, October 15, 2017 ).

Pestalozzi “believed that children should learn gradually, not hurried, and should

understand what they are studying before moving on to the next lesson” (Ornstein et. al, 2011,

p.108). Pestalozzi “emphasized the right of children to be taught by caring teachers in a safe

environment”(Ornstein et. al, 2011, p.106). The role of the teacher in a classroom is to be

caring, supportive and to be a good role model. This coincides with Pestalozzi’s view on the role

of a teacher. He states that school should be a safe place with caring teachers (Ornstein et. al,

2011, p.106). If children know that they are cared for they will thrive in their environment.

I will continue to learn more about the different theories, theorist and experts in the field

to ensure that I am always developing and growing in the field of education.

Conclusion

The Elementary Portfolio Project is very important as it showcases my readiness to teach

in the field of education. Each section serves as evidence of all the hard work and dedication I

put into this program. Section one and two discusses why I choose the field of education and my

education and experiences as well as my philosophy of education. I will touch briefly on how I

incorporate Maria Montessori, Friedrich Froebel, John Locke and Johann Pestalozzi in my

teachings. Section three will provide proof of work I have completed which will prove that I am

a competent teacher. In Section four, lesson plans will show how I was able to align them to the

curriculum and professional standards. I will provide a well written and thought out reflection
on my experience creating the portfolio and the masters program. Lastly, after watching the

interview video, you will see that I am prepared and professional.