Section Five: Teacher Candidate Reflection

Introduction

There are certain people who have always known they were meant to be a teacher, and

others that discovered that along the way. I had always loved children, but never imagined

myself in the teaching profession, until I decided to teach abroad temporarily and fell in love

with teaching. I knew that after 5 years of teaching abroad, I would need to get my teaching

qualifications so that I could do make an actual profession of it, because I could no longer see

myself doing anything else. This section of the portfolio project provides a personal reflection of

this assignment and my experience and preparation in the field of education. The first part of this

reflection will describe my journey of compiling and writing this portfolio, as well as reflect my

experiences and learning through this Teacher Education program at Medaille College. This will

highlight how over the course of my education I have met the TEAC, DOE, and CAEP claims.

The second part of this portfolio section will describe and reflect on my readiness to become a

teacher as I describe my professional qualifications and personal traits, characteristics, and

experiences that will propel my career in education. Through this section I will reflect on both

why I am prepared to enter the field of education as well as convince you, the reader, that

through my teacher education and experiences I am indeed ready to become a teacher.

Portfolio Project/Teacher Education Learning Experiences

This Portfolio project has helped me to compile and reflect on my experiences and

educationally journey at Medaille College to further my pedagogical expertise and work toward

my teaching certification. Through this portfolio I have been able to examine different artifacts

that I have created over the course of my studies and demonstrate how each of those artifacts
reflect the different curriculum and professional educational standards. It is important as an

educator to be able to look back and reflect on what you know and what you have accomplished

so that you are able to direct where to go next and advance as an effective educator. This

portfolio project allowed me the time to examine past experiences, including my own student

experiences and professional experiences that have ultimately led me to a career in education. I

was able to reflect on past teachers that had left a mark on my life and speculate what exactly it

was about them that influenced me so greatly. Through my reflection on past teachers and

teachers I have observed in the field as well as my classes in pedagogy from Medaille College, I

feel as though I have developed some best teaching practices and have a great understanding of

how to implement those practices in my own classroom (DOE/CAEP Claim 2).

Before I entered the Teacher Education program at Medaille, I had several years of

teaching experience, however I was lacking the formal qualifications; I had spent many years

teaching, but never really understanding pedagogy, besides what came naturally to me and what

seemed to be working with the students. However, after completing most of my program at

Medaille College, I feel much more prepared to enter the field of education as a knowledgeable

professional who is able to meet both curriculum and professional educational standards. I am

grateful for the education and knowledge Medaille has provided me when it comes to teaching,

as I feel I am better prepared to plan, instruct, and assess, which are all major factors in

becoming an effective teacher (DOE/CAEP Claim 2). Many of the courses I was enrolled in

provided me useful and practical knowledge for the field of education, from planning,

instructing, and assessing, to classroom management, cultural diversity, special education, and

specific content areas such as Math, Science, Language Arts, and Technology (DOE/CAEP

Claim 1).
 While I was in my first semester at Medaille, I was enrolled in a class called The Core of

Education, in which we were introduced to the comprehensive and extensive Medaille lesson

plans that follow the format for the EdTPA teacher certification exams. This course not only

provided a wonderful foundation for the lessons plans we would go on to create for the rest of

our time at Medaille, but also began to prepare us for one of the certification exams. In this

course we also learned how to plan a learning segment along with different assessments. Our

professor was extremely knowledgeable and modelled excellent “best teaching practices”

included allowing us to practice what we had planned on our class as well as highlighting the

importance of planning for accommodations and modifications to meet the needs of our diverse

learners (DOE/CAEP Claims 1 & 2).

Another class from my first semester at Medaille that left quite the impression on me was

my Fieldwork course which we spent a great amount of time learning about effective classroom

management techniques as well as home-school connections. Within the class, we each created

our own Classroom Management Fun Boxes in which we complied various tools and items to

help us along in our classroom management that we had connected and supported with theory.

One of the most useful things I have taken away from that course was from a day when each of

us presented our Classroom Management Fun Boxes to the class. It was so helpful to hear all of

the different classroom management tools and ideas that each one of my peers had to share, in

which they described the ways we could use different items and methods to better manage our

classroom, or even certain items to assist students with varying needs within our classrooms

(DOE/CAEP Claims 2 & 3). I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had to hear from my

peers as collaboration with my group have given me a much deeper understanding and practical

tool box to use within my own classroom someday.

 In my second semester at Medaille, I completed a course called Technology for the

Elementary Classroom, in which we were taught multiple methods and platforms for effectively

integrating technology in the classroom. This was a fast-paced but extremely valuable course as

we are living in the technological age where teachers must be well-informed in technological

platforms and resources available. Students are exposed to technology on a daily basis and it has

become a part of regular life, because of this, it is necessary to incorporate technology in the

classroom to keep up with the times and capture the students’ attention. Using technology in the

classroom also allows for interactive and dynamic learning as well as provides different types of

instruction to meet the needs of all learners (DOE/CAEP Claim 2). This class also taught us

about digital citizenship and how to effectively teach different aged students about cyber safety

and digital citizenship. Having the opportunity to learn and practice different types of technology

and how they can be used to promote learning in the classroom was one of the most valuable

takeaways from my time at Medaille. Our professor was very helpful and knowledgeable in

modelling and instructing us in the use of new technologies that will allow us to reach our

students on a greater level.

In my second semester, I also completed a course called Transitions from Education’s

Roots to the Present, which provided an excellent understanding in the development and

progression in education over time as well as the development of Pedagogy itself. Throughout

this course we examined several different educational theorists that have influenced education

over the years as well as those who have had a significant influence on modern education. This

course was very useful for learning about the different theorists that have contributed to my

understanding of education as well as examining the various “Best Teaching Practices” that can

be observed from each one of them. As an effective educator, it is good to be in the habit of
supporting your actions with research and theory, and this class provided a great foundation and

understanding for being able to use different theories to support our views on best practices in

the classroom (DOE/CAEP Claim 2).

Another class from my second semester at Medaille that resonated with me was my

Introduction to Special Education course. In this class we learned about different needs that

students in our classrooms may have due to varying abilities as well as the ways in which we can

provide more effective instruction and resources to our students so that their differences do not

get in the way of their learning. We also learned the practical uses and forms of IEPs that

students in our room may have and spent a significant amount of time analyzing different IEPs as

well as types of accommodations, modifications, and resources provided to students with varying

needs, by law. Another useful part from this course was when each of use created a presentation

on a different ability or need; this provided extensive knowledge into many different disabilities

that some of our students in our classroom may have as well as more further information for

providing effective instruction and resources to the students depending on their unique needs.

This class was exceptionally informative for ways in which we can plan for varied instruction

and modified assessments or accommodations to provide a fair and better learning experience for

students who require special education (DOE/CAEP Claims 2 & 3).

Within the second semester, I also had a course in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy that

examined Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) and the types of diversity we need to prepare

for and embrace in our classrooms. I thought that this was such a great course because it

provided very real classroom breakdowns depicting the various types of students that would all

share a class and emphasized how each one of their differences needed to be embraced and

appreciated in order for each student to feel like they truly belong are that they are safe and part
of the class family. Having this outlook is vital for entering the field of education, because you

never want any of your students to feel like outsiders or that they do not have a place in your

classroom. When students feel safe and loved and are able to have their differences celebrated in

the classroom, this creates a positive learning environment that will foster greater learning and

growth (DOE/CAEP Claims 2 & 3). Learning how to incorporate CRT as a best practice is one

of the most valuable and necessary things I have learned while at Medaille.

In this final semester of courses at Medaille, I have had classes that provide best teaching

practices and instruction for classes of varying content areas, such as Math, Science, Language

Arts, Social Studies, and Assessing Literacy, that have all supported my development and

abilities in planning, instruction, and assessments. Having courses on specific content areas has

helped me become more aware of the different content curriculum standards as well as ways to

provide effective instruction and evaluations in those areas. In order to effectively teach

elementary, you need to have a deep understanding of the different content areas along with best

teaching practices to provide effective classes. I am grateful for the courses I have had this

semester that deepen my understanding in the different content areas allowing me to become a

more well-rounded and effective teacher (DOE/CAEP Claims 1 & 2).

Readiness to Become a Teacher

Through my previous experiences in working with children, my many years of

experience teaching abroad, as well as my near completion of my studies at Medaille College I

feel prepared to become a teacher. Medaille College has provided the pedagogical backing and

expertise I need to pursue my teaching certification and I am very excited for the opportunity to
be in a classroom again. I have always loved working with children, but after gaining classroom

experience and finding my love for teaching, I cannot imagine doing anything else.

I am very passionate about providing each child the best possible education I can give

them and am committed to finding different ways to reach them. While teaching English in

Mexico, I realized that not every student will learn the same way, so I made it my goal to find

different ways to reach the students so that they are able to learn and grow (DOE/CAEP Claim

3). That same commitment is still in me, and through my studies at Medaille College I am now

much better equipped and knowledgeable to be able to vary instruction as well as reflect and

reteach as I need to in order to ensure students are receiving the best education possible.

I have always felt a strong desire to encourage and empower children as they grow and

have become a positive role-model in the lives of my former students as well as other children in

my life. I love the idea of providing a positive environment and example for the students, one in

which they feel safe and cared for (DOE/CAEP Claim 3). I want to be able to create a safe

learning environment where students feel they can be themselves, learn, grow, and make

mistakes just the same, and understand the time and care it takes to build this classroom

environments by collaborating with your students to create a very clear set of expectations for

the class. Collaborating with the students to create rules and expectations for the classroom

allows them to take part in creating the positive learning environment in which they will take a

greater responsibility to maintain (DOE/CAEP Claim 2). Through my experiences and my

preparation at Medaille I feel as though I am prepared to provide effective classroom

management as a teacher.

I am ready to become a teacher because during my time at Medaille College I have

developed my abilities and skills to successfully plan, instruct, and assess, within the classroom
(DOE/CAEP Claims 1 & 2). Each one of my classes provided extensive practice in lesson

planning and varying instruction and assessments to meet the needs of the diverse learners I will

have in my class one day. Feeling confident in these areas of teacher competencies is important

as a future educator because these are some of the major areas of competencies to know in order

to perform the required tasks as a teacher effectively.

I am prepared to become an educator because I understand the importance of observing

and appreciating the diversity within each classroom. I know that every student comes from a

different home and background and that it is important to bring who they are and what they

know from their personal experiences to the classroom to practise effective CRT (DOE/CAEP

Claims 2 & 3). Through my training at Medaille in CRT as well as my Dignity for All Students

Act (DASA) training, I feel confident that I will consider and plan for diversity and respect

within my classroom.

I feel prepared as a teacher in the area of technology and being able to successful

incorporate technology in the classroom to promote effective learning. As I have grown up in the

age of technology and am confident with various technological outlets I feel as though I am at an

advantage for navigating technology within the classroom. Through my studies at Medaille I

have learned and practiced many different forms of technology and their uses for effective,

hands-on, interactive, dynamic, and adaptable forms of instruction and learning (DOE/CAEP

Claim 2). The tools I have learned are invaluable for incorporating technology in the classroom

and I feel well-prepared to use technology in the classroom.

I understand the importance of collaboration with students, parents, and other teachers, as

an educator. I feel prepared to collaborate with others to ensure that the educational standards are

fulfilled and that each student receives the best possible education (DOE/CAEP Claim 3). In my
past experiences as an English director and English teacher, I spent countless time collaborating

with the other teachers and directors to further develop the school’s English department, and

truly valued that time of collaboration as we were able to find common ground and advance the

department. Likewise, during my time at Medaille College, I have completed several group

assignments, projects, and presentations, in which I needed to collaborate with others to achieve

a common goal, as well as collaborating with my classmates on a regular basis in order to learn

from them, both inside and out of school (DOE/CAEP Claim 3).

I am knowledgeable in the different content areas and have gained a great understanding

of the curriculum and profession standards for both the United States and Canada, during my

time at Medaille, which demonstrates my preparedness in those areas of teacher competencies

(DOE/CAEP Claim 1). I am also committed to be a life-long learner; as instruction changes and

advances and new methods of educating come into play, I am dedicated to further my

professional development in all areas of education and the teacher competencies. As we advance

as a society, there are new ways of implementing content and I seek to constantly improve and

develop alongside my students (DOE/CAEP Claim 3).

Conclusion

I know that I am ready to enter the field of education as I have the personality traits and

beliefs to be a caring teaching and provide a positive learning environment. I also have the

academic backing and experience to be able to plan, instruct, and assess, as my students learn

and grow. In this section of the portfolio I took the time to reflect on the importance of this

project itself, as well as my teacher education program at Medaille College. The main sections

contain the reflection of the project and the Medaille Teacher Preparation Program, as well as my
readiness to become a teacher. In the next section of the portfolio, I will provide a link to watch

my teacher interview video responses and will also include a text breakdown of each of the

interview questions and my responses. The interview video simulates a job interview in which I

will provide evidence to for my abilities and teacher skills.