Section Five: Teacher Candidate Reflection Guidelines

Introduction

In this section of my portfolio, I will be reflecting upon the journey that has been this portfolio

project, as well as my educational experiences that I have gone through during my graduate studies at

Medaille College, as well as my time at the University of Toronto. Additionally, I will reflect on my

preparation to become an educator in the future. In this section I will also make connections between

CAEP/TEAC claims in regards to the work I have done in the MSED program at Medaille College, and

reflect upon the projects and courses as they pertain to my preparation to take on the role of an educator in

the future.

Portfolio Project/Teacher Education Learning Experiences

In regards to preparation for the role of an educator, I believe it is crucial to learn how to teach

the base subjects that will prove important to a child’s development and success in the future: ELA, math,

science, and social studies. During my time at Medaille College, I was privileged to have been instructed

by such knowledgeable professionals in their respective fields on how to go about teaching elementary

school students how to be successful in the previously mentioned subjects. Through these classes, my

cohort and I have been taught how to create lesson plans, learning segments, and create engaging

activities and evaluation methods after effectively applying curriculum standards such as Common Core

and the Ontario Curriculum to our goals. Being able to go through these steps, and then present our work

to the class the way we would in a classroom was an excellent learning experience, and I believe directly

connects to TEAC/CAEP Claim #1: Subject Matter, as the planning, evaluation, and execution of those

steps identify my knowledge of subject matter and my ability to effectively teach it.

Additionally, a course that I found beneficial and positively impactful to my preparation as a

future educator was an educational technology course at Medaille College. Coming into my graduate
studies, I was extremely confident in my technological abilities and literacy, and had reason to be based

on past experience in technology in general. However, when it came to utilizing educational programs, it

was an eye-opening and extremely enjoyable experience as to another context in tech for me to develop

skills in. Learning how to use a SMART Board, and become effective in SMART Notebook technology

has been my most rewarding experience yet during my graduate studies, as the SMART Author

Presentation assignment took the most effort out of any assignment I had completed at Medaille, and I

achieved a 158/160 during evaluation. This, plus creating a Weebly website to learn how to follow the

flipped classroom approach and compliment different learning styles as well as providing technology with

a purpose for students, can directly connect to both TEACH/CAEP Claims 1 (Subject Matter) and 2

(Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practice), as I displayed competency in the subject matter that is purposeful

technology in the classroom, and I displayed best teaching practice by providing a communication hub for

parents, students, and other family members to stay in tune with what is going on in the classroom in a

user-friendly way.

During my last semester of classes prior to my student-teaching placement, I took an incredibly

influential course, taught by an even more influential instructor. Diversity and Culturally Responsive

Teaching, instructed by Dr. Lorenda Chisolm was one of the most engaging learning experiences I have

had to this day, for multiple reasons. The topics discussed in detail have always been and always will be

hot-button topics (race, gender, sexuality, etc), which should be engaging simply on the basis that they are

impactful in everyone’s lives to some degree. Additionally, Dr. Chisolm is incredibly accomplished and

has the experience behind her to effectively discuss these topics (former undercover narcotics officer,

EdD, former principle, and the list goes on), which made the whole learning experience much more

organic. Growing up in a multicultural city and attending a very liberal university (University of

Toronto), I believed that I was well-versed in how to be culturally responsive, and I was still able to draw

in so much beneficial information on how to bring diversity into my classroom, handle controversial
topics, and ensure that all my students, from all walks of life, feel safe and accepted in my classroom.

This very clearly connects to TEAC/CAEP Claim 3, Caring Educators.

My time at Buffalo Prep was a very beneficial, practical learning experience for my cohort and I.

It was incredibly eye-opening, as it provided a glimpse into the potential students have if given the

opportunity to truly grow said potential. Buffalo Prep was a weekend educational program taught by

qualified professionals, to provide preparation for gifted students from minority backgrounds for their

educational futures. In this program, they were taught science, math, and more, with the opportunity and

assistance in applying for grants and scholarships to esteemed secondary education institutes, and colleges

as well. Seeing Buffalo Prep in action first hand was incredible, as it provided me with the notion that

there are ways to take education and provide it for those that really need it, beyond the orthodox Monday

to Friday systems in place. Sometimes, going above and beyond for people that need it, can take very

little out of your efforts if you have the means to progress or have already progressed, and foster growth

and prosperity tenfold in those that need it the most. This experience can directly connect to TEAC/CAEP

Claims 2 (Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices) and 3 (Caring Educators).

During my time at Medaille College, the educational experiences I have gone through have been

so beneficial to preparing me to become a future educator, and this portfolio project has helped reveal that

to me. In completing my portfolio, I have been able to reflect on what I have succeeded in during my

graduate studies, and what I still have room to work on in order to make me the best possible educator I

can be. I am thankful for the incredibly knowledgeable instructors that have helped foster growth in my

own education, so that I can do the same for my future students.

Readiness to Become a Teacher

I remember being an elementary-aged child, and being brought in to my mother’s grade 1

classroom to “help” set up the room at the end of every summer. By “help,” when I look back at it, I am
sure she meant she wanted me in sight so that I don’t tear the house apart while she was gone for the day.

However, it was during those set up sessions that I really became interested in what my mother did for a

living, and it translated into the future where I volunteered in her classroom, to where I inevitably ended

up today – in the MSED graduate program at Medaille College. I say “inevitably” as it was the ongoing

joke between my mother and I, that I was simply following her steps to success in life: do well in

elementary and high school, struggle in math, go to the University of Toronto, go to the United States for

a MSED program, and become a teacher. I can confidently say that as funny as it is that I ended up

following her path without realizing it, it’s been the best choice I made for myself.

During my time in the University of Toronto’s Bachelor of Kinesiology undergraduate program, I

had not decided that I wanted to go into teaching, however many of the parts of my degree that I enjoyed,

involved necessary skills used in teaching. I thoroughly enjoyed program design - be it rehabilitation,

strength and speed training, hypertrophy training, and more – as I was able to take my knowledge of the

subject matter (human physiology, anatomy, energy systems, nutrition, injury history, etc) and teach it to

others through first applying it to a plan, and then coaching and evaluating through the process the

individual took. In comparison to education, those steps can be related to applying curriculum standards

to a lesson plan to meet objectives, make adaptations based on knowledge of students in the class, and

effectively expressing myself to students in general. Additionally, part of my required practical courses -

known as PRA Classes - required the coaching of certain phys-ed activities across different age groups,

from childhood into senior citizens. Although it was not my main goal at the time, my strengths during

my undergraduate education ended up helping me make the decision to apply to the MSED program at

Medaille College, where I could take my strengths and apply them directly to the betterment of the lives

of children in the classroom.

My experience in the MSED graduate program at Medaille College has prepared me to enter the

field of education, as it has provided me with a vast wealth of information taught by incredibly

experienced, professional, caring instructors. These individuals have gone above and beyond to ensure
that every member of the F76 cohort I am part of have the skills needed to enter a school environment and

ensure that all of our students gain an equal and powerful education. I have learned how to analyze and

utilize curriculum standards for ELA, math, science, social studies, and technology. I have learned how to

develop lesson plans and learning segments based on those curriculum standards, and develop objectives

and learning outcomes for students using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Additionally, I have learned how to

evaluate the modifications, adaptations, and resources in place in order to ensure that students that require

them get them, and how to structure lessons and learning segments in ways that ensure students that

require extra assistance still get an equal education to their peers. Furthermore, I have received multiple

certificates for professional development, that demonstrate my preparation to utilize technology

purposefully, as well as provide a safe learning environment for students. Finally, I was able to take my

strengths in technology and further develop my abilities by diving in to the ever-evolving world of

technology in education, used purposefully rather than for the sake of using technology in the classroom. I

believe that I can and will effectively demonstrate my knowledge of subject matter, best teaching practice

for all students, and that I am a caring educator because of my educational experiences at Medaille

College, and it is because of these experiences that I believe my readiness to teach is where I need it to be

to confidently get into a classroom and benefit all the children present.

Conclusion

The path that brought me to where I am today was anything but clear and concise, but upon

reflection it is easy to see that the signs pointing me to the field of education were there the whole time.

My mother’s productive form of babysitting by having me “help” her classroom set up as a child got my

interest. My love for instruction, explanation, and general teaching shined in my program design,

coaching, and evaluation during my Bachelor of Kinesiology undergraduate education. My Master of

Education graduate studies at Medaille College, through in-class experiences and practical application are

what truly showed me that being a teacher is what I was meant to do, as cliché as that may sound. I am

thrilled at what is still to come on this journey. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to take my
undergraduate education, and my love for health, exercise, fitness, and nutrition, and pass that down to

the children that I have in my classroom. Health and wellness, good habits, and avoidance of medical

problems throughout life all start at childhood if implemented correctly. Good health and the ability to

succeed in post-secondary education and then adulthood go hand-in-hand. If I can have the opportunity to

benefit the lives of my students beyond textbooks and lesson plans, I’ll know that I am truly making a

difference in this world, and that is all I can ask for as this journey continues.