MSED ELEMENTARY PORTFOLIO PROJECT

Section 5
Teacher Candidate Reflection Guidelines
Introduction
The MSED portfolio project is a culmination of all of my efforts in the MSED Childhood
program at Medaille College. The experience and perspective that I have gained during this
program will aid me in my quest for employment in the field of education.
Prior to this program I gathered years of experience working in the field of education both
domestically and abroad. All of those experiences were valuable, but none of them gave me the
formal training necessary for success in the field of education.
The Medaille College MSED Childhood program gave me training and practice in
classroom management, planning, instruction, assessment, effective pedagogy, best teaching
practices, accommodations, culturally responsive teaching, professional dispositions, and ethics.
I feel that this program has allowed me to take the knowledge I previously had, and utilize
it to improve every aspect of myself, both personally and professionally.
I have also become a caring and reflective educator, one that will ensure the success of my
future students. Not only will my students have the opportunity to learn from an educator that
cares, they will also have the opportunity to become better citizens of our community and society
as a whole.
I look forward and see a world of potential for my students in the future. Medaille College
has provided essential training for me to become literate in the technological advancements of

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the classroom. Smart Board training is at the forefront of technology in todays classroom. I
believe that I have worked with the finest training staff available. I have been given every
opportunity to engage my students in lessons that are active and technologically sound.
In displaying my artifacts for the portfolio project, I was able to show the connections
between my work and Provincial and State standards. Curriculum standards are the backbone of
education both in Ontario and New York State. As I created my lesson plan, unit plan, and all of
my corresponding artifacts, I payed close attention to meeting and exceeding these standards.
My students will gain great benefits through my ability to provide them with lessons that
follow Provincial and State Standards. They will be offered lessons that offer them equal
opportunity to learn at the same pace as all students throughout the Province of Ontario and New
York State.
Mathematics, Science, Language, Social Studies, History, Health and Physical, and The
Arts are the content areas that I have focused on during my time at Medaille College. I believe
that I have the full capability to teach content material for Grade 1-6 students.
Portfolio Project/Teacher Education Learning Experiences
My educational experience thus far has been a great indication of my passion and
dedication to the field of education. I have travelled the world as an English instructor, I have
completed student teaching placements in one of the most diverse regions of Canada, and I am
completing the MSED Childhood program at Medaille College. All of these experiences have
kept my passion of becoming a professional educator alive and in constant pursuit of
improvement.

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It is my plan to continue to be a life-long learner in education. I can accomplish this goal

by dedicating my time to improving the classroom on a daily basis and by taking additional
qualification courses. I want to constantly be on the cutting edge of education, this can allow me
to offer students the best possible education.
As I began my foray into education I looked for an outlet that would allow me to pursue
teaching in a constructive and positive way. Travelling to South Korea allowed me to gain the
experience in the classroom that I needed to be successful in the MSED Childhood program.
I had the opportunity to educate thousands of students in my seven years of teaching
experience in South Korea. During this time I was forming my foundation in planning,
instruction, and assessment methods. I was incorporating academic rigor into my everyday
interactions with the students in South Korea. I would develop lesson plans that were culturally
responsive and content specific. As the Head Foreign teacher at the private school I worked at,
my fellow co-teachers were required to provide me with their lesson planning attempts. This
was done so I could approve and correct their planning. As a result, the students truly enjoyed
my engaging lessons, and it was exemplified through their successes.
My time in South Korea allowed me to fully express who I am as a person. I was able to
implement curriculum that I helped develop, and interact with students in a fun and engaging
atmosphere. My time there was well spent; it allowed me to see what my strengths and
weakness as an educator are. I took what I learned there and applied it to my studies at Medaille.
This has helped me gain great perspective and knowledge in the field of education.

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Student teaching is the most beneficial aspect of the MSED childhood program at Medaille
College. All of the courses outside of student teaching have great value, but the student teaching
placements offer a dynamic experience like no other.
The two student teaching placements that I had were at elementary schools in Brampton,
Ontario. Brampton is a suburb of Toronto, Ontario. These cities offer the most culturally diverse
communities in Canada. I was raised and educated in Brampton until the end of high-school. I
embrace diversity as something that allows me to extend my educational services to every
culture of the world. I believe that Canada is at the forefront of cultural diversity, and Im glad
to be a part of it.
During my student teaching experiences I was able to utilize what I have learned in the
Medaille College classrooms. Of particular note was the ability to plan, instruct, and assess my
students.
My classroom management skills are very well rounded; my experience in the classroom
has led to that. Planning, instruction, and assessment in the elementary school classroom was
something that I lacked experience with.
My associate teachers gave me great insight into planning. Content resource materials
were at the center of this process. My associate teachers instructed me on the most effective
ways to locate and utilize resources for planning lessons. I believe that this was an invaluable
lesson because it gave me the opportunity to experience real world classroom difficulties.
Materials were at times difficult to locate, or completely unavailable. My associate teachers
provided me with a wealth of knowledge in terms of locating materials that were not provided by

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the school. They led me to outside sources for instruction material, and expanded my though
process of being a self-sufficient educator. I greatly appreciated their efforts.
When it came to instruction my associate teachers assisted me with timing. Real world
classroom instruction is not the same as presenting in a Medaille College classroom. The effects
of interruptions, school assemblies, school religious events, and the daily life of a teacher takes a
lot of time away from instruction. My associate teachers gave me the insight to keep a rigorous
pace in order to meet curriculum standards. The students benefitted from this as they were able
to receive the content they needed.
My associate teachers also introduced me to creating valid assessments through the use of
rubrics. Rubrics are an easy way for both parents and students to understand the academic
expectations for a particular assessment. I was able to utilize rubrics for most of the lessons that
I taught during my student teaching placements. The result was students that understood exactly
what they needed to do to achieve academic success. That aspect of the classroom made my job
as a student teacher valid. The ability to offer students that rigor from my lessons was fulfilling.
Overall, my experience as a student teacher was superb. I will take what I learned during
that experience with me for the rest of my teaching career.
Finally, the Medaille College Master of Science in Childhood Education program has
transformed me into the educator that I always wanted to be. I am a logical, caring, attentive,
and kind instructor.
All of the classes that I took during my time at Medaille had great value in education
instruction. The professors I learned from are constantly improving their techniques and

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allowing me to learn from the best of the best. I am extremely glad that I was given the
opportunity to achieve success at Medaille College.
I was put into situations that allowed me to blossom as an educator. All content areas were
covered, in-class experiences allowed me to display who I am as an educator. I pay great
attention to detail and strive for the highest of academic achievement.
Medaille College has provided me with a path for a fruitful and extensive career as a
professional educator. I plan to represent Medaille College throughout my entire career, I have
nothing but respect for this fine institution.
Readiness to become a teacher
There are three major factors that display that I am ready to become a professional
educator. My experience, my training, and my intention are the corner stones to become a lifelong learner in the field of education.
As this portfolio explains, my love for teaching began at a young age. I followed through
with that passion as I matured, and I went to great lengths to be involved in society as a teacher.
I completed a high school co-op program in a Grade 3 classroom. I was a camp counselor for the
City of Brampton. I was the before and after school program supervisor for Mini Skool A
Childs Place. I was the Head Foreign teacher for Wonderland English Institute in South Korea.
I was an English professor at Seowon University in South Korea. My experiences have taken me
across the world with one goal in mind, educate our future. Give students every opportunity to
succeed with education. Give students the opportunity to enjoy lifes challenges and meet them
head on. Give students the chance to live in a world full of respect, honesty, and patience. My
passion for education is unsurpassed. I am ready to be a teacher because I already am a teacher.

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Medaille College has allowed me to surpass all of my expectations as an educator. I could

not have asked for better teacher training anywhere in the world. Medaille College provided me
with the tools and content to exceed the entire requirement to be a teacher. I am ready for
classroom management, planning, instruction, assessment, effective pedagogy, best teaching
practices, accommodations, culturally responsive teaching, professional dispositions, and ethics.
Medaille College continues to impress me on a daily basis. I am very thankful and
fortunate to have experienced the MSED Childhood program. I look forward to using my skills
as a teacher at every opportunity I have.
As a life-long learner, I realize that there is no end to my education. I understand that this
task will take great devotion and patience. We live in an ever changing world. I expect that to
continue as a valid professional educator I need to consistently upgrade my skills and techniques.
This is what makes education amazing. The fact is that new more effective methods of education
can be discovered and developed at any time.
I am very glad to be a part of this community, I will do my best to not only keep up with
current trends, but develop my own techniques that could prove to be valuable for others as well.
I am a teacher now; my experience, education, and dedication to life-long learning have
taken me there.

Conclusion
The Medaille College MSED Childhood portfolio project has enlightened me and allowed
me to be self-reflective. I always knew that I had the ability to become a professional educator,

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instructor, teacher. This project is proof of my ability and existence in this spectrum. I will use
the portfolio as a guide and center piece of my education.
I look forward to my first day on the job. The opportunity to help students learn has
always warmed my soul. I want us to live in a world of dignity, respect, and peace for all. I will
allow every student I meet the opportunity to meet this goal.