Section Two:

Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction
To claim that I deliberately followed the path of education and work experiences to this
very moment would be furthest from the truth. Although, I enjoyed some aspects of my
educational and work experiences, becoming a professional teacher wasnt a vision. Reflecting
upon those earlier year however, reveals the common theme of a willingness to help others and
to be seen as an asset to the team. My goal was never to have the sole spotlight on me but rather
to be seen in the spotlight with those whom are and I perceived as great. Through the tutelage of
the M.S. Ed. program offered by Medaille College; in conjunction with the quality of character I
possess and a desire to continuously learn has resulted in what I believe is a strong teacher
candidate for the role of a professional teacher.
In section one of my portfolio project introduction I mention that this is an opportunity to
increase my visibility as a professional and demonstrate to you, the reader that I possess the
major teacher competencies of a planner, instructor, evaluator, an integrator of educational
technology, adapting and accommodating, caring for my students, a creator and maintainer of a
positive learning environment that also contributes to the motivation of my students willingness
to learn, a collaborator and a professional that will adhere to standards and developments in order
to showcase my readiness as a professional teacher. In section two of my M.S. Ed. portfolio, we
will explore my educational background, work experiences, philosophy of education, school
observations, classroom applications, my personal resume and a conclusion summarizing the
importance of my professional development journey thus far.

Educational Background
My educational interests from my secondary school experiences are visual arts, math, law
and physical education. As general and random as they are, the pattern remained with me in
university where I took a class in marketing which I found interesting but I very much enjoyed
taking classes focusing primarily on sociology, criminology and religious studies. There has
always been something about the way people think and the paths that they follow which
intrigued me. One of my more memorable moments in education took place outside of the
classroom. As a student athlete, I partook in many public relations events but visiting and
speaking with elementary aged children at their schools was by far one of my favorites. Perhaps,
the enjoyment was as a result in part to my youth and my position in the community as a student
athlete but I will forever remember the attention garnered from those wide-eyed youth at those
schools. I would be in the classroom and the enjoyment on their tiny faces was amazing to
witness. They were genuine and eager to listen and learn from what I had to say. I would
deliver a message that encompassed paying attention to your teachers and parents, working hard
to be successful, following your dreams, not giving up when things get tough and most
importantly have fun in what you do.
Students would ask typical questions pertaining to my student athlete endeavors and I
would listen to statements of what the students wanted to be when they grew up. On one
particular visit, we engaged the students in the manner that we normally did but to me the
responses were overshadowed by some of their questions. There were several students that
asked what is university for, and how do they get there? I was left wondering how they didnt
know about the university, when children of the same age in the same grades in not so far off
surrounding knew of it. I asked myself was it really that different with the short drive over to the

other side of the tracks? It wasnt at that moment I realized I wanted to be a teacher but it was
more in line with I wanted to those students to be aware of the options available to them.
In elementary school we are liken to sponges, absorbing vast amounts of information and
continually acting out as a way to learn. In secondary school we begin to harness the acting and
channel our efforts into exploring paths that require us to seek and test our capabilities. In post
secondary school we feel that we have arrived and are ready to discover what lies ahead. This
statement holds true as there was a lot to be discovered while I attended university.
As trends would have it, another memorable moment of educational experience I encountered
outside of the classroom would happen yet again in university but in an unconventional role. It
wasnt uncommon to have student athletes assist in operating elementary school winter, spring,
or summer break camps. What was uncommon with this particular scenario, is that I was a
student athlete in the sport of football, helping operating a basketball camp for elementary and
high school aged students. Given my status amongst my fellow student athletes who were all
basketball players, I was given the honor of working with the camps youngest age group. This
group was considered by most as the baby sitters club. A group of twelve to fifteen, seven-yearold students looking at me; waiting to be imparted upon with my basketball knowledge.
Reflecting upon this period in time, it is clear that perhaps I was a natural and this was just the
start of a very long journey towards my now goal of being a professional teacher.
My anticipatory set comprised of briefly taking a moment for my group to observe the
older and more skilled basketball students in action and then addressing my students. I provided
my students with a challenge, that challenge was to follow instructions and work hard to show
and prove that they were better then the students that the just stood and watched with
amazement. The baby sitters club notion had vanished and what I had before me was a well

oiled, fine tuned instrument of young boys following their teacher in an I do, we do, you do
fashion. Drills, skills and chants from our group began to fill the gymnasium and turn heads. I
was able to turn to my students and state that they are now watching us and learning how to get
things done right.
Adversity is a strange state of affairs. In some cases adversity discourages and or knocks
you down and you may not recover. There is also the opposite of the same scenario where you
get knocked down or discouraged but you come back stronger or better for the experience. The
latter, where you are discouraged and come back better for the experience is how I would
describe my journey from secondary education into post secondary education. I was once
thought of and told that a university career may not be the most suitable path for me to embark.
However, I had a guardian angel of sorts in a physical education teacher that looked out for me
and provided guidance. Mr. P embodied the teacher competencies that I discuss in my
elementary portfolio project. Mr. P had motivational strategies; he helped students to learn to
their potential; he cared for his students; and he was a collaborator. In my biased opinion he was
instrumental in organizing a meeting with my soon to be university football coach. Coach U
turned out to be another individual in my life that taught me valuable lessons outside of the
classroom.
Coach U demonstrated trust and believed in me as a student athlete. Coach U, instilled in
me the confidence that lead me to believe and display that with good, hard work the results
would be rewarding. Coach U opened the door of opportunity for me to attend university on the
east coast of Canada. His insight (although questioned in silence by me in the start) was
impeccable and he later demonstrated his trust. Coach U, at the start of training camp placed me
with the receivers. This was alarming to me, I was a descent athlete in high school and I played

a few positions but never anything that required me to run or catch a football. It was a long way
to travel to be placed on a roster of non-playing players or worse yet, cut from the team. I
mentioned earlier his insight was impeccable; I made the final roster as a rookie-starting
receiver, became a conference all-star in my second year and remain a starter for my four years
of university.
Coach Us trust for me became very evident in the off-season of my first year. Coach U
was a man of very little words but his actions resonated positively with many people he came
into contact with, including myself. Coach U taught me by example, and through my own
experiences. For that I will always be grateful. Unfortunately, Coach U passed away from ALS
disease on the 25th of December in 2002. Mr. P and Coach U will always be remembered as
ultimate educators.

Work Experiences
Upon the completion of university marked the end of my career as a student athlete and
the notion of playing football overseas; but a new direction in life would emerge. This direction
would start out as an office worker in several different roles of business. While exploring my
roles in the world of business paid the bills a void that required attention was met through my
efforts in volunteering. I began volunteering as a position coach for a local youth football
program and from there added the extra responsibilities at a youth correctional / treatment center
as a mentor.
The role of mentoring was the catalyst that launched my adventures into the world of social
services. Thus began my first paid experience as an adolescent councilor for a group home and
treatment center agency. The primary function of the role was to instill a lifestyle of rules and

routines to follow with the expectations of readjusting into a world from which turmoil and
chaos was dominant. This councilor career took place in the heart of the urbanized city and in
the summer time relocated to the isolation of the northern less populated country retreat.
My first paid experience was a solid foundation from which I built upon and sought new
challenges to become successful in. In the year 2000 I began working for a school board that
placed me in a special education classroom located in a suburban area with students that varied
in age, possessed developmental delays or learning disability and mostly major behavior issues.
I spent a year working with these students in a capacity that would see them segregated or
integrated with and from their peers. When segregated from their peers it was usually a case of
the student not being able to manage their behaviors in their integrated settings. I would focus
on reengaging the appropriate behaviors from the segregated setting before weighing the options
of remaining or returning to the integrated setting. This method of operation was invaluable and
allowed for the understanding that reengaging a child with behavioral issues to complete work
was pointless if they werent of the correct mindset.
My next role found me in a similar program with students with minimal behaviors but
higher learning disabilities and developmental delays also for a year. These sets of students were
located in a high school level special education classroom, which was segregated from the
mainstream high school classroom system. Although, these students were provided with an
altered curriculum the major area of focus was social and life skills. During this time period I
exercised my creativity by developing curriculum that was specific to the students general needs
based upon their cognitive capabilities. This was an important time to also partake in seeking
instruction and ideas from colleagues on how to approach the situation in helping the students
meet their needs personally and educationally.

Two years into being a part of the school boards special education department at two
different levels, lead to my most challenging role. I became part of a six-person behavioral team
that was overseen by a regional coordinator of student services and principal along with the
regional superintendent. The team was comprised of two teachers and four behavior itinerants,
split into two equal groups to cover roughly 40 schools. The teams were designed to collaborate
with teachers, administration, parents, and students and outside agencies in various capacities.
The teams worked towards ensuring that struggling students or students experiencing emergency
emotional breakdowns were cared for with the least intrusive measures but on an optimal level
providing support for success. Long range and short term plans were an integral part of the
measures put in place to achieve success along with observations, instructions, accommodations,
best teaching practices, classroom management, and collaboration as the foundation.

School Observations
Its quite possible that for some teacher candidates they have never set foot in a
classroom for a role in which they are an observer. Although, I had been removed for some
length of time, it was evident that I was soon to become a participating observer. My natural
abilities along with the teachers blessing soon had me interacting in a capacity that lead to the
children seeking my assistance. Even with my interactions I managed to fulfill my duties of
recording observations. My first set of observations began in a local school in the suburban
Buffalo, NY area. This was a Saturday prep school for students looking to improve and increase
their opportunities at attending and maintaining their educational endeavors at highly ranked area
schools. I had the pleasure of attending two separate classrooms one in grade six and the other in
grade seven.

My first observation began in a grade six classroom where the students marched in and
were aware of a stranger in the classroom but went on with their morning rituals as though they
were used to guest arriving or being in their surroundings. The students were directed to
organize themselves into circled groups to discuss their focus topic. To start the lesson the
students were a little unorganized but with the guidance from their teacher they were able to
focus and get on track. The teacher was able to settle the class with the use of her regular toned
voice and a at ease body stance from the front of the classroom. I found that the circled groups
method of teaching or approach to teaching was invaluable. Teaching or rather learning in this
method is called a Socratic Circle based on the philosopher Socrates. According to Lapp, Fisher,
and Frey, you know that effective grouping practices involve purposeful attention to the
curriculum, and you realize that there are many ways in which information can be shared and
learned. Instruction that incorporates flexible grouping patterns requires students to work
together on tasks. When done well, these students benefit from increased knowledge of targeted
content and skills (Lapp & Fisher & Frey, 2012). Rather than the teacher standing at the front of
the class delivering a lecture, the students received some brief guidance and then where left to
discover and discuss amongst themselves with the teacher making her way around the classroom
providing aid or provoking thought through comments or suggestions. This teaching style
coincides with Boydstons work to give the pupils something to do; not something to learn; and
the doing of such a nature as to demand thinking and learning naturally results (Boydston, 2008,
p.161). While moving about the classroom myself observing the various conversations a set of
students invited me into their circle to provide them with some clarity but wished for me to
remain, as they were proud to display what they doing.

My visit to a grade seven classroom was quite similar in the sense that they were also established
in peer learning circles and eager to display their knowledge. While speaking with their teacher
it was clear that she had a student centered educational focus. Horn (2004) argues that children
are to be taught how to think not what to think. The students in this classroom where certainly
provided with the opportunity to explore their learning through each other and guidance when
needed from the teacher.
Lastly, the majority of my observations took place in Caledon, Ontario at a fairly new but
local suburban kindergarten to grade eight public school. I found split grade classrooms to be
very interesting from several perspectives. For some strange reason I was under the impression
that you tend to place brighter children of the younger grade in the slip classrooms given their
ability to handle perhaps a higher grade level of work. That impression may remain a myth
amongst others but from my observations its clearly no longer the case for me. Split grade
classroom are simply a physical blend of students, the teaching of academics and the learning are
completely separate. With a split class comes a double duty of sort, and requires collaboration
and coordination with colleagues from both grade levels. Observing in a split class has
highlighted the importance of time management and classroom management. Time is a very
precious commodity in an elementary class without it being a split class and recognizing when to
redirect off task or slipping off task students becomes even more imperative.
Essentially, split classs means double planning for most things in different areas of
academic grade levels. There were plenty of peer-to-peer inquiries taking place as the teacher
briefly addressed the lesson then allowed time for the students to work in pods of two and four.
Eric Mazurs thoughts on peer-to-peer learning are that peer learning involves communication
and the ability to articulate your thoughts. It also trains qualitative and quantitative thinking

skills, which are all skills that are crucially important (Pearson, 2015). The uniqueness of this
classroom was the manner in which the students adapted to lesson introductions and reviews.
While the teacher addressed the one half of class the other half focused on their tasks until the
teacher switched over and provided them with the necessary attention. It was also evident that
there were clear expectations laid out for all to adhere to when it came to respect in the
classroom. As one would expect, children do get loud and off task and require in most cases
some redirect. A grade five and six split was no different; however, redirection was at a very
minimum. When redirection was required it was a simple countdown from ten and then praise
towards the students for compliance and a reminder that everyone including the teacher needs to
have noise at a very minimum in order for everyone to be successful.

Classroom Application
After reflecting upon my observation what I have learned is that effective teachers are
constantly learning. Professional development in the form of workshops to enhance strong skills
sets and improve areas of weakness would be beneficial in the role of professional teacher in the
classroom. Teachers should be learning from themselves by way of mistakes and successes and
from the students under the same premise, what worked and what didnt work. Classroom
management is key, without an environment to promote healthy relationships based on mutual
respect for everyone and everything from within, the result would be dysfunctional. The
techniques I would like to apply if applicable to my future students would definitely encompass
students working in paired groups and or circled groups. Students working within group
conferencing that allows for peer-to-peer investigations and promotes peer discussion appeals to
me immensely. This type of teaching style provides the students with an empowered feeling and

allows them to feel at ease with making mistakes and then discovering the correct path of
knowledge. The teacher is able ask questions at any point of the lesson in order to get a snap
shot of the students understanding of the concept(s) or task.
Furthermore, a teacher has the ability to react to the feed back from the students. If all
feedback appears correct, the students may carry on until the teachers next check back or
review. If the feedback is unsatisfactory, the teacher may guide the students in the appropriate
direction; have the students confer amongst themselves and then re-engaged the students to
ascertain they have an appropriate understanding of the task or concept(s). When students feel
empowered by their learning, they feel engaged and apt to seek further challenges. Eric Mazur
believes the important part is learning by doing, which is how we all learn. Therefore, a good
approach is to use a combination of team based and project based learning (Pearson, 2015). I
believe student empowerment is a key component to classroom success and that is the type of
classroom I wish to develop.

Philosophy of Education
Introduction
As I share my philosophy of education with you it is my hopes that you find my personal
beliefs and perspectives about education as a process in development and not by any means a for
gone conclusion or critique which would be mistaken as disrespectful to the integrity of
education. All educators should strive for greatness. Educators should appreciate that its not
good enough to be simply great at teaching the ABC and 123. I believe that in order to achieve
greatness as an educator, one must learn about the person they wish to teach. An educator must
understand that every child has the potential to achieve an A grade but not all will accomplish

it. More importantly, children need to explore the world around them and the teacher needs to be
that coach to help them navigate. Elementary school is where the seed of knowledge is planted
and cultivated. The implementation of the knowledge base: Who, What, Where, When, Why
and How is the seed and the educator is the cultivator.
The school of philosophies that I feel I most closely associated with is Social
Reconstructionist / Critical Theorist. These schools of philosophies are created and followed by
the likes of Theodore Brameld and George Counts for Social Reconstructionism, and Critical
theory formed the by the likes Paulo Freire, Henry Giroux for the purpose of creating better
societies and improving humanity through education. Im not looking to educated children for
the purpose to overthrow governments of improper practices, but I am in favor of the students
growing up to understand the world around them and help them make better and more informed
decisions to enhances their chances at a better and brighter future.

The school
The purpose of school should be to enhance the students ability at ascertaining a better
and brighter future. We live in a world of seemingly endless and diverse challenges, and since
educational systems and schools are one of the primary means by which we develop
understanding and skills related to functioning in society, social reconstruction requires that
social reform serve as the primary goal of every students education (Zacko-Smith 2015).
Educational reconstruction purposefully and explicitly requires that our schools function as
change agents, empowering students to question the very systems in which they live and work,
and to create a society that is more equitable and just (Zacko-Smith 2015).
The curriculum
The subject matter of importance would obviously be social studies but reading, science,

writing, arts (visual and literature), physical education and math in my school would be of equal
consideration. Without the basic understandings of all subject matters students would and will
be at a disadvantage.
Learning
In a school guided by the Reconstructionist / Critical Theorist philosophies the learning
that takes place should mimic a style that compliments and enhances a students ability to
discover and explore. Michael Schiro explains how students participated in an initial discussion,
during which issues and values were highlighted and concerns to be explored were identified.
Students went on a field trip, engaged in a simulation, listened to a speaker, exchanged personal
experiences, role-played, watched a movie, or in some way experienced the issue they were
exploring in a manner that personally involved them in it and touched them intellectually and
emotionally (Schiro, 2013, p.133).
Its my belief that information has a way of being more relevant and better preserved when a
student has the opportunity to explore and discover, rather then simple dictation. This type of
learning requires group work through discussions and research, but most importantly questioning
for the purpose understanding and forming independent ideologies. The sharing of this
information may take the form of presentations, open debates and displays. The learning should
always be followed by questions and answering.
The learner
Under an environment guided by a Critical Theorist / Reconstructionist philosophy a
learner (student) would need to become involved in the process of question and detection, devise
solutions to problems and recreate a scenario conducive to change. Critical Theorist and
Reconstructionist define this as discovery learning, participants learn to recognize a problem,

characterize what a solution would look like, search for relevant information, develop a solution
strategy, and execute the chosen strategy. In collaborative discovery learning, participants,
immersed in a community of practice, solve problems together (Edutechwiki 2015).
Assessment
The typical methods and techniques for assessing critical thinker do not include standard
testing methods or standardized testing. A lot of value is placed on active self-learning (Diehl
2006). Critical thinkers partake in evaluations that assess the fundamentals of critical thinking
that can be used in any subject. The assessments determine the extent to which they have
learned to think critically within a discipline or subject. The assessment also provides as a test
instrument that stimulates faculty to teach their discipline so as to foster critical thinking in the
students (Foundation for Critical Thinking 2013).
Classroom management
In my opinion when students have down time the opportunity for unwanted and
unnecessary negative behaviors may arise. In a classroom set up with a critical theorists mindset
students are or should be engaged in some form of content. According to the Foundation for
Critical Thinking to ensure that students are actively engaged in thinking about the content.
Students should be called on randomly (using the deck of cards method for instance) so that
everyone participates. When students do not know when they will be called on they are much
more likely to remain alert and engaged in the learning process (Foundation for Critical
Thinking, 2013). Classrooms must nurture an environment providing modeling, rehearsal, and
coaching, for students and teachers alike, to develop a capacity for informed judgments (Brown,
1984; Hayes and Alvermann, 1986) [Tama 1989]. Teachers are required to become more
tolerant of "conflict," or confrontation, in the classroom. They need to raise issues that create

dissonance and refrain from expressing their own bias, letting the student(s) debate and resolve
problems. This allows the learners to be actively involved in the learning process, to provide
consequential contexts for learning, to arrange a supportive learning environment that respects
student opinions while giving enough direction to ensure their relevance to a topic, and to
provide ample opportunities for learners to collaborate (Tama 1989).
The teacher
Reconstructionist and Critical Theorist style teachers should promote and be seen as
facilitators, coaches and agents of change (Diehl 2006). It is my belief that teachers need to be
critical thinkers in order to engage the students in critical thinking. Teachers need to seize
opportunities in which they challenge the student(s) to work out the problems before them rather
then lead them to the answer. Social Reconstructionists want to influence how education takes
place in all of these locations and believe that it is the job of educators to do so. However, it is in
the school where educators focus their endeavourswhether the school is located in a school
building, home, factory, or park (Schiro, 2013, p.148). In my opinion teachers that encourage
creativity are facilitating critical thinkers. Allowing students to develop procedures and test
them allows for critical thinking on the behalf of the teacher and the student. A critical thinking
teacher must show restraint and not impose their opinion on student(s) so as to allow the
student(s) discover or gain understanding. Teachers are not in this alone; they need to enlist the
help of colleagues, parents and or guardians to uphold the independent thinking in order to
enhance the experience of the critical thinker.
As I reflect upon my own education, critical thinking isnt a new concept. Its a concept that gets
lost amongst the constant shuffling of new mandates and policies imposed upon teachers by
school boards, school districts, and levels of government. This constant revamping and add-ons

leaves the educators feeling overwhelmed and time constrained in a do more with less
educational environment. The educational environment is promoted by an unbalanced rewards
system and burdened with standardized testing to achieve results of showmanship rather than
balanced education for all. Reconstructionism and Critical Theory seeks to stamp out this
unnecessary system but to do so requires not just a classroom by classroom effort but a school
wide, board wide, home, community and societal efforts.