Section One: Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary Portfolio Project

Introduction, Overview and Rationale

I am creating this portfolio as a means to put together all of my past experiences,

educational beliefs and examples of my work throughout this program. It is my goal that this

compilation will highlight my preparedness and keen determination to become a professional

educator. I hope that this portfolio demonstrates what I have done, what I know and what I hope

to learn all along my journey to becoming an educator of elementary education.

As I sat down to write this introduction, I reflected on my own educational experiences

throughout my childhood. Looking back, I am humbled to admit that I had a very positive

educational experience. I truly cannot remember a single teacher that did not show compassion

or kindness, and I am lucky to say that every teacher I came across was able to push me to grow

in so many different ways. I can only hope that, as I begin my teaching career, I will be able to

bestow upon other children the kind of educational experience I was given myself.

Throughout this past year at Medaille, I have learned so much about what it means to be a

true educator. It is so much more than simply teaching students the curriculum. As teachers, we

are in a position where students look to us for guidance and we are, ultimately, role models in so

many different ways. It is my greatest hope that this portfolio will showcase my determination,

my ability and my passion to become a professional educator.

This portfolio has two purposes: the first is for you, the reader. It is my hope that, after

reading, you will learn about my accomplishments and my ability to be an effective and

professional educator. The second purpose is for me, as a form of reflection. I see this portfolio

as an opportunity for me to reflect back on my experiences and beliefs in a way that will allow

me to grow and become a better educator. I think that reflection is an important part of being a
good teacher. We need to be able to reflect on lessons and learning in order to improve, so being

able to reflect on my experiences and beliefs thus far is a good opportunity for me to improve

before I even begin my career.

This portfolio will contain a collection of some of my best work during my educational

experience at Medaille College. This collection of projects and assignments, called artifacts, will

display my teaching abilities in terms of planning, teaching the curriculum, instructing, assessing

as well as my ability to integrate technology in the classroom. It is my hope that this portfolio

will demonstrate my ability to incorporate best teaching practices, my commitment to culturally

responsive teaching, my dedication to providing a scaffolded education that meets the needs of

diverse learners, my ability to effectively accommodate for student needs, and my understanding

of both the New York State Common Core Standards, as well as the Ontario Curriculum.

Portfolio Development

This portfolio consists of six sections: Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary

Portfolio Project (Section One), Teacher Candidate Background Experiences (Section Two),

Teacher Candidate Artifacts (Section Three), Alignment to the Curriculum and Professional

Standards (Section Four), Teacher Candidate Reflection (Section Five), and Teacher Candidate

Teacher Interview Video (Section Six). Each of these sections will be comprised of various

subsections, of which I will go into more detail below, and each will end with a conclusion that

will summarize all of the important points of the section.

Section One, which you have been reading, will introduce the reader to the Elementary

Portfolio Project and provide a background to the project. Both the purpose and importance of

the portfolio will be highlighted. I will introduce my teaching pedagogy and best teaching

practices by drawing on the theories and theorists who have shaped my perspective thus far.
 In Section Two, I will introduce myself by outlining my educational and work

experiences that relate to the field of education. I will discuss observations I have made while in

the classroom to demonstrate my understanding of various classroom applications. This section

will also include my philosophy of education, which will outline my perspectives about

curriculum, methodology and theory that is supported by evidence-based practices about the

field of education. I will also include my resume to highlight my educational background and

work experiences that will represent me as a professional future educator.

Section Three will present the reader with several artifacts, or collections of my best

work throughout the program, that will demonstrate that I have developed the skills and

knowledge needed to be prepared to teach in the elementary classroom. These artifacts will

provide evidence of my knowledge of best teaching practices, pedagogical knowledge,

professional dispositions and attitudes essential to become a professional teacher.

Section Four will present my knowledge of and ability to align curriculum and

professional standards to daily work and responsibilities that are expected of an elementary

teacher. In this section, I will connect the artifacts presented in this portfolio to the curriculum

and will discuss their importance.

In Section Five, I will reflect on the overall experiences I have acquired in developing the

project and my experiences as a student in the Master of Science in Elementary Education

program at Medaille College. I will reflect on the process of working on this Portfolio and my

educational experiences during the program in order to demonstrate my preparedness in

becoming an elementary educator.

The final section, Section Six, is based upon a video simulating a teacher interview. The

reader will be able to view a video in which I will answer questions that may be asked in an
interview to demonstrate my ability to connect all of my knowledge and experiences. This

section will also include my teacher website, which was created during the Technology for the

Elementary Classroom course.

Theories, Theorists and Experts in the Field of Education

Throughout my studies this past year, I have come across many influential thinkers and

philosophers. While all of my readings have served to shape and influence my thoughts in some

shape or form, there have been a few thinkers that have greatly shaped my understanding and

beliefs about the art of teaching and how to be the best possible educator.

Before learning can happen, the teacher needs to create a structured and organized

classroom environment. I strongly believe that all facets of the classroom need to be well

organized before learning may effectively take place. After all, classroom management is about

just that - managing. To this end, I draw on ideas from Harry Wong (1998) and his preventative

theories of classroom management. Wong’s ideas about the first days of school make it clear

how important it is to have an established plan for managing your class right from the beginning.

It is about organizing the room, class materials, and even the students so that learning can happen

effectively. It is important to outline all routines and what to expect at the beginning of the

school year instead of trying to deal with problems as they arise. Students need to have an idea as

to what their school year will look like, and what is expected of them. That way, everyone is on

the same page so if a problem does arise, it can be dealt with in a timely matter, instead of

scrambling to figure out how to go about solving it. Once a classroom is organized, the learning

process may effectively begin.

 Once an effective system of classroom management is in place, it is important to look at

theories of how students learn in order to provide them with the most optimal learning

experience. The core of effective classroom management is effective teaching in the sense that

teachers need to get and keep students engaged. If students are engaged in the lesson, they are

going to get more out of it. To this end, I draw from David Ausubel (1962) and his Theory of

Meaningful Learning. Ausubel argues that, in order to learn meaningfully, students must be able

to relate new knowledge to what they already know. His theory is all about linking learning with

experiences that students’ already have with events or objects. Ausubel’s subsumption theory

describes the importance of relating new ideas to a student’s existing knowledge base before the

new material is presented. Ausubel discusses the idea of advance organizers where the instructor

helps students organize new information by highlighting the important details to come and

providing students with a reminder about their prior knowledge that will help them. If a student

is given new material that is completely unfamiliar, then rote learning, instead of meaningful

learning will take place. I think that this is extremely important for teachers to consider when

designing lesson plans. Students absolutely must have something to relate the new material with

or else they will not be able to fully understand and thus, meaningful learning will not occur. It is

important that teachers find out what their students already know and try to build on that prior

knowledge.

Next, I turn to Lev Vygotsky and his Theory of Social Development (1962). Vygotsky’s

theory is based on constructivism which, similar to Ausubel, views students learning as being

rooted in their prior knowledge. Vygotsky coined the term “Zone of Proximal Development” or

“ZPD”, which he defines as “the distance between the actual development level as determined by

independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through
problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peer (as cited in

Shabani, p 237).” The idea is that students will learn best when they are working together and

collaborating. The ZPD can also be seen as the challenge level but not the frustration level of the

student. We do not want students to get too frustrated where they give up and simply won’t

learn. Each time we teach, we want to challenge our students, but we do not want them to get to

the point where they give up out of frustration. Teachers also need to scaffold the learning

process, in that we provide supports to help students with a new challenge, and slowly take a

little bit away each time as the student becomes more familiar with the new information.

Finally, drawing on William Glasser (1998) and his Choice Theory, I feel it is important

for students to be part of the decision-making process. If we give students the ability to voice

their opinions on various rules and procedures throughout the classroom, they will feel more

engaged. It is about giving our students choices so that they may exert some control over their

learning. Students will be most engaged if they are asked what they want to learn. According to

Glasser, we have five basic needs: power, love and belonging, freedom, fun and survival. As

teachers, we need to ensure that we are providing these needs to our students. Positive

relationships with all students are crucial.

Conclusion

To be an effective educator means that you have taken the time to plan and have

incorporated principles of classroom management into all areas of your classroom. It also means

that you have thought about your students and their unique needs and have incorporated best

teaching practices into your lesson plans that will engage all students. Effective teachers

understand that learning in a lifelong process. It is my hope that I may continually expand upon
my knowledge for the duration of my career as an educator and even beyond my career. The

world is continually changing, and it is important that teachers continue to advance with the rest

of society to be able to prepare their students appropriately. I was fortunate enough to have had

positive experiences with learning, and it is something that I hope I can bestow upon all of my

future students. If children see learning as something positive, it is something that they will

pursue for the rest of their lives. Learning does not stop when you leave the classroom, and that

is something that I will try and teach to all of my students. It is my greatest hope that this

portfolio will serve to exhibit all of my beliefs, skills and dedication proving that I have what it

takes to be an effective educator.