Section Five: Teacher Candidate Reflection Guidelines

Introduction

This section, section five, Teacher Candidate Reflection Guidelines, is the section of my

portfolio where I will exhibit my ability to reflect upon my overall experiences in developing this

portfolio and of my experiences during my journey to become an educator. My readiness to enter

into the field of education will be addressed as well as my confidence in my abilities as a teacher,

and an explanation of how I met the TEAC/CAEP Claims will also be discussed at length.

Reflecting upon any lesson, task, or project that you have created is one of the most important

aspects of being a teacher as it shows you are a caring educator who is always seeking to better

themselves and the classroom experience they provide.

Portfolio Project/Teacher Education Learning Experiences

Writing this portfolio has been an excellent learning experience that allowed me to really

look back and reflect upon all of the things I have learned and accomplished during my time in

the Masters of Elementary Education program at Medaille College. In addition, it has also

allowed me to reflect on the skills and knowledge I want to acquire in the coming future. I must

admit that I was somewhat intimidated to begin working on a project of this size but, once I got

started on it my feelings started to turn from intimidation to pride. Although this project has at

times been quite challenging, it has really made me proud of all the work I have done and all the

things I have accomplished.

Coming into the program, I was very excited but also very nervous to be in a Masters

program in another country and was unsure of what to expect but from the very first class I knew

that I had chosen the right school. All of the professors and staff on campus were so welcoming

and excited about the teaching profession. It really was amazing how much each instructor really
cared about us as students and about making sure we were ready to be the best teachers possible

(TEAC claim 3: Medaille College graduates are caring educators) Writing about my prior work

experiences and my own public school, university, and college experiences really allowed me to

see why I was destined to become a teacher and why I am so excited to soon be entering the

classroom. The artifacts I chose to exhibit were all projects I worked very hard on and I believe

that they reflect the kind of teacher I want to be and will be in the future. The unit and lesson

plans included demonstrate my knowledge of the curriculum in both New York State and

Ontario (TEAC Claim 1: Medaille College graduates know the subject matter in their

certification areas) and show effective pedagogy and best teaching practices (TEAC Claim 2)

In my first semester at Medaille, one of the courses I really enjoyed was Action Research.

I had never really thought about research in education before I entered the program but this

course opened my eyes to just how useful it can be. In particular, one of the assignments which

was included in my artifacts, was coming up with a survey for an issue in education which I was

to distribute to the parents of the students in my class. This was a very intriguing idea. I have

never before heard of polling parents to see what their thoughts are on an issue as this was

something I had never experienced while growing up in the public-school system in Ontario.

Getting the results from the survey and reflecting upon them in order to improve the classroom

experience was a very rewarding experience and allowed me to show that I am a caring educator

(TEAC Claim: 3) and that I use TEAC Claim 3 pedagogy, and best teaching practices.

Another course that really taught me a lot was the Curriculum Planning course. It was

here that I learned how much thought goes into writing and teaching a lesson and an entire unit. I

had never thought about the big ideas in a lesson or about how to teach in a culturally responsive

way, or about how to accommodate all learners, or even how to access and use the curriculum in
New York State and Ontario. Learning all of this was such an excellent experience and the skills

I took from this class allowed me to go forward through the course and through my student

teaching experience with the confidence that I could create lessons and entire unit plans and

know that I was applying best teaching practices (TEAC claim 2) that I was a caring educator

(TEAC claim 3) and that I was knowledgeable in the subject matter (TEAC claim 1)

The technology course, which I took in my final semester at Medaille, was my favourite

course in the program because it taught me so many useful skills that I can take with me into my

teaching career. Although I do consider myself somewhat of a techie, I had never used a SMART

Board before nor had I used the SMART notebook software. I was astounded by how useful it

can be when teaching lessons in a classroom and also at how easy it was to use. This is such an

important classroom tool to learn to use because it allows me as a teacher to demonstrate my

knowledge of the subject matter (TEAC claim 1) to meet the needs of diverse learners through

effective pedagogy and best teaching practices (TEAC claim 2). I also really loved learning how

to build my own teacher website so I can share and provide resources for my students and their

parents (TEAC claim 3: caring educator). Learning how to use Screencast-o-matic and Prezi are

also very valuable skills to have as I know these programs will allow me to present the subject

matter in fun and engaging ways for my future students (TEAC claim 1 subject matter)

The two literacy courses, which I took consecutively in first and second semester, taught

me the most useful skills I believe I will need as a teacher. Assessing student literacy is of utmost

importance in the teaching profession. If you cannot accurately assess your students and their

literacy learning needs then you will be doing your students a great disservice. If students are

unable to comprehend the material they are reading it is my job as a teacher to understand why

they are unable to and to take action and design an individual plan in order to teach them
strategies for comprehension (TEAC Claim 2 pedagogy and best teaching practices). To be able

to do these assessments you need to be able to use the tools necessary for them that is exactly

what I learned to do. Conducting running records allows me as a teacher to see where a students

skills lie and where they need to improve and to be able to place students in ability based reading

groups so they are feel comfortable and confident while learning to read. (TEAC claim 3: caring

educator) The literacy courses also taught me to use a variety of assessments when teaching

literacy which is also very important and I demonstrated this in my artifacts through the

assessing student literacy learning and lesson plan which shows I can apply and use effective

pedagogy and best teaching practices.

Another very important skill I learned throughout all of my classes was the skill of

collaboration. In almost every class it was a requirement that we work together in groups to

come up with lessons, presentations, and activities to present as a team and I think that having

this experience is going to be extremely valuable when entering the field. Considering other

peoples views and opinions on how they think lessons should be taught or how to assess

learners is very important for teachers as we can all learn from one another and have to work as a

team to ensure student success in the classroom. (TEAC claim 2: effective pedagogy and best

teaching practices and claim 3: caring educator)

The special education course taught me a lot of things I did not know about todays

classrooms. I had no idea about the challenges both students and teachers face in the classroom

as far as special needs and having this knowledge of how to effectively accommodate all

students is a very valuable skill. Being introduced to IEPs and exposed to other learning needs

was quite beneficial when I went into my student teaching as I was able to plan lessons and units

around their specific needs to make sure that they had the best opportunity to learn and grow.
(TEAC claim 3: caring educator) (TEAC claim 2: effective pedagogy, and best teaching

practices)

The Early Field Experiences course allowed me the opportunity to experience what it was

really like in a classroom with our visits to a local public school in New York State and my

volunteering experiences in Ontario at local public schools. Having this experience before going

into student teaching prepared me for what to expect when I enter the field. Meeting and working

with the students was so much fun and really gave me a lot of respect for my future peers and

what they did each and every day. Being in a classroom also excited me further about the

profession while inspiring and motivating me to continue working hard to learn as much as I

could about the teaching profession so I was absolutely ready to enter the classroom. In addition,

the classroom management skills that I learned from this class and in my classroom experiences

were invaluable as I used them every day in my student teaching and plan on using them

throughout my career.

Overall, my learning experience at Medaille was outstanding and I believe that it has

prepared me to be knowledgeable of the subject matter I will be teaching, to be a caring

educator, and to apply effective pedagogy and best teaching practices (TEAC claims 1,2, and 3).

I had professors who were knowledgeable, caring, and applied effective pedagogy and best

teaching practices who taught me so many new and valuable skills in literacy, math, science, the

curriculum, culturally responsive teaching, lesson and unit planning, researching in education,

and in classroom technology and I had classmates who I collaborated and worked with who I am

proud to call my friends and future colleagues.

Readiness to Become a Teacher

My experience at Medaille College has been one in which I will never forget. The

knowledge bestowed upon me and the lessons I have learned and been able to apply both in class
and during my student teaching experiences has brought me to the conclusion that I am ready to

become a teacher. I now possess the confidence and knowledge to walk into a classroom and

manage it effectively while teaching engaging lessons that are geared toward all of Gardeners

multiple intelligences.

In my previous career as a production supervisor in a manufacturing environment, I

learned the value and importance of collaboration with others and working as a team and this

program has allowed me to further practice and apply this skill. I can confidently say that when I

enter the classroom in the coming future I will be able to work with any of the teachers, and

administrators, and parents I come into contact with. Being able to collaborate with others is

such an important skill as many hands make light work. As the saying goes it takes a village to

raise a child and this could not be more accurate in the classroom setting. If we all work together

it is very likely that the level of student success will be very high.

With my artifacts, I have exhibited my understanding and ability to plan lessons and units

that will be engaging and effective while being culturally responsive and accommodating for all

learners. I am able to plan lessons with a clear central focus based upon the curriculum and that

has achievable and meaningful objectives and a variety of assessments. I believe that my

knowledge and skills in regards to instruction are very well tuned and that I am able to

effectively apply best teaching practices and pedagogy and possess the strategies that a teacher

uses to carry out the art of teaching and can help students learn to their absolute potential. My

experience in this program, my volunteer experience, and my four months of student teaching

has shown me that I possess the skills to be a respectful teacher who develops a positive rapport

with each student, who demonstrates strong classroom management, and can teach effective

lessons.
 In my artifacts, I included a literacy assessment and several lesson plans that show that I

am ready to enter into a classroom and will be able to effectively create and use formative and

summative assessments that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in many different

ways. I am able to use existing methods such as running records to assess student literacy

learning and come up with a plan to help them in the areas they need help in and improve on

skills they already have and I am able to use the curriculum to make sure that my assessments

match my objectives.

I feel very confident that when I walk into a classroom I will be able to use and apply my

technological skills learned in the program in a way that is not only engaging for students but

that appeals to all learning styles. When I plan lessons now and in the future, I will always be

thinking about how I can incorporate technology so that the students get the most out of each and

every lesson whether it is using netbooks, the SMART Board, or IPads.

One of the most important skills that I feel has readied me for entering the classroom is

that of learner accommodation and culturally responsive teaching. I want to be the type of

teacher that students remember that cared about them and their needs. I want the students to go

home after the school day and talk to their parents about how great the lessons were and how

they could relate to the way I taught them and to the material that I taught them. I also want

students to enjoy learning no matter what needs they have and to feel welcome and involved in

every aspect of what we are doing and this program has definitely taught me how to do that.

Overall, with the skills and knowledge I have acquired throughout this program including those

of planning, instruction, assessment, technology, culturally responsive teaching, learner

accommodation, classroom management, professional collaboration, and curriculum standards I

students to learn to their full potential.

Conclusion

In this section, section five, Teacher Candidate Reflection Guidelines, I have exhibited

my ability to reflect upon my overall experiences in developing this portfolio and of my

experiences during my journey to become an educator. I have spoken about the classes I have

taken at Medaille and the skills and knowledge I acquired in each and how they have benefitted

me. I have spoken about how the Medaille TEAC claims have connected to my skills and

experience and how I have met each and every claim and will continue to do so throughout my

career. Lastly, I spoke about my readiness to enter into the field of education and my confidence

in my abilities as a teacher in planning, instruction, assessment, technology, culturally responsive

teaching, learner accommodation, classroom management, professional collaboration, and

curriculum standards.

The next section, section six, Teacher Candidate Teacher Interview Video, is the final

section of my portfolio. This is the section where I will be able to exhibit my technology skills

and artifacts visually. Here, you will be able to watch a video of me simulating an interview

where I will answer a set of pre-determined interview questions. I will also exhibit my

technological talents by displaying my teacher website and its various sections.