Section Five: Teacher Candidate Reflection Guidelines

Introduction

In this section, I will reflect on my journey of creating this portfolio. As mentioned, the

end goal of the portfolio is to demonstrate to you my preparedness of being a professional

educator. This portfolio encompasses my artifacts and the standards to which they align, as you

have read, my philosophies on education, work experience as it relates to education, and my

reflection of this process. Creating a portfolio of one’s work is emotional experience. As I went

through my artifacts to insert into this portfolio, I reflected on when I taught the lessons and the

sense of accomplishment I felt. Knowing that I taught new material to students which will build

on what they already know, and will learn, is a wonderfully rewarding experience. Putting

together this portfolio has also been a wonderfully rewarding experience. I have a newfound

appreciation for the hard work I put into this portfolio to reflect my pedagogy and my readiness

to have my own class.

As I reflect on the journey of creating this portfolio, I will reference the TEAC/CAEP

Claims throughout this section. The TEAC/CAEP Claims outline a teacher candidate’s readiness

for the teaching profession. For example, does the teacher candidate possess the knowledge to

work in the profession? Does the teacher candidate possess the requisite teaching skills for the

teaching profession? By addressing these claims, I will illustrate that indeed I a prepared for the

teaching profession and have acquired the requisite skills necessary to be a successful classroom

teacher. I don’t feel that simply stating that I have the skills is sufficient to be a successful

classroom teacher. I firmly believe that my pedagogy and work experience will make me an asset

to the teaching community and profession. I also strongly believe, that it is because of the

Education Graduate Program at Medaille that I am in the position I am in to be a successful

classroom teacher. I will refer to Medaille’s program and how it has prepared me for the

profession, throughout this section. I will also refer to the Department of Education of Medaille

College’s claims about my readiness for the teaching profession.

Portfolio Project/Teacher Education Learning Experiences

TEAC/CAEP Claims are used guides for teacher candidates and the educational

programs that graduate us, prior to becoming certified teaching professionals. These Claims

outline a teacher candidate’s preparedness to becoming certified teaching professionals. In

addition to ensuring that a teacher candidate is prepared, CAEP also states claims that the

graduating school has prepared the teacher candidate for a career in the teaching profession.

However, the teacher candidates education does not end upon graduation. The teacher candidate

commits to a career of learning to hone existing skills and gain new skills and content

knowledge.

Standard 1 of CAEP states that, “…Candidates develop a deep understanding of the

critical concepts and principles of their disciplines and, by completion are able to use discipline-

specific practices flexibly to advance the learning of all students toward attainment of college -

and career - readiness standards.” (CAEP) Through my education at Medaille College I have

attained the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively and confidently put my pedagogical

skills into practice in the classroom. I have learned the foundations of education through various

theorists, like Benjamin Bloom and Piaget, and I put their theories into practice when creating

lesson and units plans. In addition, through Medaille and practical field experience, I have

learned effective classroom management. I came into the education program at Medaille not

knowing anything about classroom management, but now I feel confident in my ability to

manage a classroom.
 Medaille exposed me to, and taught me the importance of research for educational

purposes. I successfully completed research on a school board in Ontario and a school district in

New York State. For both of those research assignments, I needed to understand the

demographics of the schools within the board, the academic breakdown of the students’

attainment, what percentage of students went on to College and University, as well as the

demographics of the surrounding areas of the school. This research enlightened me to an issue

that schools and educators face today: hunger. Many of the schools I researched have free and

heavily discounted lunch programs for students. With everything a teacher must deal with, if a

student comes to school hungry, it is very difficult to teach students who’s family’s can barely

afford to eat.

The Department of Education at Medaille College has provided me with a wealth of

information about teaching and teaching diverse learners. Through Medaille’ s education

program, I learned how to teach a variety of learners, including ELL students, students with

special needs and struggling learners. This aligns with the Department of Education at Medaille’s

Claim that, “Medaille college graduates meet the needs of diverse learners through effective

pedagogy and diverse learning practices.” (DOE Claim 2) These new skills were put into

practice during my field experience when I was able to effectively teach and work with ELL

students and students with IEPs. Through Medaille and the wonderful professors and teachers

who taught me, I acquired the necessary skills to work with different types of learners. For

example, ELL students benefit greatly from sitting close to the teacher during instruction and the

use of visual aids including graphic organizers. These are invaluable tools that will allow me to

engage the different types of learners I will encounter in my classroom.

 Through Medaille, I also gained content knowledge in elementary math, science and

literacy. By working with children in a literacy assessment, creating math and science lesson

plans, I feel prepared to enter a classroom and expound this content knowledge to students.

Many of the lessons I created at Medaille College I used in my field experience during my

practicum. Elephant Toothpaste is a science experiment that illustrates what happens when you

use a catalyst to increase the break down of hydrogen peroxide into water. Since it’s a very

visual and entertaining experiment, kids love it and engages them to learn. I conducted this

experiment in both of my field experiences and students loved it. They get to see the effects of a

chemical reaction and they also learn about exothermic energy, which makes the foam hot as it

releases energy. It’s a wonderful experiment and lesson plan that allowed me to reach a variety

of learners in the class.

Having children of my own, family and friends I care about, I was hardly a-emotional.

However, the Medaille College Education program has made me a more caring person. This is

because the professors, teachers and colleagues at Medaille are all very caring and passionate

people who care deeply about education. This caring and passion is infectious and in turn, I have

become a more caring person who is also passionate about education. I care about my students

and I want them to learn, succeed and be happy. The DOE at Medaille’ s Claim that Medaille

College graduates are caring educators is certainly true. I am proof of that.

As important as classroom study is, the greatest aspect of my teaching education has been

the practical experience. Nervous what to expect, I spent sixteen weeks in two different

classrooms. My first field experience was at an all-boys school in a Grade 5 class, and my

second placement was a Grade 1-2 split at a public school. These experiences completely shaped

who I am as a teacher. Everything I had learned up to that point I put into practice in front of
real, live students. This is very different then presenting in class and having your colleagues

pretend they are school children. Through my field experience I honed my classroom

management skills as well as my instructional delivery. I was also able to discern what worked

well in my instruction and activities and what would require tweaking. I used time at the end of

the diary to reflect on each day of my field experience and I diarized the experience for future

reference.

Readiness to Become a Teacher

Prior to entering the education program at Medaille, I worked in technology, at some of

the major technology companies in Canada and the world. I am very comfortable with

technology and I strongly believe in the use of technology for educational purposes, where it

makes sense. I can’t wait to use technology in my classroom because I know it will be important

for today’s students to be technologically literate. As important as technology is, online safety is

also extremely important. As an advocate for technology use in the classroom, I will also ensure

my students are aware of the perils of not being safe online. My knowledge and comfort of

technology in the classroom, including tablets and SMARTboards, along with other pedagogical

skills, make me ready for the teaching profession.

A comfort for technology alone does prepare a teacher for a career in teaching.

Classroom management also plays a role in a teacher candidate’s preparedness for the

profession. In the sixteen weeks I spent in my field experience, I spent a lot of time working on

my classroom management skills. At first I would observe the Associate Teachers and saw what

worked for them. I would then borrow their classroom strategies and change them to make them

my own. This worked wonderfully for both practicums and I can’t wait to continue to hone these
skills in the classroom again. Having acquired classroom management skills, I am prepared for

the teaching profession.

Classroom management alone does not mean a teacher is prepared for the teaching

profession, however. I created many lesson and unit plans over the past year, many of which

were created for my field experience. Creating a lesson plan not only allows a teacher to

organize the lesson, but it forces the teacher to think about the objective, activities to accompany,

how to teach the lesson, syntax, Bloom’s verb and assessing students for understanding. Creating

lesson plans given me a new perspective on the preparation that goes into teaching. There is a

tremendous amount of preparation in lesson planning and the Medaille faculty has done an

excellent in teaching me the importance and the how-to of creating strong lesson plans. For my

ability to create strong pedagogical lesson plans that considers a variety of learners, I am

prepared for the teaching profession.

Conclusion

This section serves to inform you on my journey in creating this portfolio. It also informs

you of the TEAC/CAEP standards that I align to which highlights my preparedness for the

teaching profession. In addition to these standards, I also illustrated that I align to the

Department of Education of Medaille College’s Claims that I am indeed prepared to teach. I have

the content knowledge, excellent classroom management skills and four months of practical

experience in classrooms. I have the foundational knowledge of theory and philosophy, as well

as exemplary lesson planning and writing skills. Lastly, I am very comfortable with technology,

advocate for technology in the classroom, but am very aware of the important of safe and

appropriate use of technology for students in elementary and middle school. For these reasons, I

know I am ready for the rigors and rewards of the teaching profession.