Section Two:

Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

.Introduction
In section one, I provided an introduction and overview of my portfolio. In this section,
you will learn about my educational background and work experiences that have helped and
inspired me to become a teacher. I have include my placement experiences from my
undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education from Ryerson University, my experiences
working as a Teachers Assistant at a Montessori School and my experiences in helping my
mother run her home daycare. These experiences helped inspire me to become a teacher and
helped motivate me to complete the Masters of Education Program at Medaille College. This
section will also include some of the field placements that I have completed at Medaille College
and you will get to know what I have learned from the experiences and how I can apply this
knowledge in my classroom. In addition, you will have the opportunity to read my philosophy of
education alongside my resume. These experiences have shaped me into the person I am today
and the teacher I hope to become.

Educational Experiences
Mrs. A
Mrs. A was my grade 3 teacher. I was a very shy student and didnt like being asked questions
in front of the class for fear of making a mistake and getting the answer wrong. One of the
qualities that sticks out to me the most with Mrs. A, was how she never gave up on her students.
She would support you and encourage you not to give up. She would keep pushing you to try
harder. She created a comfortable and safe environment and kept reminding us that it is OK to
make mistakes and to not know an answer or answer it incorrectly. Mrs. A devoted her time to

her students. She had the passion and the drive to teach. She provided feedback and would assist
us when needed. This was one of my first experience in which I knew I wanted to be just like
Mrs. A. If I could be half the teacher that Mrs. A was and make an impact on my students lives
the way she has influenced mine and many others, then I know I would my job as teacher was
effective. Mrs. A taught me that there was more to being an effective teacher then just teaching
the content. She created a caring, supporting, encouraging environment and built a trusting and
respectful relationship with her students. To me, these characteristics are vital in order to be an
effective teacher.

Mrs. B
While completing my undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education at Ryerson
University, one of my placements took place in a grade 1/2 classroom with Mrs. B. Her
classroom was diverse and she had 5 students with special needs. She is one of the most caring,
passionate, patient, generous, understanding and supportive person that I have ever met. Her
determination is endless. She gives all her time to her students (her recesses, lunch hour,
afterschool). I have gained so much knowledge about various cultures and their values and
beliefs volunteering in her classroom. Mrs. B wore a microphone in class in order to
accommodate L, a student whose hearing was impaired in her left ear. All of these experiences
have helped shaped me into being the caring and dedicated person that I am today. I would not
be the person I am today without these experiences. Both Mrs. A and Mrs. B have shown me
how important it is to create not only a safe environment but an environment that is comfortable.
In addition, they taught me the effectiveness of being a caring, supportive teacher. They have
shown/taught me that it is ok to make mistakes. This is what helps us grow and learn. All the
experiences both volunteering and working have led me up to this point. Seeing the childrens

reactions and excitement when they understand something or get the aha moment is priceless.
During my last placement in a grade 5 classroom in an urban public school in Toronto, on my last
day I had the students asking me if I could be their teacher next year that they loved having me and
that I made learning fun for them. There was no doubt in my mind at that point that this was what I
was meant to do. By knowing my students I felt as though I made the instructions more engaging
therefor making the students motived to learn. I have learned classroom management, how to be
culturally responsive and professional collaboration. Team work is an important part of teaching. I
look forward to working with others because it allows for other peoples perspectives/strategies that I
can use to improve my teaching abilities.

Work Experiences
I have been exposed to children since early on as my mother runs a home daycare. As a result
this enhanced my interest in wanting to teach children. When given the opportunity I always
helped my mother prepare simple art and craft activities that the children could participate in.
On occasion I take over the home daycare service when my mother is away. I currently with my
mother. Moreover, my interest for teaching blossomed after being given the opportunity to work
at a Summer Camp at a Montessori school creating and implementing activities. One of the
experiences that influenced me most in forming my decision to become a teacher was when I
was given the opportunity to work part-time at a Montessori school running their summer camp
program. I was in charge of creating and implementing respective activities. In turn, I was asked
by the director of the school to stay on for the year and work alongside the Montessori teacher
Ms.A.

I loved the experience and learned so much from Ms.A. She had a very charming way of
working with students and was loved by all. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her deliver topic
lessons and execute an activity related to the topic. I realized the gratitude and satisfaction that
came from delivering activities and having students execute and gather knowledge from
something I created. These experiences provided me with hands on learning of what being an
educator entails. Working as a teachers assistance allowed me to understand the importance of
getting students engaged in their own learning and being their supporter. This has given me
hands on experience in collaborating with others and working as a team. I saw firsthand in Mrs.
B class how importance communication and relationships are. Since she had 5 students with
special needs in her classroom, it was imperative that teachers keep the line of communication
open. She would tell me that together they can help each other on how to approach certain
situations and what they can do to provide better learning opportunities for these students.
Working as an teachers assistant has allowed me to learn many skills such as how to be part of a
team. By collaborating and working together we all had the same goal in mind which is to provide
the best education possible to the students.

School Observations and Classroom Application

My field experiences range from Nursery-Grade 2 (while completing my undergraduate in
Early Childhood Education at Ryerson University) that took place in public schools in Urban
areas of Toronto to my field experience at Maple East Elementary school in a suburban area in
Williamsville, NY during my education at Medaille. Although I only spent approximately 9
hours (3 hours in a kindergarten class, 3 hours in a grade 1 class and 3 hours in a grade 3 class),
the experience has been beneficial in my learning. My experiences has allowed me to observe
many different techniques used with regards to classroom management. Mrs. B and the entire

school staff used a reward system called Catch It/ Caught You for good behavior and class
participation. Skinners theory of operant conditioning (1938) seems to have been effective
because rewarding the students for positive behavior did improve students future behavior.
Every teacher had different teaching techniques and strategies. This is important since
throughout my educational experience we are taught that students learn in different ways and
how vital it is to incorporate multiple learning styles to ensure all students are getting taught. As
Howard Gardners theory of multiple intelligences (1983) suggests, each students learns
differently. As teachers, it is important to remember and to incorporate various learning styles
when lesson planning to ensure that all students are getting educated. By providing feedback and
assisting the students when needed the teachers were using Vygotskys zone of proximal
development (1978).
Teachers can use Piagets theory of development to plan lessons that are developmentally
appropriate depending on their students age and grade level along with planning individual lesson
plans accommodating those with learning difficulties or who are struggling. Children are curious by
nature. They learn best by doing, actively exploring, and discovering things on their own. Teaching
needs to be more student-centered and less teacher-centered. Teachers need to help facilitate students
learning and be clear about what is expected of them. Assessments track student progress over time
and are necessary because as a teacher you want to know if the students understood the material
being taught to them. If students score low on the assessment, it is a great indicator to the teacher that
his/her teaching strategy for that lesson wasnt effective and they need to reteach it in a different way.
Classroom management is part of the daily function in the classroom. Routines and rules
should be addressed at the beginning of the school year and continually reinforced in order to
maintain a positive learning environment for all students. I have learned a great deal about behavior
management throughout my experiences. I have observed different intervention strategies that I will

implement in my classroom. My placements located in an urban town in Toronto introduced me to

working with individuals from different cultural and ethical beliefs. I feel this has helped me because
we are living in a multicultural society. Teachers must be equipped to meet the needs of a diverse
group of students. Being a culturally responsive teacher you need to incorporate ethnic and cultural
differences into the classroom. We need to teach in multiple ways to ensure that all students

learning styles are being met.

Technology is everywhere. It is in our everyday lives. Technology embraces the various
learning styles while engaging the students in a fun, safe, interactive manner. It is a great tool to
aid education and learning. Being an effective teacher involves building a relationship with your
students. As I have previously mentioned, one of the qualities that stood out about Mrs. A and Mrs.
B was the relationship they built with each student. Taking time out to talk with the students about
things that interest them shows them that you value and you care about them. This in turn will allow
the students to feel more comfortable and build a sense of trust and provides for a safe learning
environment which is one of the basic needs according to Maslow (1943). It is important to

establish classroom expectations early in the year, and it is equally important that students
participate in this activity. Students who have contributed to the development of classroom
expectations will feel more responsibility to uphold those expectations. One of the things that I
observed first hand in both my educational and work experiences is how effective Maslow,
Gardner, Vygotsky and Skinners theory are when applied in the classroom.

Philosophy of Education

The School
I believe that schools should be a safe and organized environment in which students feel safe
both physically and emotionally.
The Curriculum
In terms of curriculum planning, I believe that it is essential to plan lessons that clearly
identify the objectives, the specific standards that will be addressed, the presentation and the
assessment. Collaboration is important. Teachers can benefit from collaboration when they use
the resources that are provided to them by other members of the community (teachers, parents,
etc.) When planning the curriculum, I will be conscious of their different learning styles and be
aware of what they already know and what they will need to learn in the future. For students to
construct knowledge, they need the opportunity to discover for themselves and practice skills in
realistic situations. Developing a curriculum around student interest raises fundamental
motivation and encourages the passion to learn.. Curriculum should be built around the personal
experiences, interests and needs of the students. Working with student interests and needs, we as
teachers serve as guides and facilitators in helping students to reach their goals and we allow for
hands on learning.
Learning/Learner
Piaget (1957) discusses cognitive stages of development and I will use his model of stages to
ensure my students have attained at least stage 2 (pre-operational) or stage 3 (concrete
operational) at an elementary school level. Maslow suggests that students must be satisfied with
the most basic needs before they can reach the highest point of self-actualization. This will be
done by having a good relationship with all of my students. A good relationship will ensure that
I will be able to find if one of my students is lacking any of the basic needs that Maslow

suggests. Another philosopher that I believe is meaningful is Piaget. As a constructivist, he

believed that the learner actively constructs his/her own understanding of reality through
interaction with objects, events and people in the environment. Piaget described intelligent
behavior as adaptation. The learner organizes his or her understanding in organized structures
(schemas). He believed that through accommodation and assimilation, individuals construct new
knowledge. When something new is presented, the learner must modify these structures in order
to deal with the new information. In addition, he believed that a child goes through four distinct
stages or levels in his or her understandings of the world (Piaget, 1942). Lastly, another
constructivist theorists that I believe is meaningful is Vygotsky. He believed the teacher
facilitates between the new material to be learned and the learner's level of readiness, supporting
the child's growth through his or her "zone of proximal development." (Vygotsky, 1978). Using
constructivist methods of teaching forces students to take an active role in their education by
making choices and assuming responsibility for inquiry and discovery. This approach facilitates
differentiated activities for each student's individual desires, making the subject more relevant to
every student's life. Teachers should view parents and community members as aids in the
educational process. Interaction within the community provides rich, multicultural experiences to
the students. In addition to using a constructivist approach, another philosophy of education that
I will use is Progressivism because I believe that lessons should be relevant to the students in
order for them to learn

Assessment
I believe that students should be assessed using both formative and summative assessment.
Formative assessment is important to gather information during (instead of after) the learning

process and is needed to make adjustments accordingly. Summative assessment is important to

use at the end of a unit to ensure that students are understanding the material that is being
presented to them.
Classroom Management
I believe that in my future classroom discipline through self-control, rules, routines, and
procedures are a foundation that will lead to high student achievement. Setting positive
expectations and treating students with respect will give students the opportunity to feel
empowered to make decisions on their own. Positive motivation strategies are essential to ensure
that students are excited about learning and behaving well every day. Students will have the
opportunity to learn from their mistakes and will be rewarded if they have excellent behavior.
One of the most meaningful educational philosophers to me would be B.F Skinner and his theory
of behaviorism (1938). Skinner believed that behavior can be shaped by using positive and
negative reinforcement.
The Teacher
My philosophy of teaching began to develop from years of volunteer experience in a
classroom setting. I believe that teachers should: (1) Provide a positive classroom environment
for learning; (2) Maintain student interest in all areas and make connections to the real world.
In order to achieve these goals, a teacher must use several educational principles. As a future
teacher, I will make every effort to consider the various cognitive approaches and implement
them in my classroom. Piaget (1957) discusses cognitive stages of development and I will use
his model of stages to ensure my students have attained at least stage 2 (pre-operational) or stage
3 (concrete operational) at an elementary school level. Maslow (1943) suggests, that students
must be satisfied with the most basic needs before they can reach the highest point of self-

actualization. This will be done by having a good relationship with all of my students. A good
relationship will ensure that I will be able to find if one of my students is lacking any of the basic
needs that Maslow suggests. I believe that it is essential to create a classroom environment that is
inclusive. We should integrate lesson materials that will benefit all students including those with
special needs. We must accommodate those students who require enrichment. We need to teach
in multiple ways to ensure that all students learning styles are being met. I believe that being
able to combine ones interests, culture and learning styles is crucial in order to shape effective
instruction by implementing things that the students may be interested in or simply things that
they can relate to. I believe that a good teacher is one who provides a nurturing and caring
environment, one who is a guide and a model. I believe that a teacher is present to present the
material in the curriculum and the students job is to become active participants in their own
personal learning process. Students should be able to experiment with their own likes and
dislikes and to realize their strengths and weaknesses. I view myself primarily as a facilitator of
learning, rather than as an expert who simply delivers information to students. As teachers, we
need to be prepared in terms of philosophy, pedagogy and curriculum while acquiring the
attitudes, skills, and personalities to work effectively with culturally diverse students.
Technology is everywhere. It is in our everyday lives. Technology embraces the various learning
styles while engaging the students in a fun, safe, interactive manner. It is a great tool to aid
education and learning.

Resume

Stephanie Faustino
111 Woodmount Ave
Toronto, Ontario
M4C3Y5
stephanie.faustino@medaille.edu

CERTIFICATION:
In the midst of the New York State Certification in Early Childhood Education,
Grades 1-6
EDUCATION:
Masters of Science in Elementary Education, expected May 2016
Medaille College, Buffalo, New York
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education, graduated May 2014
Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario
General Arts and Science Certificate, graduated May 2013
George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario
RELATED EXPERIENCE
Childcare Assistance
2009-Present
Mercys Home Daycare, Toronto, Ontario
-plan activities for children
-help with daily routines (set out snack, change diapers, help with feeding)
Tutor
2014
Greenland Public School, Toronto, Ontario
-provided extra help with students grade 1-5 on their reading, writing and math.
-created developmentally appropriate activities to enhance students learning

Teaching Assistant

2007-2009
2002-2005

Bluebird Montessori School, Toronto, Ontario

-ran the summer camp programs
-Set up classroom for learning with books and materials to engage the children in
different types of play.
-Monitor students during recess and lunchtime.
-Carry out lesson plans and classroom routines as directed by teacher.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Identification and Reporting of Child Abuse and Maltreatment SAVE, July 2015
SMART Board Basics Level 1, June 2015
DASA: Prevention and Intervention, July 2015
Registered Early Childhood Educator
TECHNOLOGY:
SMART Board, ELMO, Projector, IPad, Computers
EMPLOYMENT:
Surrey Place Centre
Office Assistant, Toronto Ontario,

2014-2015

Bank of Montreal
Customer Service Representative, Kitchener, Ontario

2007

Costa Blanca
Key Holder, Kitchener, Ontario

2006

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Student Volunteer in a Grade 5 classroom at Blantyre Public School
-observed teacher and students

2015

Student Volunteer in a JK/SK classroom at Earl Haig Public School

-set up the classroom and learning centres
-created lessons and activities
-helped serve snack
-administrative work

2013

Student volunteer at The Ontario Early Years Centre

-created/implemented culturally responsive lessons/activities
-set up the classroom
-help prepare and serve snack

2012

Student volunteer in the nursery room at YMCA

-set up classroom activities
-created developmentally appropriate activities for the students
-helped serve snack

2011

Student volunteer in a grade 1/2 classroom at Blantyre Public School

-created and implemented developmentally appropriate lessons
-helped around the classroom

2011

Out of the Cold Program

St. Brigids Parish, Toronto, Ontario
-helped serve soup to those in need

1998

REFERENCES
References Available Upon Request

Conclusion
This section of my portfolio presented information about myself. You got to read about
my past educational and work experiences that have inspired and motivated me to follow the
career path if becoming an educator. My volunteer, work and teacher education program
experiences have provided me with a lot of hands on experiences. I have acquired a lot of
knowledge and gained an understanding on how to implement some of the best teaching
practices such as classroom management and how to differentiate instruction to best suit the
needs of the students. I feel that these experiences have prepared me to take on the role of being
an effective teacher.
In section three, you will get to review my artifacts that I feel showcase my skills and
knowledge from teaching. To be an effective teacher, you need to not only know your content,
but you need to know how to plan, assess and instruct your students. Being an effective teacher
involves incorporating different learning styles so that you meet the needs of all students. My
education at Medaille has helped me gain knowledge on various best teaching practices. A
teacher should be caring and set high expectations for her students and encouraging them to
never give up. Throughout my years of working and volunteer/placement hours, I have had the
opportunity to work with many students from different cultural backgrounds. I believe that being
able to combine ones interests, culture and learning styles is crucial in order to shape effective
instruction by implementing things that the students may be interested in or simply things that
they can relate to. Some of the personality and professional characteristics of a teacher should be
to be caring, patient, accommodating, empathetic and organized all in which I believe I possess
and can be seen throughout my portfolio.