Pedagogical Portfolio 

Jennifer Gutierrez

December 20, 2018

 

   

 
 

Cover Letter  
My name is Jennifer Gutierrez and I am currently a junior at Fresno State University

majoring in Liberal Studies. I was born in the Central Valley and grew up in Orange Cove,

California. The day that I decided to become a teacher was when I moved back home to Orange

Cove after having lived in Coachella, Ca. I am the eldest granddaughter and at the time that I

lived there I became very close to a younger cousin who is a young leader in her elementary

school. She is very bright and at the top of her class, after having moved back I got to spend

more time with family members in Fresno. I helped my younger cousin here and saw the

difference between their academics. You were able to understand why one did better and the

other one struggled and one of the main reasons was their socioeconomic status.

The reason that I decided to become a future teacher is to help those children who were

born and raised in communities such as the one that I grew up in. I haved lived in different parts

of California and in other countries in the world, and have been able to experience several

inequalities in education. Some of the schools that I attended in the Central Valley did not have

as much funds as the schools in Coachella Valley, and thus the quality of education I received

there was affected. However, although my classrooms did not have all the resources that I

needed my teachers there worked harder to help me learn more without these things. This is

something I wish to do in my own classroom, as I hope to make a difference in these smaller

and poorer communities

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Resume 
Jennifer Gutierrez
Contact information:
Phone number: (559) 305- 8925
Email: ​Jennifer.gutierrez175@gmail.com

Career Objectives:

As a teacher I will provide the necessary tools for students to participate in critical thinking and
help them meet their educational needs for their ongoing development.

Experience:

1. Volunteer: Total of 50 hours in McCord Elementary School located in Orange Cove, CA

- Experience in working with children, during this time I helped test children, teach
them basic content, tutor, and provide additional help to the students and teacher.
2. Camp Smokey: Total of 7 days
- Taught students lessons of wildlife and the basics of fire safety
3. Scicon: Total of 5 days/ 24 hours a day
- I was in charge of looking after 10 female middle school students. I made sure to
manage their daily schedule and activities and I was also responsible for their
behavior.

Courses:

1. Math 10a/10b: Concept Math II

- This course was based on basics mathematics and we learned tools to become a
better math teacher, and creating a math lesson for a class.
2. Comm 114: Comm Learning
- In this course we covered communication in the classroom. We created lessons
for a classroom and made observations in a class.

References:

1. Elena Cortez: Teacher at McCord Elementary School

- Email: ​Cortez-e@kcusd.com
- Have known each other half a year, as I volunteered in her classroom
2. Larry Nakamura
- Phone number: (559) 909-1475

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- Have known him for 4 years, previous biology high school teacher
Teaching Philosophy  
Throughout my time in Fresno State, there has been one important aspect in education

that I have kept in mind and will implement into the classroom of my own. At 20 years of age

having gone through K- 12 grades and University level education there are many teachers that I

have had, and the best ones all shared one thing in common. They did not give the students the

answers.

As I progress and take higher division classes as a Liberal Studies major I have been able

to take a mental note and evaluate instructors of my own. There were some strengths and

weaknesses in their teaching strategies, but the one state above is one that never failed to reach

me. That is why when I have my own classroom, I will not give students the answers. Instead,

what I will give them is the basic information that they need so that they could create answers of

their own.

This strategy will be best for students to implement in their studies, as they will be able to

have a better understanding of the content at the end of the day. This strategy can be

implemented in any subject. For example, in math instead of giving the students the formula I

will give them the basic information so that they could derive the formula. They will not have

memorize formulas in math or dates in history, rather they would understand the WHY, which is

more fulfilling as an educator at the end of the day. I would rather my students have a deeper

understanding of content being taught than them knowing basic dates and facts.

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Attributes of an Effective Teacher 

Over time, there are many things that you learn are needed to become an effective

teacher. You must be able to teach in a way that will be able to reach the different students that

you may have in a classroom. You must have a growth mindset that you learn to implement in

your classroom, so at the end of the day your students will have a growth mindset as well. An

effective teacher acknowledges mistakes, and emphasizes how important they are because you

learn the most from them. Another attribute is that of respect, you must respect your students so

in turn they will respect you and most importantly will respect one another. This will allow you

to have a welcoming and safe environment in your class. This would help relieve any anxiety

students may have, and it will allow them to be more creative when learning.

In a classroom it is also very important that the students are not the only ones learning.

Teachers should also be open to learning new things, specifically how to improve in their

profession. You will know when you are effectively teaching students knew content, and also

some of the weaknesses you may have. We must be open to improvement and evaluating oneself

and finding new ways to grow is a great place to start. Educators should be able to embrace their

own mistakes and attempt new teaching strategies to open the mind of their students.

Grows alongside their students.

Respects individual differences

Openly accepts mistakes

Will find ways to open the minds of students 

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Learning Menu 
Name:
Date:
Lesson/Theme:
Instructions:
- Pick any three items on the menu you like.
- Make sure to choose three one of them in written, verbal, and visual form.
- Have fun!
Art Gallery
Construct a painting based on
the story we are reading the
represents the setting and
characters.
Comic Strip
Create an illustration, in a
comic form that summarizes
and represents the major
events in the story.
Photo Essay
Write an essay that discusses
the who, what, when, where,
why and how of the story.
Include a image that
represents each one of those.
Newspaper Article
Generate a newspaper article
that discusses similar issues
that are covered in the story.
Prose a solution to these
issues.
Creative Writing
Compose a story that has a
different ending. How would
the story change?
Commercial
Create a commercial that
gives a review and feedback
about the book. What did you
like about it, would you
recommend. Why or why
not?
Debate
With a partner participate in a
debate, discussing what you
believe the moral of the story
is. Both must have opposing
views.
Personal Experience
Share with your group of
other instances where things
in the story occured in your
life. What were they, how did
they happen?
Introduce Guest
Speaker
The “guest speaker” will be a
character in the story. You
must act like the character
and you will be interviewed
by another student based on
events in the plot.
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Lesson Plan  
Lesson Plan Template

Teacher:​ Jennifer Gutierrez Grade Level: ​2

CCSS: ​ELA - ​Reading: Literature

R.L. 2.1 Ask and answer such questions as ​who, what, where, when, why,​ and ​how​ to
demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

Objective: ​Students will be able to ask and answer such questions as ​who,​ ​what,​ ​where​,​ when,​
why​, ​how​ in the story “Spork” through the use of visuals.

Anticipatory Set: Check for

● State the objective of the classroom and the outcome: Understanding:
- “By the end of the lecture you will be able to ask
questions such as ​who, what, where, when, why,​ and CFU #1:
how a​ nd be able to answer them based on the book ​5 W’s and 1 H
“Spork”. whiteboard activity
● Introductory question: (input 1)
- “Why is it important to ask questions?”
● Importance of the Lesson: CFU #2:
- It is important to ask questions such as ​who, what, ​The teacher will walk
where, when, why​, and ​how i​ n order to understand the around classroom and
different parts of a text. You will learn to become make sure students are
critical thinkers by asking these types of questions properly completing
and learning to form your own answers. activity. (Guided
Practice)

Input/Modeling: CFU #3:

Input: ​Teach students the terms and how the questions are asked. ​Rating/Ticket out the
● Who​ ​definition​: The people involved in the story. Door (See Closure for
- Question​: ​Who​ were the characters of the story? explanation)
● What​ ​definition​: The events that took place in the story.
- Question​: ​What​ happened in the story?

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● Where​ ​definition​: Where the story took place/the setting.

- Question​: ​Where​ did the story take place?
● When​ ​definition​: The day and/or time the story took place.
- Question​: ​When ​did the story take place?
● Why​ ​definition​: The reasoning behind why things are Questions:
occuring in the story.
- Question​: ​Why ​did that happen? What is the ​who i​ n the
● How​ ​definition​: The way that specific things occurred in a a story?
story.
- Question​: How did it happen?
CFU #1: Whiteboard Activity What is the ​what​ in a
● After teaching the input, the teacher will explain the very story?
scenario that is occuring in the classroom, that she is teaching
the students a new idea. Students will then be expected to
write on the whiteboard the term that is being described. Define the ​where.
Before writing down the answer students will work in pairs
and discuss amongst themselves what the answer is and why
they chose it. After the teacher will pick on a student so that Define the​ what.
they could explain why they chose that answer. The teacher
will then state the correct term and explain why that is, to
clear any misconceptions. Can you answer all
- For example: who, what, where,
➢ The person teaching the classroom is Ms. Gutierrez: when, why,​ and ​how​ in
(Students would write ​Who​) only text? Can it be in a
➢ Ms. Gutierrez is teaching the students the differences movie or memory of
between ​who, what, where, when, why,​ and ​how your own?
(Students would write ​What​)
➢ Ms. Gutierrez is teaching her students in the Can you recall a
classroom at McCord Elementary school (Students memory that can
would write ​Where​) answer all of the ​who,
➢ The reason that Ms. Gutierrez is teaching her students what, where, when,
is so that they can learn new things that will help why​, and ​how?​
them in their future (Students would write ​Why)
Modeling: ​6 Questions Activity Why is it important for
● The teacher will write ​ ​who, what, where, when, why​, and a story to have a ​who,
how​ on the classroom whiteboard. Students will be chosen to what, where, when,
go up and write the answer they chose under each question. why​, and ​how?​

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Using the completed list the classroom created, the teacher

will go over where they would be placed on the activity
worksheet. (In Guided Practice). Explain the procedure and
expectations to complete the worksheet.

● The teacher will present a completed example of The 6

Questions Activity using the story, “How the Grinch Stole
Christmas”.

Guided Practice:
● Students will go over the book “Spork”, ​that they have been
reading as a classroom​. The class will discuss the ​who,
what, where, when, why​, and ​how q​ uestions, in
correspondence to text.
● They will then create a list (like the one in Modeling) where
they place the answers on the classroom whiteboard.
● As a class they will follow along with the teacher through the
projector, as they complete 6 Questions Activity using
images, based on the book “Spork”.

CFU #2 Teacher should walk around the classroom and make sure
that students are following along and properly completing
worksheets.

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Closure
● Restate the objective of the classroom and the outcome:
- “Today we learned to ask questions such as ​who,
what, where, when, why​, and ​how a​ nd also learned to
answer them based on the book “Spork”.
● Review concepts learned
- Ask students to define the different terms learned:
who, what, where, when, why,​ and ​how​.
● Restate the question:
“Why is it important to ask questions?”
● CFU #3 (Rating/Ticket out the door)
- Rating: Ask students to rate how much they
understand each term and if they could properly
answer each question based on any text. They will
rate using their fingers (1 meaning they do not
understand at all, and 10 meaning they completely
understand)
- Ticket out the door: Before heading out to lunch, the
class must ask at least three questions based on the
lecture (Example question: “Could there be more than
one ​Where?​ ”)
● How will the next lesson build on their understanding?
- In the next lesson students will learn to incorporate
who, what, where, when, why,​ and ​how​ in their own
writing.

Independent Practice:
​Students will read “Little Red Riding Hood”. They will each will
independently complete The 6 Question Activity Worksheet on their
own based on that story.

Adaptations:
This lesson was presented verbally and through the use of images. For those students who have
a hard time forming sentences and/or stating their own ideas ,will be able to complete the
activity using visuals to represent their answers.

Duration: 40- 55 Minutes

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Classroom Management 
I would incorporate the following rules into my classroom

1. Be respectful

2. Be responsible

3. Be safe

4. Be prepared

The rules stated are very vague, but can be applied to many aspects on school grounds.

When creating classroom rules such as these it is important to create them as a classroom and

discuss the importance of following the rules at the beginning of the school year. These rules can

create a sense of order in the classroom which are essential to educational environment.

Classroom management is very important when dealing with children , and these rules

are a type of management. It creates expectations for students to all follow, with very few

exceptions. It creates structure for a classroom and can make students who are a part of the class

feel a sense of belonging and can help manage behavioral issues that may occur amongst the

students1.

When issues do arise resources such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

(PBIS) is a very effective tool to use. The purpose of PBIS is to provide additional support for

students and their families who may be having emotional, social and behavioral support. When

1
D., & Powell, Robert G. (2016). ​Classroom communication and diversity: Enhancing
​Powell,
instructional practice​ (Third ed., Routledge communication series). 

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teachers may struggle with classroom management or some students are out of reach of a

specific type of help this is where the extra support will come in.2

PBIS can help enhance the efficiency and quality of the schools, and help a wide range of

students. Some of these students may have a disability or a behavioral issue and have continued

to provide additional support for many schools across the country. Thus, it is very important to

know the different resources you have as a teacher that can help contribute to the educational

development of students.

2
​https://www.pbis.org/
 

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Definition of Pedagogy 
As a future educator the term pedagogy is one that is often brought up as its definition is

the theory and practice of education. It is important to learn and understand what it means to you.

The way that I interpret pedagogy is the concept of education that covers different theories based

on education. I do not have one specific meaning or definition of the word, and as I learn more it

slowly alters over time.

I believe that the ideas and strategies a teacher uses in their classroom define the type of

pedagogy they use to teach. Each and every person has a slightly different approach to pedagogy

and its term. It's very useful to learn and understand the way that others view this concept as it

will help build your own definition. All approaches are different from one another and creating

discussions amongst peers in the same department can help you deepen your understanding. This

far, I have learned that pedagogy is the concept of the approaches to education, as it helps to

distinguish the beneficial tactics from the disadvantageous ones. The major theories in pedagogy

are emphasized and changed, as they have been throughout the years.

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Diversity Statement 

When discussing diversity in a classroom it is important to understand that this does not

only apply to cultural diversity. You need to know that all students are very different and

different experiences, exposures and many other factors define them. We want to make all

students feel appreciated and create a welcoming classroom environment.

You can begin by learning to understand your students as individuals, learn what defines them,

and as a classroom. Then based on the information you have acquired over time you can shape

your lessons to reach your students. However, not only should the teacher be aware of these

things but so should the students. As a classroom, each and every one of the students should

learn to acknowledge the differences and similarities amongst each other, and they should

appreciate them.

An example of diversity that I have experienced was when I moved to Mexico. I am a

Mexican American, who is spanish speaking, and never expected to live in another country. I

attended school there, which was very different to what I was used to. I was always surrounded

by Mexican culture, but during my time here I was exposed to things that I never experienced

before. My classmates and instructor acknowledged that I was different and similar to my

classmates in several aspects. I was able to help them with their english and they helped me

improve my spanish, we respected and celebrated one another and worked together to bring the

best out of our education.

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My Inspirations  

As I continue to learn more about myself and what it takes to be a good teacher, I try to

learn more from others who are just that, great teachers. During my time in Fresno I have had the

pleasure of being taught by two incredible professors who have completely impacted and

changed the way that I view education. These people are those with ​vision, passion, and ethics.

One is a professor of mathematics and the other of history, and despite being two completely

different subjects there is one thing that they both share in common, which is how much they

care about the quality of education we may provide for our future students.

Howie Hua has been my math professor for a year, and his most inspiring lesson was that

of the area formula of a rectangle. My entire life I was given formulas, and was never able to

understand how they derived. In this lesson he gave us the basic tools and information needed to

derive the formula on my own, and it was the very first time that I felt I understood the concept

of mathematics. My math professor was also the very person who introduced me to

“Mathematical Mindsets” by Jo Boaler. This author discusses three major things needed in to

create a growth mindset in your math classroom. ​One, stress the idea that mistakes are a good

thing, and are actually beneficial for growth in learning. Two, incorporate open ended questions

into my lecture, specifically low floor and high ceiling, in order to allow all students that are in

different levels to participate. Three, pose a question at the beginning of a lecture that allows my

students to explore different ways of solving a problem, and then explain the correct formula

and/or method and why it works.

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Daniel Cady, my history professor also taught me one of the most important lesson as a

future educator. We covered the grading system in the United States and discussed how your

GPA was not a proper representation of how much you learned. What I interpreted in this lesson

was how to distinguish the value people have for education and the value people may place in

learning, as true learning only occurs when you enjoy it”. Cady introduced me to the author of

“Pedagogy of the Oppressed”. Paulo Freire was a Brazilian educator and philosopher who

emphasized the act of teaching students to become critical thinkers allowing a better learning

environment. His stance is based on politics, philosophy and the critical movement. Freire allows

you to see and understand education through a very distinct perspective.

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