Section Two:

Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction

Since an early age, my passion for engaging and teaching young children has been very

evident. From family and friends to colleagues, I have been complimented many times for my

patience with children. I have consistently been drawn to opportunities that allowed me to

engage and help children, whether it was volunteering with my local church to instill a sense of

community and stewardship in older children or introducing children to learning as an Early

Childhood Educator.

Over the past several years, I have devoted my time to working with children. I have had

many different opportunities to work with children of all ages, ranging from 0-12 years old. It is

through my diverse hands-on experiences that I have continually learned about child

development and honed my teaching strategies. I have also been fortunate to work in a variety of

environments with children of many different abilities and at different stages of development,

which has taught me to be a caring, patient, and compassionate educator. I believe that these

qualities will create a strong foundation to become an impactful teacher and to compliment the

theoretical knowledge I would learn in Medaille’s program. These past experiences have truly

taught me the value in my work with these children. Each interaction with a child makes an

impact on their lives. Children thrive on love and caring individuals. I believe that I can continue

to positively impact more children’s lives and inspire these children to never stop learning by

obtaining my teaching degree and bettering myself as an educator.

I have had the room to learn tremendously working in the school environment. I have

become a more aware and resourceful educator. Each day brings on new challenges that I

constantly need to be creative in my implementation practices. I have developed a strong

philosophy in regard to the connection of child development, play and learning. Working in

different environments has given me the knowledge to grow through a variety of educators with

different educational backgrounds and experiences. In this field it is crucial that we all work

together as a team to enhance all children's learning; as the African proverb goes "it takes a

village to raise a child." I strongly believe this to be true and continuing my education to become

a teacher will only enhance my philosophy further.

With each opportunity that I have had to work with children, I have been lucky to work

with strong educators. Learning how to work with different perspectives and personalities has

enhanced my teamwork skills. I have met great individuals that make our stressful environment

an enjoyable place to be. We strive to build a strong foundation with each other sharing ideas,

supporting each other when stressful scenarios arise (with children or guardians). My colleagues

have also shared their success after graduating from the Medaille program and they have

encouraged me to apply to teacher’s college, after seeing my potential and passion for children’s

education. Stepping out of a comfort zone is very difficult to do, when you already work and

have a great career. Mark Twain once said that “Courage is not the absence of fear; it is acting in

spite of it.” After hearing this it made me realize that I can’t make the difference that I want, if I

don’t have the courage to do so. It is with great courage and faith that I instill in Medaille, in

hopes of furthering my knowledge in the education system.

Teacher Candidate Educational Background and Work Experiences

In the early stages of my life I had already known that I was meant to be on a path that

would help children. I often would find myself at family functions around the children more so

than people my own age. At the age of 14 I had decided that I wanted to be part of the church

community and teach the word of God. I started by teaching communion two children the age of
8. I moved on the next year to teach children the age of 12 or 13 about confirmation. I continued

this journey of confirmation for 10 years. Although I found the age difficult, I enjoyed the

experience and was able to learn from the inspiring educators around me. This experience taught

me that I wanted to work with younger children.

For my post-secondary path, I chose to take early childhood leadership where I learned

their basic skills to teach children in a daycare environment. I had four placements at two

different locations where I learn from different types of educators. This experience helps me to

decide that I was ready to take my knowledge and apply it to working with children in before and

after school programs. I worked for before and after school programs for six years in a variety of

positions. I built great relationships with staff and moved on to supervisory roles. After working

for a year in this field I wanted to take my education further and decided to apply for autism and

behavioral science which help me to learn new methods on dealing with different types of

children. This program also offered me with placements, in two different locations.

I thrived on learning new methods of teaching children in different ways, leading me to

apply for further education. At this time, I decided to enter a program that would help me bridge

half of my early childhood degree. This program was meant to help in a more supervisory

position or help gain an entrance into teachers’ college. Throughout this experience I continued

to learn different ways to teach children an modify my philosophy. I was able to both grow as a

person and in educator. I continue to work in before and after school programs in apply my

learning. I was given the opportunity to have an internship and dedicate a summer to working

with children in a daycare. This experience taught me the patience I needed and different best

practices that I could apply when teaching children. After graduating I was hired as an early

childhood educator in a kindergarten classroom at a school board in Ontario.

School Observations and Classroom Application

For the last six years I have had the opportunity to work in a school setting in a

kindergarten classroom. In these six years I have been part of five different school environments

and teaching partners. These experiences have had me learn from different people and different

teams further building on my philosophy. My experiences in this area were able to shape me as

an educator and define how I wanted to be as a teacher. I have dedicated my work to working

with children between the ages of three to six, with a variety of learning abilities.

I was exposed to a lot of negativity in the teaching world, and I have decided what I do

not want to do as an educator in my own classroom. This experience taught me that I can be the

good change in the classroom to take out some of the negative. I want to take my negative

experiences and turn them into positive ways of teaching to help my future students. I also think

that having a positive attitude in the education field will benefit myself and my colleagues.

My role as an early childhood educator is seen as a less important role than a teacher.

There have been many times where other teachers or colleagues, families have disregarded me in

my position. I want to be a teacher that values all of the roles played by different people in the

education environment. I want to advocate for my current position in my future position,

showing parents as well as colleagues the importance that every educator can bring to the table. I

feel that since I am currently in that position I can speak truly to what it is like to be unseen or

feel unimportant based off of peoples negativity.

Philosophy of Education

School
 The first few months when meeting a new group of children should be dedicated to

building a trusting relationship. I believe that children cannot learn until they are able to trust the

adult there with. it is important to build on the social and emotional needs of the children first.

Once that is established it will be easier for a teacher to engage children in the learning

environment. Children thrive off of consistency and knowing what to expect. It is also important

to identify expectations that children need to follow; this can be done through a consistent

schedule that is created at the beginning of the year.

Learning/ Curriculum

I believe that all children are different and thrive on different ways of learning in the

educational field. It is the responsibility of the teacher to provide different methods of

scaffolding various lessons in order to meet the needs of all children. Children are all capable of

learning, it is about being able to find the way that they can learn. Education is not a straight line

it has many curves and turns to take in order to find the right process for each child. it is

important to always put the child first and use child first language, validating their experience,

and feelings in programming.

Learner

It is important to have children gear the way that they learn, meaning that they will take

control in the curriculum. I believe that children learn by doing an should be given real life

situations that they can apply to their own learning, making it easier for them to have a

connection. This aspect also helps to keep the child motivated in their own learning.

Assessment
 As important as it is to scaffold for the learner, I fully believe that assessment also needs

to fit differently for every learner. It is important to get to know the children and understand how

they cope with different types of assessments. Try to use different assessment tools in order to

understand the multiple types of learner that are part of your classroom.

Classroom Management

An easy way to fail the classroom is to have a poor understanding about classroom

management. It is important to establish evident rules at the beginning of the year, starting on the

first day of school. When children know what to expect from an adult it is easier to adhere to the

rules. Consistency is one of the top things in order to have a successful classroom management

basis. It is important to say what you mean and follow through with your expectations on what

you want from the classroom.

The Teacher

An educator I understand the importance of building a connection in relationship with the

families or parents of the children. There are many adults that will helped to foster the learning

of children throughout their years. It is important to work together and achieve goals in order to

help the child be more successful.

Lastly, I believe that it is important to grow and adjust a philosophy as often as needed.

As an educator that has worked in the field for many years, I can agree that I have had to adjust

my philosophy many times. This has helped me to grow as an educator an learn from many new

people about how children can benefit from different practices. It is also important to continue

learning through professional development. As years go by the way of teaching starts to change

and it is important to keep updated with the changes in order to be able to accommodate different

learners.
Resume

Introduction:

Below you will find my resume, that outlines my extensive experience of working with

children. I have dedicated a majority of my time through volunteering as well as childcare and

classroom experience. I have been through many different education paths, including a

certificate in Autism and Behavioral Science. As the years have passed, I have continued my

education through community resources that provide professional development in specific areas

of educator’s interest.

Resume:
Krystle Pereira
263 Tartan Drive
London, Ont
Canada
N5V 4W9
K_Pereira8@hotmail.com | 5198514236

OBJECTIVES
To enroll at Medaille College in The Master of Science in Education: Elementary Education
program.

EDUCATION
Fanshawe College | London, Ont
 2014 Bachelor of Arts, Early Childhood Educator Leadership Program
 2010 Autism and Behavioural Science Certificate
 2008 Early Childhood Education Diploma

EXPERIENCE
London Children’s Connection
| London, Ont
Early Childhood Educator Supply August 2012 – 2018
 Implementing programs for children ages 0 to 12 years old, based on childs interest
 Prepared basic healthy meals and snacks
 Provide a safe, and nurturing environment for children while inside or outside
  Openly communicating with parents

Thames Valley District School Board

| London, Ont
Early Childhood Educator August 2014 – Present
 Create and implement age appropriate, inquiry-based activities for children
 Supervise children in classroom and on the yard
 Creating a safe and inviting environment for both children and families
 Role model daily hygiene practices and routines

Thames Valley District School Board

| London, Ont
Facilitator November 2017 – Present
 Assisting in program, implementing activities with children aged 6-12
 Encourage children to interact positively interact with each other
 Integrate child with special needs into daily practices (snack, bathroom, play with peers)

SKILLS

 Valid CPR and First Aid Certificates

 Excellent problem-solving skills
 Cooperative team member
 Independent
 Confidentiality practices
 Time management

Conclusion

Section 2 of the portfolio was able to outline my unique experiences throughout the

education field. It identifies the path that I have taken in the turns, but I have chosen in order to

become a teacher. My background and work experiences played a big role in my decision to

enroll in teacher’s college and start a new journey. My philosophy of education was created

based off all my prior experiences and new information that I learned as I grew as an educator as

well as a student. Different practices and other teachers negative or positive also helped to

impact the way that I thought as an educator, enhancing my philosophy further. The information
provided in My Portfolio will be further solidified in Section three where artifacts were selected

specifically to show my skills as a teaching candidate.