Section One: Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary Portfolio Project

Introduction, Overview and Rationale

Education is a way of life; those words could not be truer. Discovering my calling to

teach has come with great privilege, great responsibility, and much determination. It has been the

culmination of years of dedication and perpetual work. This enduring perseverance allows me to

recognize my passion of teaching encompasses more than simply the delivery of knowledge, but

contributes to the development of the self and the mind, both for student and educator. The

intention of this portfolio will be to showcase my journey from student to educator, and to

demonstrate that a successful and sought-after educator is one who themselves never ceases to

learn. I will demonstrate my proficiencies in the planning and developing of engaging and

relevant lesson plans, while being sensitive to the needs of all students. Along with my academic

credentials, I will include my personal journey of how being a mother of 3 young boys and

working as an uncertified teacher has shaped my ability to demonstrate successful meaningful

and engaging lessons, and strengthened my classroom management strategies. All my

experiences both inside and outside the classroom has provided the essential skills to recognize

the benefit and necessity of student engagement, quality literacy programs, and delivering

material with innovative technology. My Elementary Portfolio is intended to outline the ways in

which my personal and academic experiences have not only contributed to, but shaped my

teaching pedagogy.

Portfolio Development

The Master of Science Elementary Education Profile serves to demonstrate the

educational proficiencies I have acquired during my academic study at Medaille College along

with authentic experience gained within the classroom. There are six sections included in this
portfolio, all intended to showcase my candidacy for the role as an educator. The first section,

the one in which you are reading, is the Introduction. This section intends to familiarize the

reader with the portfolio itself and the theorists and theories that have shaped my beliefs of what

is required to be a successful educator.

Section two focuses on Teacher Candidate Background Experiences. This section

features my educational and work experiences and how they will shape my role as an educator. I

will draw on how those experiences have impacted my philosophy of education and how it

develops my perspective on curriculum, lesson planning and assessment. It will be an

opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge base I acquired from my 4 year degree in French

Studies and Developmental Psychology from The University of Western Ontario, as well as my

2 years as a classroom itinerant, along with my 6 years as a mother.

Section three is designed to exhibit Teacher Candidate Artifacts. This will be the material

evidence that demonstrates my level of mastery in becoming a professional teacher. It will be

comprised of artifacts, making connections to educational theorists and how these, along with

my experience within the educational department at Medaille, have helped mold my best

teaching practices.

Section four discusses Alignment to the Curriculum and Professional Standards. This

section details my competencies in my ability to align curriculum standards to lesson plans and

professional work as required by an elementary teacher. I will demonstrate the importance these

standards have on setting professional guidelines, but also their importance on accountability for

successful knowledge building in the classroom. These standards help ensure learning is taking

place among all students, inclusive of those with sensitivity to needs and physical environment.
 In section five, Teacher Candidate Reflection, I will reflect on my experience while

compiling my Elementary Portfolio Project and my overall experiences studying within the

Department of Education at Medaille College. This section will serve to be a personal evaluation

of skills and academics gained. The reflection piece will provide me the candid opportunity to

discuss how my diligence and experience has prepared me to be a successful primary teacher.

Section six is the Candidate Teacher Interview Video and it will demonstrate my

readiness to participate in a professional interview. This section is where I will discuss the

importance of my experiences, artifacts, strategies, while demonstrating my proficiency with

technological learning.

Theories, Theorists and Experts in the Field of Education

The field of education is a culmination of the world’s brightest theorists. Their tireless

observation of behaviours, both cognitive and physical, has paved the way for how educators

plan, manage and assess their students and the classroom environment. The contribution of

Benjamin S. Bloom’s work to the field of education is monumental. He took his knowledge as a

psychologist and revolutionized the field of education by focusing on methods of instruction,

educational outcomes and the assessment of those outcomes (Guskey, 2001). Bloom is most

known for his book Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain,

where he attempts to categorizes levels of cognitive functioning (Karnes, F., Nugent, S. 2004

p.18). Bloom’s development of Mastery Learning continues to have a profound impact on the

quality of instruction and the importance of higher order thinking and feedback. Another

influential theorist who is present in the classroom is Lev Vygotsky and his Cultural-Historical

Theory. He believed learning was an action between a child and the world around them. The

realization of this theory is evident in the modern-day kindergarten model of play-based learning.
Once a child becomes an active participant, they reach an optimal development of learning when

they are able to achieve success with minimal assistance; this became known as the Zone of

Proximal Development (ZPD). Vygotsky believed that learning was the product of doing, which

is the primary goal of modern education, the reproduction of information. (Mahmoodi-

Shahrebabaki, 2019). When discussing theorists in the field of education one must include the

impact Howard Garner Multiple Intelligences has on the field of education. His vision is realized

by many educators, because it allows them to form curriculum around the interests of the child.

When an educator considers the needs and desires of their learners, they are creating a learning

environment and assessment model that is specific to the child and how they learn (Smith, M. K.

2002)

Conclusion

Like parenthood, successful education begins with the notion that you are not in it alone,

but along a very important and inspiring journey with a team. The Master of Science in

Education Elementary Portfolio will serve to demonstrate the proficiencies I have gained through

fieldwork experience along with academic education. Together I will showcase the knowledge

and capabilities that have contributed to the development of my readiness to conduct myself both

professionally and enthusiastically as an elementary educator.