Section Five: Teacher Candidate Reflection

Introduction

Mark Van Doren—poet, writer, literary critic, and English professor—famously said, “The art of

teaching is the art of assisting discovery” (Ramsey, 2006, p. 63). Reflection skills are imperative to

effective teaching and equally important to instill in students to help them develop and deepen their

learning processes. Reflective thinking makes room for new learning to take place and affords teachers

and students alike an opportunity for personal and intellectual growth by creating meaning from

experiences. For educators, reflection is a prerequisite for assessing their practices for their own

professional development in order to improve their instructional approaches and increase student

learning and achievement. This process also allows teachers to better understand their students as

learners and enhances the student-teacher relationship. The prospect of developing reflective learners

is increased by teachers who employ reflective practices themselves.

This fifth section is a reflection on my overall experience in developing this Elementary Portfolio

Project including the process, collection of materials, specific research materials, specific artifacts, and

the organization of the portfolio content. It will also present my overall work-related experiences,

observations, and learning that I have acquired as a result of my teacher education program at the

Department of Education at Medaille College and how I feel that I have met the DOE Claims and CAEP

Standards throughout my program. Lastly, I will elaborate on the skills and abilities that I have acquired

that strengthen my readiness to become an effective teaching professional.

Portfolio Project/Teacher Education Learning Experiences

Throughout my teacher education program at the Department of Education at Medaille College,

I have had the privilege to gain experiences that have added value to my credentials as a teacher

candidate. This Elementary Portfolio Project is a culmination of my educational career at Medaille

College, as well as details on my background, skills and abilities, knowledge and professional disposition.
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The overall experience in developing this portfolio has been constructive and fulfilling. The

entire process has allowed me to delve deeper into not only the profession, but has given be the

opportunity to self-reflect based on my experiences, which aligns with my philosophy of education and

my advocacy for experiential learning. Throughout my educational career at Medaille, my philosophy of

education has evolved as my learning progressed. I have grown both personally and professionally

throughout this teacher education program. Through the theoretical and practical training that this

program has offered, I have been able to advance and refine my practice towards professional

competence.

While all courses offered in the Master of Science in Elementary Education program have been

influential and advantageous, some that have been particularly pertinent include Culturally Responsive

Pedagogy: Fostering Culturally Inclusive Classrooms, Research in Education, Foundations of Special

Education, Developmental Literacy: Emergence to Fluency, Assessment and Evaluation of Literacy,

Education Methods of Teaching, and Technology for the Elementary Classroom. All of the artifacts

included in this portfolio, which were carefully chosen and thoughtfully organized, were drawn from

these courses (DOE Claim 1: Subject Matter; Claim 2: Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices; Claim 3:

Caring Educator; CAEP Standard 1). At a time when cultural diversity in the classroom and racial

injustices and discrimination are on the rise simultaneously, I felt that the Culturally Responsive

Teaching Learning Activity was fitting to include in my portfolio. This was specifically selected and

purposefully showcased as my first artifact as it demonstrates my ability to incorporate the diverse

backgrounds of students in a meaningful way to support their learning. Representation and inclusivity

are critical factors in increasing student motivation and engagement. As a proponent of critical theory, I

aspire to create awareness about the struggles of marginalized people and to instill within my students

the advocacy for social justice and change (DOE Claim 2: Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices; Claim 3:

Caring Educator; CAEP Standard 1.1).

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Excellence in teaching is dependent, in part, on the depth of teachers’ understanding of their

content areas, and consequently on students’ learning. The Council for the Accreditation of Educator

Preparation’s first standard purports that teacher candidates must have a thorough understanding of

the subject matter in their area of certification (CAEP, 2013). I have been able to create many well-

structured learning segments, lesson plans, and learning activities through Medaille’s teacher education

program, which reflect content-related pedagogy and align with both New York State and Ontario

curriculum standards. My second artifact—Math Learning Segment—showcases my ability to identify

specific goals and objectives, teaching methods, and assessments in a three-day learning segment using

a variety of instructional strategies (DOE Claim 1: Subject Matter; CAEP Standard 1: Content and

Pedagogical Knowledge). The third artifact that was selected for this portfolio comprised of a literature

study activity with a weekly schedule of the reading, with focus questions related to that week’s reading

requirements. This activity not only shows that I am able to plan and provide structure for both teaching

and learning, but it also offers evidence of my knowledge of the subject area (DOE Claim 1: Subject

Matter; CAEP Standard 1: Content and Pedagogical Knowledge). Furthermore, the two books chosen for

this activity center on themes related to identity, race, discrimination, assimilation, cultural integration,

belonging and community. Again, this ties in to my desire to create a classroom environment that is

inclusive, respects diversity, and whose members are agents for positive social change (DOE Claim 2:

Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices; Claim 3: Caring Educator).

Through my observation experiences, I have been able to acquire valuable insight on best

teaching practices through one-on-one time with mentors. Having observed two teachers—one who

teaches a split junior gifted class, and the other who teaches a split primary class—over the current

school year has given me the opportunity to compile strategies and ideas that work successfully in the

classroom, that resonate well with me, and that I feel I can implement in my own practice to gear me

towards proficiency. Both teachers’ effectiveness was evident based on their students’ engagement and
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growth. The students were attentive during lessons, asked many meaningful questions, showed interest

in the material, and the majority of students participated during my observations. Students were

typically on task with a few exceptions, which tended to occur when students were distracted while

using technology. This common challenge that is faced in classrooms today led me to conduct a research

study to investigate teachers’ perceptions surrounding the effectiveness of technology use in the

elementary classroom. I designed a professional survey and gathered both quantitative and qualitative

data and surveyed elementary school teachers who taught between the first and sixth grade. Based on

an analysis of the results, I devised a plan for improvement. This artifact was selected as it addresses a

relevant topic in the field of education, and exhibits my problem-solving and research skills (DOE Claim

1: Subject Matter; Claim 2: Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices; CAEP Standard 1.1).

Throughout my observations, both teachers were able to maintain students’ attention because

of their appealing instructional approaches: they were passionate and enthusiastic about their lesson

plans, they showed warmth and humour, both were approachable and responsive to their students, and

maintained a professional demeanor. It was evident that these students had respect for their teachers,

and viewed them as credible and knowledgeable professionals (DOE Claim 2: Pedagogy and Best

Teaching Practices; Claim 3: Caring Educator).

One of the qualities of these teachers that I reflected on was their adaptability and flexibility.

The importance of being prepared for change and having the ability to appropriately react to changing

classroom circumstances and adapting to them became clear. One of these teachers particularly would

scan her classroom to assess how students were doing frequently, and act accordingly. For example,

during a math lesson on fractions and decimals, she noticed that her students appeared to be confused

and some were overwhelmed. Rather than trying to reteach that material, she first acknowledged their

efforts, and then asked the students to put their worksheets away and told them that it was not worth

getting frustrated over, and that they would revisit this the next day. She was encouraging and
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supportive by attending to her students’ needs and creating an environment where students felt like

they mattered. She changed her plans to accommodate her students’ responses because she knew her

learners. She continued with math, but instead, focused simply on fractions, and left decimals out of the

equation. The ability to do this truly is a skill, and one that I have come to realize is something that I will

need to focus on developing (DOE Claim 2: Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices; Claim 3: Caring

Educator).

Also notable was that these teachers held high expectations for themselves and for their

students. Not only were they confident in their own abilities to reach all students, they sincerely

believed in their students’ abilities and that content mastery could be achieved by all learners.

Overall, my experience observing these teachers has been constructive and beneficial. Studies have

shown that there is a correlation between teacher expectations and student achievement, and that

student learning rises along with teachers’ expectations (Pantaleo, 2016). Having reflected on this, I

understood the importance of holding high expectations for students, and that doing so can produce

higher levels of student learning (DOE Claim 2: Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices; Claim 3: Caring

Educator).

Readiness to Become a Teacher

As an Educational Assistant, I have extensive experience working with elementary students and

have had the privilege of working in a classroom on a daily basis with exceptional educators. I have had

exposure to a variety of learning environments, instructional styles, classroom management techniques,

and diverse students with wide-ranging needs. My experiences in the classroom have led me to pursue

the teacher education program at Medaille College to advance my career in education. Upon making

this decision, I have received an abundance of support from my colleagues, including school

administrators. My colleagues have been encouraging and have been willing to share information and

resources with me, answer my questions related to teaching practices, and offer guidance. Throughout
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my work experience, I have been able to develop collegial relationships with staff members and

collaborate professionally with quality educators.

Through my role as an Educational Assistant, I have gained significant experiences working one-

on-one with students with exceptionalities and diverse needs, including physical, emotional,

behavioural, and learning difficulties. I have provided these students with support in a classroom setting

by delivering individualized educational programs in order to maximize their learning potentials. I have

experience with the use of visual schedules, visual routine strips, choice boards, first-then boards,

communication bracelets, prompting, social stories, and the use of Smart Board and tablet technology to

assist with communication, foster independent, and enhance learning.

Much of my background experience relates to working with students who exhibit behavioural

challenges, and have been assigned to work with some of the most challenging behaviours. I have

become skilled at behaviour management and am able to successfully apply strategies to manage and

resolve crises. Particularly, I use my emotional intelligence and collaborative problem-solving skills to

diffuse difficult situations. My approach is not homogeneous, as it changes from student to student and

is situation-dependent. Rather, it is based on understanding the students’ unique personalities and

needs. This requires the ability to read nonverbal cues, empathy, listening skills, and professional

judgement.

The sample artifacts that have been presented in this portfolio were methodically selected to

showcase my interdisciplinary skills and the diversity of my professional work samples. This repertoire of

artifacts provides evidence through a variety of sources of my skills, abilities and preparedness in the

areas of planning, instruction, assessment, alignment to curriculum and professional standards,

integration of technology, professional development as well as professional disposition, all of which are

required for today’s classroom teachers. They also authenticate my commitment to the learner through
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ensuring inclusivity, differentiating instruction, culturally responsive pedagogy and implementing

accommodations for student success.

Conclusion

This section was a reflection of my overall experience in developing the Portfolio Project, taking

into account the developmental process, collection of materials, and the organization of the content. It

highlighted some of my achievements and made mention of some of my best work that met or

exceeded required standards. It also conveyed influential work experiences, teacher observations, and

knowledge that I have derived from the MSED program at Medaille College. Moreover, it detailed how I

have met the Medaille College DOE Claims and the CAEP Standards throughout my teacher education

program. Finally, it depicted how the MSED program has prepared me to assume the roles and

responsibilities of a teaching professional. Having undergone this experience has increased my

confidence and, coupled with my work experience, has placed me in a better position to transition

smoothly into the profession. As evidenced in this section, the knowledge and skills that I have acquired

throughout the Master of Science in Elementary Education program substantiate my preparedness to

teach at the elementary school level.