Section One: Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary Portfolio Project

Introduction, Overview, and Rationale

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”-Nelson

Mandela. These words speak volumes on why I am choosing my career as an Elementary

Educator. Welcome to my Elementary Education Portfolio Project! The purpose of this

Elementary Portfolio Project will be to showcase my readiness to become a future engaging and

motivated classroom teacher. Being an effective educator means knowing how to incorporate

teamwork, engaging lessons that reflect state/national standards, and updated classroom

technology into a classroom full of eager young learners. I feel that I am ready to incorporate

these factors that support the diverse learning needs of my students in a collaborative, engaging

environment. I feel that the 8 artifacts that are included within this project show my passion and

dedication to the world of Elementary Education, each in different ways. There will be six

sections of this portfolio that will each showcase my knowledge, skills, and best work that I feel

will make me a successful educator. I will be presenting my background experiences that have

helped me make the decision to want to be become a teacher as well, will be presenting 8

artifacts that I feel showcase skills needed to become an educator, a reflection, and also a video

in section 6.

This portfolio was developed to allow me to reflect on my past experiences throughout

my life that have led me to want to become an educator, and to showcase some of my proudest

accomplishments so far. This education portfolio also highlights some of the best work that I

have completed at Medaille, and how they tie into me being ready to become a well-rounded

educator. This portfolio will also detail some of the experiences before Medaille that led me into
the Education field. Within this portfolio, there will be a collection of artifacts that I feel will

show off my ability to plan, assess, and instruct students in a positive and supporting way. I feel

that two of the most important aspects of being an educator are having the ability to collaborate

with other individuals to improve your teaching and having the ability to connect with students

in a meaningful genuine way. As you read my portfolio, I hope that you see these two factors

implemented in each section, from my background experiences to the artifacts that I chose to

share and reflect on. My ultimate goal as a future classroom teacher is to create a learning

environment full of engaging/motivating new learning experiences, a place where students feel

safe, and a classroom in which students leave feeling inspired to educate others the way I

educated them. Through the 8 artifacts, my resume, previous educational and work experiences,

my philosophy of education, the alignment to educational and professional standards, the teacher

interview video, and the school observations, I am showcasing that I am qualified to step into the

role of an effective and knowledgeable educator.

Portfolio Section Development

There will be six sections of this portfolio, that each go into detail on different aspects of

why I want to become an educator and will each highlight my greatest accomplishments

throughout my time and Medaille. The first section, titled Teacher Candidate Introduction to the

Elementary Portfolio Project, is meant to introduce the basics of the portfolio development to the

reader, and to highlight some of the greatest educational theorists and theories connected to

educational history. This section will also highlight what each of the 6 portfolio components will

consist of. The purpose of this section will be to help you as the reader understand why this

Portfolio is important to my future career and growth as an Educator.

Portfolio project will focus on my early and later experiences that shaped my decision to want to

become an educator, and on my background in the field of education. School observations,

classroom applications, and overall, what I have learned from my experiences will be in this

section. The Classroom Applications section will state what I plan on putting into action in my

own classroom based on what I have seen, heard, and experienced in the education system.

Work, school, and childhood experiences have shaped my Philosophy of Education, which I will

highlight in this section as well. My Philosophy of Education will portray my views on what a

school should be, how children should learn, a proper curriculum, and what makes an effective

teacher. This section will explain overall why I am passionate about education, and what brought

me to this career decision in my life. A person’s background experiences heavily reflect their

teaching style, their values/beliefs, and how they manage a classroom.

Section three of this project will be the Teacher Candidate Artifact Section. This portion

of the paper will be a large portion of the project, as it will showcase 8 different pieces of work

that I have completed here at Medaille. This material evidence will show my knowledge of the

education field in different aspects, and my readiness to become a well-rounded educator. These

artifacts will reflect my ability to implement being culturally responsive, to help children with

diverse needs, and to plan/instruct my lessons in an effective way. I have chosen these 8 specific

artifacts that I feel focus on specific educational aspects, such as technology in the classroom,

classroom management, and lesson planning.

Section 4 of this project will be the Alignment to the Curriculum and Professional

Standards section. This section will highlight various standards that are connected to the artifacts

that I chose, including the NYS Common Core Standards and the ISTE Technology standards for
educators and students. Having these standards reflected and connected to my artifacts will show

my knowledge of what is expected of NYS teachers when it comes to lesson planning, and how

to implement them into my classroom in a proper and efficient way. Standards are a very

important way of insuring that lesson plans and classwork are backed up by educational research

to be effective with students.

Section 5 of this project, Teacher Candidate Reflection, is a reflection on my experiences

developing this portfolio, my reasoning for wanting to become an educator and my ability to

become a certified and knowledgeable teacher. Being reflective on my experiences as an

educator allows me to constantly grow and improve my teaching abilities, which in turn will

make my classroom a rich learning environment. Being reflective as a teacher is a very important

part of what it means to be an effective educator, as constantly improving your teaching style

will only benefit you and your students. Self-reflection is crucial to improvement and

understanding what helps learning/what does not.

Section 6 of this portfolio will be my Teacher Candidate Interview Video, which will

give viewers the chance to visually see and hear me through an interactive video. This video will

be shown through Screencast-o-Matic screen capture software, and I will be going through each

of my artifacts and why I chose them for this project. I will also be going through the necessary

standards for each artifact. I will also be answering potential teacher interview questions, which

showcasing the hard work that I have produced throughout this master’s program that prove my

ability to be an effective teacher.

Theories, Theorists, & Experts in the Field of Education

Within the education world, there have been many different individuals who have made

major contributions to how we view Education as it is today. I have had the opportunity to study
these minds and theories throughout experiences with the education field. Each of these theorists

have given me a different perspective on the world of Education, how children development

differently, and how I can apply their teaching competencies into my own classroom.

One theorist within the field of Education that has inspired me greatly throughout my

educational experiences is Jean Piaget. Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who focused most

of his findings on Child Development. He is best known for his theory of Cognitive

Development. This theory splits children into 4 specific stages as they grow. These stages are

known as the Sensorimotor stage, Preoperational stage, Concrete operational stage (7 – 11 years)

and the Formal operational stage (11 years and older). (Enerling, 2014) When children are born,

they enter the sensorimotor stage. Babies in this stage up to 2 years old learn through their

senses. Babies develop important motor skills during this phase as well. They learn about their

environment, who is around them, and learn how to solve issues through trial and error. During

the Preoperational Stage, ages 2-7, children learn through symbolic learning such as with play

and have what is called egocentric thinking. Egocentric thinking is a phase where students do not

see the perspective of others, and only think about themselves. During the Concrete Operational

Stage, logical thinking develops, and egocentric thinking decreases. Children develop skills such

as being able to organize and relate terms such as time and distance. As a future educator,

knowing these stages is crucial since not every child moves on to the next at the same time, and

every child goes at their own pace when it comes to learning. Piaget believed that every stage

needs to be passed through, and not skipped until mastered. Lesson plans should be tailored to

the level of Cognitive Development in the classroom, and not higher or lower. For example, if

most students are in the concrete operational stage, they may need “manipulatives” such as hands

on activities to help them understand more abstract ideas. These hands-on activities will aid
understanding and enhance classroom learning to help students move on to the next stage of

development.

One theorist that I plan on basing my specific teaching style off is Lev Vygotsky. Lev

Vygotsky coined the theory of the Zone of Proximal Development. He has been a major

influence on how I view teaching, and how to instruct students. One of Vygotsky’s major

findings, known as the Zone of Proximal Development, is a very important aspect of teaching a

child how to learn effectively. The Zone of Proximal Development describes concepts a child is

capable of learning and are within their grasp but haven’t yet been learned. (Davydov, 1995) It is

important for educators to understand the idea that children are able to move on in their learning

to the next level with the help of “The Knowledgeable Other”, in the form of an educator or a

parent. "Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development is based on the idea that

development is defined both by what a child can do independently and by what the child can do

when assisted by an adult or more competent peer. “Knowing both levels of Vygotsky’s zone are

useful for teachers, for these levels indicate where the child is at a given moment as well as

where the child is going" (Slavin, 2010).

B.F. Skinner is another theorist that has inspired me throughout my journey in the

Education field. His major contribution to education happened to be within the area of

Behaviorism, as he believed that positive reinforcement is a very useful resource within the

realm of Classroom Management. (Catania, 1984) Learning is a function of a change in

behavior. In a classroom, a child may change their behavior depending on their response to the

stimuli in the environment around them. As an effective teacher, knowing the basic idea that

changing the environment can change behavior goes a long way within the realm of classroom

management. Changing the environment of a child changes stimuli.

influential theorist that focused his teachings on classroom management and setting high

expectations for students. According to Wong, the three characteristics of an effective teacher

are: having good classroom management skills, teaching for mastery, and having positive

expectations for students to be successful. (Wong&Wong, 1998) Wong believed that effective

teachers do not discipline their classroom, they manage it in an effective way. Having a lack of

routines and procedures in a classroom can lead to a poor learning environment. According to

Wong, having improper classroom management is one of the largest issues facing teachers today.

(Wong, 1998) Wong’s most famous book, The First Days of School highlights some of his

suggestions for setting proper classroom procedures on day 1. Some of these suggestions include

setting a base for success on the very first of the school year, from greeting students at the door

to having a seating assignment ready. I feel that as a future educator, his teachings will be very

useful in helping me build positive rapport with my students, from discipline to coming up with

strategies for my classroom management style.

Conclusion

I hope that as you read this portfolio, you gain a deeper understanding on why I am

choosing to go into the education field, and the passion that I have for passing on learning to

future generations. Today, choosing to go into the teaching profession is not for the weak as

learners have all different types of learning styles. Diversity is also becoming more frequent in

schools across the world, which introduces teachers to working with children of all backgrounds

and world views. Teachers must plan their lessons to suit this diverse learning environment and

find ways to motivate students while helping them learn needed academic, social, and emotional

skills. This portfolio will showcase artifacts that reflect needed skills as an educator such as
planning, instruction, technology, and classroom management. I hope that through reading about

my various experiences with children helps you as the reader to understand my reasoning for my

Philosophy of Education and how I want to be as an Educator in the future. In the next section of

this paper, I will be addressing childhood and adult experiences that influenced me positively in

wanting to become an educator. I will also be highlighting specific work experiences within

Education, and will be detailing my Philosophy of Education. Happy Reading!