Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction

In this section, I am going to introduce myself as a prospective teacher candidate and

explain my educational background and work experiences and how they relate to the classroom.

Also, I am going to share my knowledge about what I have learned while participating in

fieldwork in a classroom and I will talk about my educational philosophy and resume. I will

summarize this section with a conclusion that will review the topics that were discussed in the

section.

Teacher Candidate Educational Background and Work Experiences

First, let’s begin by taking a deeper look into why I would like to become an educator,

my educational background, and my work experiences that have led me here. Let’s start at the

beginning. My name is Brigitta Gooch and I currently live and work full time in an office

environment in a small town called Guelph, Ontario. I have always wanted to become a teacher

because I enjoy helping children learn and I like to try and motivate them to see the different

skills that they are capable of accomplishing, however, the teacher job market has not always

been great in Ontario Canada.

In section one of my portfolio project I mentioned a few different educational theorists,

among them was Howard Gardner. I talked about Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences and

the importance of recognizing that not all children learn and grow the same way. This is

significant to understand because when I was in elementary school, teachers mainly catered to

one form of teaching. I think it’s important to have many different ways to teach students about a

topic because each student may have a different way of understanding something. I would like to
adhere to this in my classroom so that no student feels left out and as though they are incapable

of learning a subject.

When it comes to my educational background, along with completing my high school

diploma I also completed several courses in first aid and water safety instruction for children and

adults. I then went on to attain a part time position as a water safety instructor while finishing

high school and attending University in the discipline of Business and Economics. I graduated

with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario

while still working as a water safety instructor during part of that time.

I worked with many different age levels at the pool, from young babies and their parents

to adults who wanted to master more complicated swimming techniques. It was a very rewarding

experience, especially when the parents of students returned the following year and came to

thank you. From this experience I wanted to become an elementary teacher, however, the job

market was not good during this time. Instead, I completed my degree in Economics and started

working as a Data Entry Clerk, and then later became a Production Accountant at the same

company. I progressed through different corporate positions trying to find my way and trying to

be satisfied in the corporate world always thankful that I had an income to be able to support

myself. However, I felt that something was still missing and I began looking for volunteer

opportunities where I could have a positive influence on children and society as a whole. I

volunteered at a few different organizations like Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Milton’s

Community Resource Centre for early childhood development and at Kids Club which was an

after school program for children in Guelph. Each of these volunteer placements provided

different opportunities to work with children. The most memorable of these places was Kids

Club where we the volunteers worked with students to discover how the world works by making
things such as slime, which was a gooey substance made by mixing household compounds like

sodium borate or borax with water and adding food coloring for color. These experiences made

me continue to seek out the feasibility of becoming an educator and eventually I started the

Master of Elementary Education Program at Medaille College.

School Observations and Classroom Application

During my first semester at Medaille College, I had the opportunity to shadow a grade five and a

grade one classroom. In the grade five classroom, we were going to be heading to the library

later that afternoon and the teacher wanted to warm the students up by doing a read aloud. The

book that the teacher read to the class was a fictional chapter book that she had started earlier in

the term and read a different part of every few days each week. She asked students about the

meaning of certain vocabulary words, what the students thought was happening in the section of

the book she read and how the story related to real life by asking the students what concepts they

could transfer to everyday living. The book was about a boy who was sent to boarding school

that was run by nuns and it explained that the nuns were not very nice to him. The teacher related

the book to the real world concept of bullying and explained to the class that it is important to be

respectful to everyone regardless of what a person looks or sounds like. The classroom

applications that can be taken away from this read aloud include: students learning how to

understand and interpret language to make sense of the world, students learning information

processing skills, students learning new vocabulary and comprehension skills.

Latoya Crockton examines the benefits of reading aloud to children in grades five and six

and explains that “read alouds allow teachers to expose students to exceptional literature. It is

also beneficial to expose students to the many different types of genres. Students begin to

develop good listening skills that will follow them for a lifetime. It is very crucial that teachers
not only read aloud to students, but they should model the necessary reading skills such as

predicting, inferring, and visualizing to better help students improve their comprehension skills.”

(Crockton, 2010 p3-4) The students in the grade five classroom responded very positively to the

teacher reading aloud to them and were engaged and interested to learn the vocabulary of the

text. It also made going to the library later that day a more engaging process as students were

motivated to read.

When I was working with the teacher in the grade one classroom, students were learning

how to count and how to apply their counting skills to coins. Specifically, the students were

learning how to count from one to one hundred and they were also learning the value of a nickel,

a dime a quarter, a loonie and a toonie. Students seemed engaged in the lesson with the teacher

however, had difficulties with the numbers after reaching twenty. I think counting is a very

important skill for students to learn and be able to use effectively because it is the building

blocks of the mathematical world and can be transferred to real life skills like the use of

currency. “Counting is important because the meaning attached to counting is the key conceptual

idea on which all other number concepts are based. Children have often learnt the counting

sequence as a rote procedure. They need to learn the meaning of counting by using counting

skills in a variety of meaningful situations.” (Number: Early Learning Progression | NZ Maths,

2020, para. 5) The classroom applications that can be taken away from this lesson include:

students learning how to order and sequence numbers, students learning how to think analytically

and students learning how to us quantitative reasoning by learning how they can apply numbers

to real life situations such as the counting of coins.

Philosophy of Education

Introduction:

While there are many different educational philosophies and teaching methods out there,

the progressive educational philosophy relates the most to my views. This philosophy talks about

focusing on students as a whole and working with students’ current knowledge as starting points.

School:

In the progressive view, the goal is to teach students how to think rather than to

memorize information. While it is important for students to be able to repeat important

information, I believe it is also important for students to understand why they learn that type of

information so that they can apply that understanding to their problem solving skills. As students

progress through school and real life they will be faced with many different obstacles that they

have to overcome. I would like to teach them the important critical thinking tools that they can

use to help approach and solve these problems.

Learner:

I also believe that it is important to get to know my students and understand their

strengths and weaknesses so that I can further enhance their strengths and help develop their

weaknesses. This also allows me to plan my lessons in a manner that resonates with all of the

students because I can take the different learners into consideration and make sure that the lesson

I am presenting is going to motivate the entire class to learn not just a handful of students.

Furthermore, I believe that education should be approached with a combination of

student and subject centred methods. I think it is important for students to understand why they

are learning certain information and to be able to tailor learning in ways that make it interesting

for them because they are then more likely to learn, understand and remember the information.
Curriculum:

Under this type of learning, the curriculum is project based and aligns with local, state,

and national academic standards, experiential learning is encouraged where students engage in

hands-on cooperative experiences, critical thinking, problem-solving, and intrinsic motivation

are promoted in the classroom, students are challenged to take personal and social responsibility,

and to respect their own and others’ values.

Assessment:

Student’s skills and knowledge are assessed in a developmentally appropriate way

without reliance on test scores, students are encouraged to investigate, explore, question, and

discuss information, and there is respect for children’s unique learning styles. (The Children’s

School | Progressive Education, n.d.) This type of approach to learning encourages a child’s

development as a whole and does not base knowledge on the ability to regurgitate information

but rather than on the understanding of information.

Furthermore, an article by LeoNora Cohen further supports this view and explains that

“progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole child, rather than on the content

or the teacher. This educational philosophy stresses that students should test ideas by active

experimentation. Learning is rooted in the questions of learners that arise through experiencing

the world. It is active, not passive. The learner is a problem solver and thinker who makes

meaning through his or her individual experience in the physical and cultural context. Effective

teachers provide experiences so that students can learn by doing. Curriculum content is derived

from student interests and questions.” (Cohen, 2019, para. 4)

For this type of educational philosophy, teachers can use different types of assessments

such as assignments, classroom observations and group and individual projects to assess a
student’s learning while encouraging students to ask questions, investigate and explore

curriculum ideas. John Dewey, a forerunner of the progressive educational philosophy stated that

“If the child is thrown into a passive role as a student, absorbing information, the result is a waste

of the child’s education.” (Dewey, 1897, para. 44) he wanted educators to look beyond

systematic teaching methods that mainly focused on copying and regurgitating information and

to really focus on creating understanding and developing problem solving skills among students

so that no matter what type of problem students were faced with they had the skills they needed

to find a solution.

Classroom Management and the Teacher:

The teacher would be able to manage the classroom by setting up and enforcing rules and

daily routines, seating students in such a way that perhaps students can work together and share

their knowledge to help each other learn and grow and also having a group space depending on

the grade where students can sit together and work and learn as a class.

Philosophy of Education Conclusion:

Overall, no matter which educational philosophy prevails, it is important for a teacher to

plan and instruct effectively in order to encourage interest among students, have background

experiences in the classroom that he or she can learn from in order to enhance his or her skills,

have artifacts that he or she can present to show him or her as a competent educator, understand

the curriculum and professional standards, always show his or her readiness and ability to teach

whether it is in person or online.

Resume

Introduction:

Below I will share with you my resume that highlights my educational, volunteer and

work experiences which show why I would make a good elementary teacher.

My resume:

Brigitta Gooch
905-630-6776
10 Ellen Street
Kitchener, Ontario
brigitta.gooch@gmail.com
____________________________________________________
Profile:
Self-motivated and results driven professional, looking for a career change that would
allow me to work in a school environment teaching appropriate curriculum standards
while motivating and helping children learn skills that would allow them to succeed in a
school and real life environment.

Education:
2005-2009:
BA Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo, ON
Economics

2020 – Current Buffalo, NY

MSEd Medaille College
Elementary Education

Volunteer Experience:
After School Assistant for Lab Rats Science Program for Kids, Mitchell Woods Public School, Guelph
Ontario, February 2019 – March 2019
• Work with children from kindergarten to grade five on science experiments
• Encourage children to learn various basic scientific terms
• Ensure that children were having a good time while also developing new skills
Blood Clinic Volunteer for Canadian Blood Services, Guelph Ontario, January 2019 – March 2019
• Responsible for ensuring that patrons were well hydrated and feeling well before donating blood
• Distributed cookies and liquids to patrons after their blood donation was completed
• Made sure that patrons were not dizzy and felt well before leaving the clinic
Helper at Milton Community Resource Centre for Kids, Milton Ontario, Summer 2017, 2018
• Assist with various duties as needed at fundraiser events to be able to attain more resources such as books
and learning utensils for pres-school aged children
Adult Soccer Volunteer Manager, Milton Soccer Club, Milton Ontario, Summer 2014
• Responsible for collection of funds for uniforms, as well as distributing uniforms
• Ensure that there were enough players at each game
• Promote a fun recreational soccer environment

Group Event Assistant, Big Brother Big Sisters of Halton , Milton Ontario, Summer 2013
• Attend and assist at Group Events throughout the summer of 2013 in the Halton Region

Assistant Swimming Instructor, YMCA/YWCA, Guelph Ontario, Summer 2002

• Encourage safe water practices
• Assist Instructor with swimming lessons

Employment History:

Program Coordinator and Logistics (Supply Chain), Gerrie Electric, Burlington Ontario, September
2017 - Current
• Support Sales Managers with incumbent and new customer pricing quotations and profit margin analysis
• Responsible for researching new customers and ensuring they are properly set-up in the Supply Chain
Division
• Assist with finding opportunities to reduce Customer's costs through Vendor Managed Inventory Solutions
• Complete Customer month end sales reports
• Assist Accounts Receivable Team with invoicing
• Complete other duties as assigned

Achievements at Gerrie Electric:

• Assisted the Accounts Payable Team with collections of up to $150K as well as new invoice portal setups for
customers
• Ensured Customer Retention by providing a high level of customer support
• Worked closely with Supply Chain Managers and won new Business such as Cadillac Fairview and Honda

Material Coordinator, Linamar, (Linex) Guelph Ontario, January 2017 – June 2017 (Contract Role)
• Responsible for scheduling production for efficient and smooth running of plant while ensuring customer
satisfaction is met
• Provide excellent customer service skills as required to GM and Allison Transmission, striving to to meet a
fill rate of 98.5% or higher
• Seek out cost saving initiatives
• Perform inventory counts and ad-hoc analysis as required

Product Coordinator/Buyer, Quadra Chemicals, Burlington Ontario November 2012 – October 2015
Manage over $2.9M of industrial chemicals encompassing fertilizers, acids, mining products, chlorides
• Responsible for purchasing products in timely manner from national and global suppliers while
ensuring lowest cost possible is attained
• Negotiate pricing and payment terms with national & global suppliers
•Excellent customer service, planning and organizational skill through supporting sales team and
customer service
• Strong inventory analysis skills, including counting, reconciling, and moving aging inventory
• Interact daily with sales team to promote constant movement and uses of fertilizers, acids, chlorides & offer
pricing incentives to move aging material and attain higher cash flow
• Assist with preparing Request for Proposals documents for potential and incumbent customers
• Work closely with Regulatory department for ongoing product development and to comply with responsible
distribution practices
• Analyze costs of raw materials and re- packaging costs (totes, drums, bags) to ensure accuracy,
• Analyze Profit by transaction report and look for opportunities with sales team to increase profits

Achievements at Quadra Chemicals:

• Build lasting relationships with new and strategic suppliers to attain support pricing
• Won numerous gift card awards for increasing sales margin and establishing new supplier relationships
• Reduce aging inventory to be aligned with company targets of <20%

Production Accountant, Maple Leaf Consumer Foods, Guelph, Ontario November 2009 – May 2012
• Complete bi-weekly forecasts on expected amount of revenue based on production contracts with No Frills,
Loblaw’s, Costco, Wal-Mart, Sobeys
• Maintain daily inventory tracker in terms of inventory availability to eliminate write offs
• Investigate and analyze cost reduction and equipment utilization opportunities for higher productivity yields
•Support QA team in assisting with inventory and best before date management
•At month end complete: Executive report, final forecast report, account reconciliations, balances the general
ledger, runs queries, and processes journal entries
• Support Finance Manager with annual budget process (Variance analysis and populating budget database)
• Support Material and Purchasing Coordinators with inventory levels and having efficient best before dates
for production as well as knowing when ingredients have to be re-ordered and lead times

Achievements at Maple Leaf Consumer Foods:

• Successfully lead Finance and QA team through British Retail Consortium Audit by preparing standard
operating procedures and receive A rating / Bonus Award
• Lead daily meetings with Production team (Supervisors, Manager) to improve machine yields to increase
profitability
• Participate in Management meetings and provide financial feedback for daily operations and cash flow
• Create annual budget for entire Plant and Staff and successfully monitor monthly progress

Lifeguard / Water Safety Instructor, City of Guelph, Guelph Ontario, September 2003 – June 2007
• Teach Children of all ages as well as adults water safety skills
• Responsible for providing a safe and fun indoor pool environment
• Constantly encourage patrons to continue developing swimming skills

Other interests include volunteering, participating in sports and helping out with animals

Conclusion

Overall, I am looking to make a career change to become an Elementary Teacher in

Ontario. As I have explained above, I have always wanted to become a teacher because I enjoy

helping children learn and I like to try and motivated them to see the different skills that they are

capable of accomplishing. However, it is a hard profession to attain full time employment in, in

Ontario. The job market for teachers is slowly improving with upcoming retirements.

I have worked and volunteered in various different teaching roles like teaching swimming

lessons, working at after school programs and participating in fundraising activities to help early

learning centres purchase the resources they require to help students learn. I have also

participated in field work experience in my first semester at Medaille College and observed a

grade five and a grade one classroom and have different leadership experiences noted on my

resume. I believe with the combination of all of these skills I can bring value to a classroom and

help students learn.