Section One: Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary Portfolio Project

Introduction, Overview and Rationale

Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world, (Lighting your
way, 2015). Nelson Mandela spoke these words as he launched the Mindset Network at the
University of the Witwatersrad in Johannesburg, South Africa and addressed the importance of
education, the need for restructuring the education system, and the power that education can have
on individuals and the world. As a teacher you are doing your part to chang the world, one
student at a time. Some may say this a nave notion, but I truly believe that teaching is not only a
noble profession, but one that has the power to mould minds, shape values and steer a students
life in the direction that will bring out the individuals strengths.
Since as far back as I can remember I have always aspired to be a teacher because of my
steadfast belief that I could make a difference, albeit even a small one, in a persons life. My goal
is to instil knowledge and - more importantly - values in my students. This comes from creating a
classroom that is a safe, accepting and encouraging environment for all students regardless of
race, culture, gender, sexuality, ability, religion or other personally defining factors for members
of the classroom community. My goal is to become a role model and a confidante, and to
demonstrate a willingness and ability to be a life-long learner that will encourage students to
develop growth mindsets and continually work toward achieving their full potential and finding
their personal area of comfort or expertise.
The purpose of putting together an elementary portfolio is to demonstrate the respect I
have toward education and my students and to reveal my approach to teaching and learning. This
is accomplished through my philosophy of education, a collection of artifact samples,
understanding of curriculum and professional standards and responsibilities, reflection on the

process of putting together a lesson plan, a unit, a portfolio and an interview video in which I
will showcase what I believe are the most valuable characteristics, experiences and knowledge
that I can offer to my students, my classroom, my school and my community.
To me, the most important teaching criteria are classroom management, planning,
instruction and reflection, after all, the main duty of a teacher is to teach content. When these
aspects of the teaching process run smoothly I believe that many of the other aspects easily fall
into place. A well-managed class is inherently better prepared to learn than a class where every
student has his own agenda or expectations. The ability for a teacher to manage her class using a
balance of reward and punishment creates an organized atmosphere conducive to learning.
Expectations and consequences are clearly identified and every member of the class understands
what their roles and duties are (whether it is a daily duty, as a student, as a teacher etc). The
ability of the teacher to plan her lessons, including anticipating time needed, time management
and students needs and abilities, results in the actual instruction process moving along
purposefully. When this is not the case, the reflection process is important for determining what
worked well and what requires improvement. My own ability to do this continues to improve as I
write more lesson plans, learning segments and unit plans and of course have more opportunities
to teach in varied classroom settings. The practice helps me to assess, and to strengthen my own
preparedness for teaching in the elementary classroom.
Additionally, student motivations to learning are important for a teacher to understand.
For some students, motivation is based on interests or goals, while for others the motivation
comes from the teachers apparent enthusiasm for the upcoming lessons or in rousing confidence
in the students abilities. Learner motivation may create goal-oriented behaviours; increase a
students persistence in a particular activity; increase effort and energy; affect cognitive

processes; help the student to evaluate rewarding and punishing consequences; and enhance
overall performance (How Motivation Effects Learning and Behavior, 2014). I believe that
students learn best when they are intrinsically motivated by their interests and abilities and for
that reason it is important for teachers to become familiar with their students and their interests in
order to teach in a way that will trigger intrinsic motivations. I want to know and be able to cater
to the students interests, abilities and self-created goals or aspirations as often as possible. I
think having a cookie cutter teaching style among all teachers and for all students will never
inspire students to do something that they love or will bring them a sense of accomplishment.
Additionally, I believe that by not stimulating the students to accept challenges that students will
not truly understand the value of hard work, persistence and the joy and sense of accomplishment
in even the small successes. Encouraging students to develop a growth mindset gives students
the opportunity to try, to make mistakes, to improve and to explore new avenues to learning. It
also builds a sense of perseverance in the child when they change how they approach learning
from a new perspective and with the idea that although they may not understand yet they have
the tools they need in order to succeed.
Every student should have equal opportunity to excel based on their interests and abilities
and be able to share that with their teacher and their classmates. When the students are given the
opportunity to be the expert (or the More Knowledgeable Other in Vygotskys Social Learning
Theory) their self-confidence is boosted and I believe that can open doors to further learning,
even in vastly different subject areas.
Portfolio Overview and Rationale
As previously stated, the aim of creating an elementary portfolio is to showcase aspects
of my personality that will create a classroom environment for student-centred, active and social

learning; social, emotional and moral growth as well as a safe and encouraging environment for
students self-discovery. It is a collection and presentation of philosophies, life experiences and
artefacts that represent my ambition, motivation, enthusiasm and capabilities as an educator. Not
only is it important to share how I continue to develop best practices for planning, instruction
and assessment, but it is important to share some of the ways in which culturally responsive
teaching is implemented for diverse learners, how accommodations and d are crafted for those
diverse learners and how and when technology can be used effectively as a teaching and learning
tool (and equally important - how not to isolate students who may not have access to it once they
leave the school).
The field of education is in constant flux. From year to year when you have different
students, different administration or different dominant theories of education, a teachers
approach must be altered. This portfolio will be altered as well to reflect these changes as I learn
and perfect my own approaches. I believe that collaboration and learning from those who have
different experiences is the best way to diversify your approach and it is an invaluable resource
to new and seasoned educators alike. Teachers must remain up-to-date on the latest trends in
education, technology, learner interventions and more and professional development is
imperative to achieve this! The portfolio is a reflection of the on-going professional development
process.
The various sections will be a reflection of my professional development process through
a detailed philosophy of education as well as various artefacts. This portfolio is a compilation of
everything I have learned during the Masters of Science of Elementary Education for Canadian
Teachers at Medaille College, through both of my student teaching placements as well as a
reflection of who I am as an individual and who I want to become as an educator.

Portfolio Development
The sections of the elementary portfolio reflect the various skills and duties of an
effective teacher. Each section will guide the reader into how I have - or plan to - implement
these skills and responsibilities into my life and into my teaching process. I will speak of the
influence that several theorists have had on my approach to instruction and classroom
management and how knowledge of these theories have helped to formulate my own outlooks,
goals and philosophies of education.
This portfolio will include a section about my personal, educational and professional
background and teaching experiences. This section is important because it blends who I am as an
individual with who I am, and who I want to be, as an educator. I will talk about my own
educational experiences, including anecdotes from as far back as elementary school, and how my
own teachers influenced my desire to become an educator myself. I will share the wealth of
knowledge that my instructors throughout the Masters of Science of Elementary Education for
Canadian Teachers at Medaille College and my associate teachers during my two student
teaching placements have instilled in me from their own life and teaching experiences and how
their experiences provided learning opportunities for me. Additionally, this section will contain
information about my work and volunteer experiences that are pertinent to the field of education.
From babysitting, to tutoring, from working at a summer camp, to volunteering in classrooms, I
have tried to surround myself with children and individuals whose lifes purpose is to make a
difference in the childs life. I have learned from my diverse experiences and from various
unique individuals including mentors, teachers and parents, and from the children and students.
Each experience and lesson has been pieced together like a puzzle to create my personal
philosophy of education. This philosophy includes my opinion on the role of the student, the role

of the teacher and the ultimate purpose of education. It will address my teaching methods
(including classroom management, instructional design, inclusion and differentiation) and the
experts that have influenced how I feel children learn and how I will best be able to reach the
majority of students without leaving anyone behind academically or socially.
The next section will contain a selection of artefacts that are examples of my work, that
display and demonstrate personal competencies in pedagogy, subject matter knowledge,
standards, technology, planning and reflecting (before, during and after the teaching process),
instruction and assessment, learner accommodations and differentiation, culturally responsive
teaching practices and other best practices for teaching. My unit plan (EDU500) will confirm my
ability to plan, to ensure I have the most up-to-date information, to prepare material (whether in
an anticipatory set or throughout the unit) and to anticipate how the students will be assessed
following the individual lessons and at the culmination of the unit. My lesson plan developed for
an observation during my second placement (EDU577-P) will demonstrate how I have been able
to improve my lesson planning skills as well as anticipate how to best implement a lesson for a
class of diverse learners. Along with the lesson plan, I will submit my college supervisors
critique of my lesson plan and observation notes from the lesson itself. This commentary is
evidence of my ability to reflect on the process of planning and instructing and to accept
constructive criticisms and advice and implement it in future lessons to improve my own
instruction as well as the environment I create for student learning. My bulletin board (EDU500)
will demonstrate student engagement prior, during and following a unit as well as display a
variety of self-assessment methods for students as they actively engage with the material. My
field trip proposal and lesson plan (ECI535) will showcase ethnic inclusion and cultural identity
within the classroom and community. My author study SMART Notebook presentation

(EDU571) will showcase my tech-savviness and ability to use technology within the classroom
and engage student learning on a variety of topics through games and interactive information.
Additionally, I will illuminate my knowledge of curriculum standards (for both Ontario
and New York State) and explain why knowledge of different curricula is important, not only in
the context of the Masters of Science of Elementary Education for Canadian Teachers at
Medaille College, but for the teacher in general to be able to differentiate lessons based on
changing needs given these specific expectations. This section will include acknowledgment of
various learning styles and academic needs and how they must be addressed through
differentiated instruction. It will address the importance of growth (both intellectually and
emotionally) throughout the educational journey, and how I hope to facilitate that in each of my
students. Students learn in different ways and develop mentally at different rates, this section will
relate how I plan to accommodate these different needs and create a learning environment that
will be conducive for all students to learn given their situation, mainly through inquiry and
creativity. Finally, it will speak to my approach to professional responsibilities within the field,
from professional development to collaboration, ethical practices and moral responsibilities
toward the students.
Section five will contain a personal reflection on the process of putting together the
elementary portfolio. I will consider not only who I am, but also who I have been and the journey
I have embarked upon to become all that I aspire to be. I will share my experiences, observations
and lessons learned whilst in the Masters of Science of Elementary Education for Canadian
Teachers at Medaille College, through both of my student teaching placements, during my years
tutoring and through various volunteer and observation opportunities. As the portfolio comes to
an end my preparedness and eagerness to enter into the teaching profession will hopefully be

readily apparent and received with equal enthusiasm by those who read it. This reflection will
prepare me or the final component, the teacher interview video and Weebly website. I have
already completed the website, however, having a digital portfolio added to it makes it a
convenient and accessible resource not only for demonstrating my knowledge of technology and
ability to integrate technology in the classroom in meaningful ways but also for showcasing my
personal and professional strengths that will be held in high regard by potential future employers.
The interview video will answer some of the more frequently asked questions so that an actual
interview situation can address more specific or relevant inquiries and really delve into the
nuances that would make me the best possible candidate for a potential teaching position.
As a whole, the elementary portfolio project will be a way to demonstrate the values I
have toward education and my students and to reveal my approach to teaching and learning. It
will showcase aspects of my personality and act as a collection and presentation of philosophies,
life experiences and artefacts that represent my ambition, motivation, enthusiasm and capabilities
as an educator.
Theorists and Experts in the Field of Education
There are many paradigms and even more theories and experts in the field of education.
Each has a different approach and different area of focus when it comes to learning. Whether it is
a behaviourist approach, cognitivism, constructivist approach or humanist paradigm, I believe
that finding a balance is the best way to differentiate instruction and reach more of my students.
Social Learning Theory (Albert Bandura), Stage Theory of Cognitive Development (Jean
Piaget), Social Development Theory (Lev Vygotsky) and Mindset Theory (Dweck) demonstrate
different ways in which students learn and offer varied approaches to instruction that, when
combined in classroom instruction, create a diverse and unique teaching approach. I am

including these four theories and learning theories because I believe that it is important to
understand the different ways in which our students learn and how to effectively incorporate
them into instruction.
Social Learning Theory, as popularised by Albert Bandura, posits learning phenomena
can occur on a vicarious basis through observation of other peoples behaviour and its
consequences, (Bandura, 1971). What this means is that people can acquire and integrate new
behaviours into their own behavioural schema on the basis of its observed acceptance and reward
for others. Likewise, observation of criticised or reprimanded behaviours often results in these
behaviours not being added to a persons schema. Combined with cognitive capacities, a person
is later able to determine how certain actions will benefit or hinder him based on an analysis of
observed experiences. Social learning theory is, arguably the best way for students to learn social
cues and to navigate daily social interactions. It teaches students how to fit in with norms of
behaviour. It is also one of the most popular ways of implementing classroom management
techniques. Rewards and punishments, in and of themselves, promote the continuation of
positive behaviours. For children, seeing their peers being praised for positive actions and
punished for negative actions is the quickest way to learn desired behaviours and to detract
undesired behaviours. When it comes to education, one can suppose that social learning theory
encourages students to emulate the behaviours of students who are most successful; to work hard
to achieve high grades, be popular and to receive praise from teachers.
Jean Piagets Stage Theory of Cognitive Development explains how children are
intellectually prepared to learn different concepts at different stages in their development.
Children think differently than adults do, not simply because they are less versed in logical
processes but because biologically they receive and process information differently. Piaget

divided these biological abilities into four stages, sensorimotor (0 - 2 years), preoperational (2
7 years), concrete operational (7 11 years) and formal operational (11 + years) (McLeod,
2009). For a teacher, knowledge of these cognitive stages is imperative for planning effective
lessons for students. In the preoperational stage, children begin to use symbols (such as words or
pictures) as representations for things they know. In this stage, children are still egocentric and
have not learned to reason logically. In the concrete operational stage, children can think
logically about concrete objects, but have not yet begun to think abstractly. In the final stage of a
childs development, the formal operational stage, children think abstractly and hypothetically;
they are able to make assumptions about the world given situations that may or may never come
to be (Cherry, n.d.). We always speak of knowing the learning styles of our students, but often
we may overlook the fact that students may not biologically be able to learn in such a way that
teachers may hope for, or even expect. The students that we will have in our classes as
elementary teachers will range from the preoperational stage to the formal operational stage. As a
teacher who will be expected to teach to all of these students at some point, it is important to
realise that no matter what the stage the student is at, the most important aspect of learning is the
process rather than the end result (which is often characterised by rote memorisation).
One of the most common educational theories is Lev Vygotskys Social Development
Theory. I believe that Vygotskys theory bridges social learning theory and the stage theory of
cognitive development. Social development theory argues that social interaction precedes
development; consciousness and cognition are the end products of socialisation and social
behaviour, (Social Development Theory, 2014). Like Bandura, Vygotsky believes that social
interaction plays an important role in how people, of all ages, learn. People learn on an
individual level following what they learn on a social level. Like Piaget, Vygotsky claims there

must be the potential for cognitive development to happen. This potential comes when there is a
zone of proximal development. In this zone, the skills gained with adult guidance or peer
collaboration exceeds what can be attained alone, (Culatta, n.d.). The person(s) from whom a
student learns is the more knowledgeable other, and is simply anyone with a better understanding
of a given concept. Vygotskys social development theory encourages social learning,
questioning and interaction within the classroom. His social learning theory links well with
inquiry based models of student- centred learning which puts the student in charge of some of the
learning process. Given this developmental theory, students are encouraged to work
collaboratively, to learn from and to teach each other regularly. This theory not only promotes a
social learning environment, but breaks up what often becomes a monotonous teaching and
learning routine within the classroom.
Finally, and possibly most influential to my own teaching practice is Mindset Theory. The
mindset, that being the attitude our students have toward learning, is an important factor to how
instruction is received by the students and how the students adapt to the challenges of learning.
Mindset Theory, as developed by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, is based on the
power of belief, how the beliefs you have in yourself guide your life and how changing beliefs
can have a profound effect on people (Dweck, 2006). Additionally, mindset theory suggests that
a variety of human qualities are cultivated through effort rather than being inherent and
established in each individual. Mindset theory, when implemented effectively can show our
students that there is no such thing as failure, rather that each failed attempt is just another
opportunity to learn. An inspirational quote comes to mind when I think about mindset theory. I
have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that wont work. Thomas Edison said that,
presumably while in the process of creating one of several thousand inventions that have

changed the world as we know it. Edison himself relied on the fact that he had a growth mindset
in order to achieve as much as he did in his life. I have mentioned that one goal I have as an
educator is to be a lifelong learner myself, and to instil that quality in my students. Growth
mindset supports this idea and recognises that it is not always the people who start off the
smartest that end up the smartest (Binet, from Dweck, 2006). Of the many ways we are different
and unique, we cannot truly know our true potential until we have the proper motivation and
ambition to persevere and succeed. The passion for sticking to it, even (or especially) when
its not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people
to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives, (Dweck, 2006).
While these four theorists have educational practices that appear to be quite compatible,
they are not the end-all be-all of educational practices. No matter what educational experts say is
best for children, the teacher is the most adept when she has a vested interest in the academic
success of her students and takes the time to know them and engage them individually and based
on their learning styles and interests. Experts and the variety of paradigms they promote serve as
valuable starting points for curriculum and lesson planning, but there is no replacement for
experience and genuine compassion toward each student.
Conclusion
What makes a good teacher? The roles of a teacher are multifaceted. She is the instructor,
the therapist, the mediator, the tech guru, the communicator, the compromiser, the mentor. But I
think most importantly, she is a catalyst for change. She changes the mind of her students. She
changes the opinions of her students. And if she does it all right she changes the world, through
her students. It is important for teachers to realise the power they have not only through their

authority in the classroom, but based on the nature of children to often take the word of adults at
face value.
One thing I have learned is that fair doesnt mean giving every child the same thing, it
means giving every child what they need, (Rick Lavoie). Rick Lavoie, an expert when it comes
to educating students with special needs, gives this piece of advice to teachers and parents alike.
I think it is a pertinent piece of advice that should be employed for all students. This aspect of
inclusion, and in turn differentiation of instruction, is something that is extremely important in
the classroom and the school community as a whole and something I hope I am able to exhibit
through this portfolio.
This portfolio is by no means a complete description of who I am, and it is certainly not
all that I want to be; it is merely a brief showcase of who I am now. One of the most important
things a teacher can do is to be in a continual state of learning and improving. Whether this
growth is personal, social or professional, being a life-long learner is crucial for a teacher. By
being a life-long learner herself, the teacher can promote this ideal within her students and
encourage them to find a love of learning and cultivate it throughout their lives, wherever they
may be.
This portfolio will showcase the best of who I am now and my goals and aspirations
about whom I hope to become. It will show off the theories and work of educational experts
whom I have learned about, and the work and experiences of those who have become role
models for me as I embark on my own career. It will address where I am most confident and
demonstrate how I plan and improve where I am not so fortunate. This portfolio will provide
resources for knowing me as a person and as a teacher candidate.