Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction

This section will demonstrate my background experiences thus far. This section will

include both traditional and non-traditional classroom setting experiences. This section will also

reveal some work experiences that were not in the teaching field. Although they may have not

been in the teaching field, with these experiences, I have gained some knowledge and skills that

can be contributed to my teaching experience. This section also illustrated my philosophy of

education. My philosophy of education expresses my passion as a teacher, theorists that have

influenced my teaching style and practice and my own theories that I have developed that will be

used when I enter the field as a profession.

Work Experience

I have working as a Sunday school teacher in an urban area for five years. The Sunday

School consists of students from the ages of four to fourteen. As a Sunday School teacher, I plan

weekly lessons (for every Sunday) and activities for the kids relative to the bible, provide snacks

for the kids and plan fun summer activities. Alongside the other Sunday School teachers, I also

plan performances for special occasions and events. I rotate between the age groups that I work

with. A practice that I observed that I believe was very good was the amount of creativity put

into the lesson planning and activities. Every week the teachers had new innovative ways of

teaching their lessons. One of the teachers told me that creativity will capture the children.

Children can easily get bored if they simply do the same thing every day. It becomes repetitive

and these lose interest. One day the children were learning about giving. So, the teacher had the

students bake cookies. When the students were finished baking, instead of eating it all

themselves, they wrapped it up and attached a nice note with it and gave it to one person in the
church. Not only were the students engaged in the activity, they truly did learn a valuable lesson.

Implementing creating into lessons in a practice I will continue to use in the classroom.

I currently work as a casual Special Educational Assistant. One of the classrooms that I

often work at is a Mild Intellectual Disability (M.I.D.) classroom. This school is located in a

Suburban neighborhood in Thornhill, Ontario. The students in the class are academically very

low. The students in the class range in grade levels from Kindergarten to Grade 3. One of the

best practices I experienced in this class was that despite the fact the students perform at a fairly

low level academically, the teacher and the EAs never made that the focus of the classroom. The

staff care about the students’ progress and encourage the students to do their very best. The

teacher and EAs are very supportive and assist the students in any way possible. The students are

reminded to persevere and do their very best. I strongly believe in constantly encouraging our

students to be the best they can be. Many students may be discouraged due to their shortcomings

or the challenges they may encounter. However, I learned that as a teacher we need to

continuously work with our students so that they can progress and be successful.

School Observations and Classroom Applications

I had the opportunity to observe a private program developed for students who are of

color and excel academically beyond their Grade level. The students in this program in Grade

seven. The program was held at the Defindorf building at the University of Buffalo. There were

over 30 students. There were only a handful of boys in the class. The students attended the

program on Saturdays and had Computer/Tech class, Science, Math and Literacy. The students

were split into two groups based on gender. The groups would rotate classes throughout the day.
 I really enjoyed watching the science teachers teach the students. The teachers effectively

incorporated hands on activities and engaged the students. For instance, when the students were

learning about germs, the teachers conducted an interactive experiment with the students. All the

students had a specific substance in their test tubes and the class had to find out who initially

contaminated the classmates. This experiment really made the students understand the concept of

bacteria and how it spreads from person to person. I enjoyed this fieldwork experience because it

supported my beliefs that implementing creativity in the classroom is a vital practice. Education

theorist Lev Vygotsky stated that creativity is the essential to the existence of humanity and

society (Gunilla, 249). Vygotsky is one of the many theorists who stress the importance of

creativity as a human’ especially throughout one’s childhood. Vygotsky explains that the

imagination and expression of creativity is beneficial to a child’s development (Gunilla, 246).

Vygotsky also further explains that creativity is the foundation for art as well as for science and

technology (Gunilla, 249). As demonstrated in the bacteria lesson mentioned above, the teachers

creatively executed an engaging lesson. The students received the opportunity to be hands on and

fun while learning.

I also worked in a school in a suburban area as a Tutor in the Classroom. In this role, I

worked with a small group of students from Grades four to six, whose math and reading levels

were well below their grade level. Planned daily lessons and activities for students who require

extra assistance with their math and literacy skills. Many of the students I worked with and

observed had Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) to ensure that they had adequate resources

and support to be successful in school. When I first worked with these students I regulated

individual behavior in consultation with the classroom teacher, and provided assistance for

students in acquiring strong academic, communication and social skills, supported teachers in
class by giving assistance to students in need of extra help encouraged students to strive for

success and persevere despite the fact that they may find certain subject areas challenging.

Philosophy of Education

Quality education begins with a teacher who has aspirations to see students become

successful individuals beyond the classroom. Education is more complex than studying, reading

books and assessing students. Education is a vital component to a child’s life journey. Children

develop skills throughout school that will aid them in building honourable traits. These traits will

not only build character, but will also boost their self-esteem and benefit them in their future

careers. As teachers, our job is to empower children. Children need to feel confident and believe

that they are capable of achieving their goals. We need to motivate students to take ownership of

their learning. Education based research Robert Marzano states in his book Classroom

Management That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Every Teacher that students should

develop a sense of responsibility for their own behaviour (Marzano, 2003, 76). This is very

important because although as teachers we have the opportunity to empower and encourage

students, it is the students’ responsibility to take the right steps, be proactive and work diligently

to achieve success.

As teachers, we also need to make connections with our students. This assists with

classroom management and ensuring that the students in the classroom feel comfortable and are

in a safe learning environment. Knowingly this will lead to an enjoyable, positive and engaging

learning atmosphere.

Teachers are the students’ role models, leaders and counsellors. As a teacher I would like

my students to understand that education itself is a journey that is filled with fun, laughter,
challenges, discipline and growth. Marzano emphasizes that building a rapport with students is

very important to creating a great teacher-student relationship (Marzano, 2003, 65).

Overall, teachers play a major role in a students’ success. We do not just teach. We lead,

motivate, inspire, consult, care and have respect for our students. It can be a very challenging

role, but a rewarding one indeed.

 Madelaine Yeboah
15 Destino Crescent (416) 836-4427
Woodbridge, ON L4H 3E2 madelaine_yeboah@hotmail.com

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Highly dedicated individual, passionate about providing needs-based support and assistance to
students in an inclusive environment. Offering over 7 years of work and volunteer teaching
assistant/tutor experience and 9 years of customer service experience, successfully establishing
rapport with customers, colleagues, and management. Working knowledge of the Occupational
Health and Safety Act, Education Act, and Child Care and Early Years Act. Strong time-
management, communication, and organizational skills. Skillful in using word processing and
spreadsheet applications, the Internet, and e-mail. Ability to work under pressure and efficiently
in a fast-paced environment.

EDUCATION
1. Masters of Science in Education: Elementary, Medaille College, Buffalo, New York,
January 2018- Present

2. Bachelor of Arts in History, York University - Toronto, ON, August 2015

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma, Woodbridge College High School, Woodbridge, ON,
June 2011

WORK EXPERIENCE

Casual Educational Assistant, York Region District School Board Feb. 2018 – Present

• Under the direction of the classroom teacher and professional resource staff, supporting
students with special needs such as emotional problems, behaviour disorders, Down
Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, developmental delays, Attention
Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders and physical and learning
disabilities
• Working in collaboration with teachers to deliver programs and interventions as well as
support the physical and hygienic needs of students including: toileting, lifting,
transferring, feeding, and dressing
• Support students in skill development, self-management, and problem solving to improve
academic achievement
• Manage individual behavior in consultation with the classroom teacher, and provide
assistance for students in the acquisition, reinforcement and maintenance of academic,
communication and social and life skills
Sunday School Teacher, Spirit Alive Ministries 2010-Present
• Teaching young children aged four to thirteen, planning weekly activities and interactive
lessons in a creative manner
• Organizing performances such as songs, plays, and inspirational speeches to build the
children’s self-esteem and encourage involvement in the church
• Working in collaboration with the Secretary, Events Coordinator, and Financial Secretary
to create inclusive summer programs, including educational, and adventurous trips,
concerts, and plays for the children
• Ensuring all children adhere to rules and regulations, in order to maintain a healthy, safe,
and fun environment
• Providing parents/guardians with all information of events, ensuring satisfactory
permission is given, and all forms are correctly filled out
• Facilitating programs to raise money for the children and youth ministry, as well as
contribute to the needs of the people in the community

Cashier, Sephora Vaughan Mills Apr. 2016 to Sept. 2017

• Ensured that clients received excellent client service and had an enjoyable shopping
experience
• Provided clients with product recommendations and beauty services
• Processed purchases, refunds and exchanges using the Point of Sale system (POS), according
to the store's policy
• Answered phone calls and proactively dealt with client inquiries
• Worked backstage with inventory, using scan tools to count products received, opened boxes
and stocked products on shelves
• Assisted clients and co-workers with finding products from back stock

Sales Advisor, H&M Oct. 2015 to Apr. 2016

• Demonstrated multi-tasking capabilities by answering phone calls and assisting customers
simultaneously, in a fast-paced environment
• Completed various tasks such as operating cash registers, maintaining an organized sales
floor, assisting customers with their concerns within the store and on the phone
• Provided excellent customer service by ensuring that customers had the best possible
shopping experience
• Operated cash registers by processing customer purchases, refunds and returns
• Assisted with inventory, opening boxes and creatively arranging garments on the sales floor
• Consistently created a welcoming and comfortable environment for customers and co-
workers

Cashier/ Floor Supervisor, Fresh Co. Sept. 2008 to Apr. 2016

• Provided excellent customer service to all customers while serving them in an acceptable
amount of time
• Accurately processed purchases, exchanges and refunds in compliance with company policy
• Closed cash registers and performed daily cash balance functions, such as counting the till,
entering amounts into the daily cash off sheet, filling out deposit slips, printing all paper
work, and placing deposits into the safe for bank depositing

Classroom Tutor, York Region District School Board April 2015 to June 2015
• Worked with small group of students from grades four to six, whose math and reading levels
are below their grade level
• Planned daily lessons and activities for students who require extra assistance with their math
and literacy skills
• Managed individual behaviour in consultation with the classroom teacher, and provided
assistance for students in acquiring strong academic, communication and social skills
• Assisted grade four to six students with in-class assignments and homework
• Worked with students requiring Individual Education Plans (IEPs) to improve in subjects
they found challenging
• Supported teachers in class by giving assistance to students in need of extra help
Encouraged
students to strive for success and persevere despite the fact that they may find certain
subject areas challenging

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Volunteer Teacher, Woodbridge College High School Sept. 2014 - Feb. 2015

• Under the guidance of the grade ten History Teacher, planning lessons and teaching several
classes
• Interacting with the students on a weekly basis, in accordance with the teacher’s needs
• Facilitating interactive activities and lessons to engage students
• Marking tests and assignments, giving students thorough feedback on how they can improve
• Providing one-on-one help for students who require extra assistance
• Working with students who have learning disabilities, exploring different teaching methods
to enhance their learning experience