Sections Five: Teacher Candidate Reflection

Introduction

           Throughout this section, I will be reflecting upon my experience writing this portfolio. I

will be going through various educational experiences, observations and lessons that I have

taking part in and or witnessed that allowed me to grow as a future educator. I will also be

demonstrating my readiness to become a teacher. I will explain how I have met Medaille

College’s Department of Education claims as well as the CAEP standards. I will discuss how my

pedological education has allowed me to form my own opinion and beliefs on how to be an

effective, resourceful and empathetic teacher. 

Portfolio Project/ Teacher Education Learning Experiences:

           Through the creation process of My Portfolio, I have acquired valuable professional and

personal lessons. This development has allowed me to reflect upon many experiences that I was

fortunate enough to have throughout my life as well as the great educational experiences that I

have been able to have through the Department of Education at Medaille College. 

Throughout the last three semesters, the reflective process was often encouraged by all of our

professors. Post-lesson planning and executing reflections were the most eye-opening to me. I

found it very important and beneficial to be able to look back and see what worked and what

didn't throughout your instruction. We've learned that although your lesson could be planned to

perfection on paper there are times when the execution might fall through. These notes are

extremely important in the reflective process. It allows us to tweak things and improve

personally and professionally. during my first semester at Medaille, I took a course called “The
Core of Education” this class Pushed my reflective boundaries. We reflected personally as well

as give feedback to our colleagues. These are both two different types of reflections, and ones

that will allow us to grow professionally throughout this program.

I've also learned the importance of flexibility. There are so many ways that this lesson has been

taught over and over throughout this entire program, and one of our first days of Field

Experience is just the example to share. I started our day quietly assisting a grade 4 ELA class, it

wasn't long into the period when the fire alarm sounded and we were all evacuated due to a

potential gas leak in the kitchen. The students were relatively calm, but this was all due to the

com and effective staff that we're leading them outside. This little hiccup was not part of their

plan. Much of the Saturday Academy had to be cancelled, but students had to wait outside until

the building was cleared by the Fire Marshall. The flexibility and effectiveness that the

administration showed were outstanding. After the building was cleared, we were all asked to

stay in their cafeteria. The teachers found a way to coordinate and have a fun afternoon with the

children before the pick-up time. This is just one small example of the type of flexibility needed

to not only run a class but also run a school. My ultimate goal is to one day become a principal of

the school. To do this I will need to have very strong leadership skills but also an empathetic and

growth mindset that I have enhanced throughout this entire program. 

Another huge experience that I should touch upon is this entire online transition. I would have

never imagined back at the beginning of this year what would be in store for us. This entire year

has made everyone, but I would say educators in particular think on their feet, be innovative and

once again flexible. Not only has this been a great learning experience but our professors have

been very helpful throughout the process by giving us online resources and different ideas on

how to conduct online learning. I have to say when the entire globe was locked down back in
March of 2020 it was a learning curve that both teachers and students needed to face, but it was

one that we got through together. Growing up in the younger generation technology started

thriving when I was in high school. The older I got the more intelligent I saw younger students

become when it came to technology. I always loved keeping up with the latest trends, but I never

thought that our classrooms were so far behind due to either lack of resources, funding, or simply

the teacher’s inexperience with technology. Once again this dramatically shifted in the middle of

this year. I would say that in all the years this course has been given EDU 571: technology for

the elementary classroom this year would be the most important of all. I cannot begin to list the

number of useful resources that I have accumulated not only from that course but over the last

semester. From online formative assessments, marking scales, student database programs,

teacher websites and Bitmoji classrooms my inventory of accessible tools that I can use for my

classroom is endless. It has also inspired me to invest more in my education in becoming a

teacher. I have recently completed the first part of the Google Educator course and am in the

process of completing the 2nd and final part. This course has enhanced my knowledge about

technology and its implementation in the classroom once again.

Medaille College’s Department of Education has instituted three major claims about the quality

of its graduates. 

Their first claim states that “all graduates know the subject matter in their certification area”. I

can confirm that through this program I have exercised my ability 2 learn about the subject

matter being taught from grades 1 to 6, as well as being heavily experienced in both New York

State standards and Ontario curriculum expectations. Using both the standards and curriculum

expectations I will be able to plan effective and thought-provoking lessons that will only enhance

all student learning. 

Their second claim states that “all graduates meet the needs of diverse learners through effective

pedagogy and best teaching practices”. I can also confirm that I meet the standards of the second

claim. Throughout my time at Medaille College, we have spent many hours discussing the

philosophies and theories of educational theorists around the globe. We have discussed their

theories and how to implement them in classrooms, their effectiveness, and the impact that they

could have on our student learning. Not only have we talked about the concrete theory from

which we can build our philosophy of education on we have also discussed how to accommodate

and modify learning so that it meets the needs of all learners. Differentiated instruction is the

main topic of discussion throughout the last year. It is a known fact that the “one size fits all”

model is no longer effective but something we read in our history books. Each student learns

differently, and it is our job as teachers to find those differences and accommodate each student

so that they can show us their best possible selves. It is not our job to create roadblocks in their

education, but it is our job to remove these roadblocks so that they can be as successful as they

can. It is also important that we recognize that each student is unique, diverse and exceptional in

their way. This is why I included my 8th artifact in this portfolio in the third section, which was a

presentation about how to teach diverse students. I and my learning partner together collaborated

to find research and valuable lessons that we shared with our classmates about teaching a diverse

group of students. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a community they thrived on its

diversity. We celebrated every holiday in our classroom, from Diwali, Christmas, Hanukkah,

Eid, Kwanzaa, Orthodox Christmas and many more, I was blessed to be allowed to have such

amazing role models as teachers that allowed us to show our unique cultural and ethnic diversity.

I have made a promise to myself when I started this journey of becoming a teacher that I will do

just that in my classroom. 

the final claim made by Medaille College’s Department of Education is that “all graduates are

caring educators”. I'm 100% confident but this claim is true. One of our very first lessons in our

very first class at Medaille spoke about empathy and the strength that an empathetic heart has. I

have always been an empathetic human being, but it was refreshing to see it become such a focus

in a graduate studies program. We often talk about the assumptions that can be made about your

students. What we focused on in this program is to never make any of those assumptions. as

teachers, we are sometimes the first face that some students see in the morning, we can never

assume that we know how their previous night had gone. Our students could be having

difficulties at home that could affect their learning. during one of my volunteer positions in a

grade 4 elementary classroom, I had a student struggle all day for weeks on end because she was

hungry. She would come to school in the mornings without having eaten breakfast, and some

days did not bring lunch. The only reason this information was found out was that the school

implemented a breakfast and lunch program midway through the year, and she was one of the

first candidates for it. This is just one small example of the challenges we might face in our

classroom. To be caring and empathetic shows the students that we care about them, some might

find it hard to accept, while some may long the attention from us. Either or, they spend the

majority of their days with us, we should gain the trust of both parents and students to have a

successful and effective school year. 

I can also validate that I have abided by the CAEP standards to the best of my ability. I can

demonstrate an understanding of the 10 Interstate New Teacher Assessment Support Consortium

Standards (InTASCS) by implementing each one into the subject, content areas and professional

and personal development. As mentioned above I have also shown that I apply my pedological

knowledge to all of my academic submissions as well as teaching preparation and plans. Finally,
I can affirm that through all of my knowledge I will be able to provide rigorous and thought-

provoking lessons that will oblige to both Common Core and Next-Generation Standards. 

Readiness to Become a Teacher

This program has validated but I can succeed in this profession on the basis that I have devoted

much time and effort into studying and practicing many skills and trades needed to become an

effective teacher. It is important to reflect and recognize that our education does not stop after

this program. We must continue to take part in professional development days and workshops to

continue to provide high-quality education wherever we go. 

At this time, I'm confident in stating that I am prepared to take on the challenge must becoming

an elementary teacher. Throughout this portfolio, I have been allowed to reflect on my strengths

and areas in which I feel that I could benefit from improving. I believe then I have many

strengths that will lead me to become a successful educator.

 I am a very detail-oriented person, this will come in handy during the planning process. I have

spent many hours planning lessons to ensure a high success rate. Not only have I planned the

lesson itself, but I also attempt to plan for events that could occur that might derail my lesson. a

simple example of this could be common misconceptions derived from the concepts that I will

teach. 

Although I am meticulous, and detail-oriented it is not to say that I am not flexible. This is also a

strength that will prove useful in the classroom. Flexibility can come in many forms, we must be

flexible if something in our lesson ends up going South, we must be flexible if something might

come up within our school, we also must be flexible if something unexpected comes up in our

personal lives. 
My research ability as well as my use of technology will also be a strength in the classroom. I

will use my research skills to devise unique and creative lessons that correlate with the various

language and content standards to continue student progression. I was also used my research

skills to find various interventions that I can use in my classroom to help with literacy aid. I am

also well versed in the world of technology. I can provide several resources to students and allow

them to learn differently. Technology can also bridge the gap between school at home, by

connecting parents 2 their child's education. I am planning on using all of my resources and

abilities to create a platform where parents can stay up to date with their child's progress as well

as fun newsletters and notes to keep them informed about what we're doing in class.

Finally, my ability to be an empathetic and culturally responsive teacher is two of the most

important qualities to possess. I will be able to connect with my students on a deeper level,

creating valuable and trustworthy connections with each of them. I plan to be able to create a

safe space where each student feels comfortable being who they are at any given moment. To

achieve this goal, we must be able to have an open and honest conversation with our students

about various topics. We must make them feel special, and allow them to embrace their

uniqueness because each student that walks into our class is special in their way.   
Conclusion

           In conclusion, I am confident in stating that I am prepared to become an elementary

teacher. I believe that my hard work and dedication to subject content, classroom effectiveness

and other key components have paid off. Throughout this section, I have shown that I have met

Medaille College’s Department of Education claims as well as the CAEP Standards. I have

proven that I have the knowledge and ability to become a professional school teacher and am

beyond excited to start this chapter in my life. I will continue to research and reflect on my

abilities to progress personally and professionally in this industry. I am confident and grateful

that Medaille College has given me the skills I need to navigate successfully through this career.