Preparing and presenting a teaching portfolio

Cristina Guadalupe Amaya Cruz

Elmer Jorge Guardado. MaT

Teaching Practice, Semester 1-2014 March 3, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII.

Introduction What is a Teaching Portfolio? Self-Evaluation and Reflection Why do I need a Teaching Portfolio? How should I structure my Teaching Portfolio? Teaching Responsibilities Statement of Teaching Philosophy Teaching Methodology, Strategies, Objectives

I.

Introduction

I am about to write something that may change my inner teachers point of view, and perhaps change students mind. This is a memory compiling of my teaching experience, this involves an essential part of me as a teacher. Responsibilities, a self-reflection and the teaching philosophy of my teaching performing. In addition, I must consider so many things that can allow me make a recompilation of my teaching by compiling documents, handouts, quizzes, pictures, and many others. That process is called portfolio and I can do it, digital and physical both ways are important. Once, I start to give class as an English teacher I have to take good principles that will identify me as a good teacher, these questions may define what I want to accomplish: What do I expect? Why do I make it? What can I achieve with a great teaching? Is it the right methodology, the one which will help me? And the most important change students mind about English language, maybe I can change students mind through the different methods and techniques that I will use, techniques are those which help you to better explain the language, I sometimes think that it is not easy try to get it but if I have the correct principles, this process will be easy to accomplish it. On the other hand, I know that with a methodology we cannot teach and if we do, probably we are going to be teaching without principles. One year ago, I gave my first class and I did not know anything about teaching methodology, I knew about how to do a lesson plan but I did not know how to teach with methodology, methods, strategies and techniques, however I applied techniques unconsciously because I did activities that some methods have, but I recognized this, when I started to know, about methodology and all that involves. There are many ways, to teach and I can choose the way I want to do it. All these things about methodology, methods and techniques are what define my teaching style, in addition I must take with me the correct principles and the teaching philosophy; and all these will help to compile information about how I teach, and in some point will define me as a great teacher by students, and also will help me to make the teaching portfolio which I am going to write about in this opportunity. Besides I enjoy reading this: Teachers can choose to teach differently from the way they were taught. (Larsen-Freeman, 2000) This quote remember me how I choose to teach.

II.

What is a teaching portfolio?

A teaching portfolio is a collection of documents and other items that provides information about different aspects of a teachers work. It serves to describe and document the teachers performance, to facilitate professional development, and to provide a basis for reflection and review. (Richards, 2014) It is interesting to know that a teaching portfolio can help us to compile and take a look at our background information as a teachers. Not only serves to describe and show all the activities that I have, it serves to give information and improve my teaching performing, in some point to realize what I did good, what worked out and which one did not has success; teaching portfolio will help me in so many way to create a great teaching and keep improving my teaching performance. Portfolios provide documented evidence of teaching from a variety of sources not just student rating and provide context for that evidence. The process of selecting and organizing material for a portfolio can help one reflect on and improve ones teaching. (Center for teaching, 2014) A teaching portfolio can provide evidence of what I make in the different classes, in addition it is a process that you have to make every time you can, it is better that you save your materials in order to organize and make easier this process of compiling documents, pictures, and assignments that you share with your students in the classrooms. It is nice to do this kind of documents because I am sure of what I teach, how I teach, and also to recognize whether the techniques and strategies are good or not for the types of learners that I have in the classrooms. I must consider many factors by making this kind of documents, because sometimes we as a teachers have to share information, with our colleagues and be humble when someone else critique our performing, that is why everything we make, has to be very supported by scientific knowledge. The teaching portfolio is a description of a professors major strengths and teaching achievements. It describes documents and materials which collectively suggest the scope and quality of a professors teaching performance. (Mellon, 2014) Teaching portfolio is a useful tool that teachers have because it is how a teacher shows strengths and what was the result of that. This document allows a teacher expresses the quality of his/her teaching performing.

Most of the teachers nowadays, do not know about these documents because they do not research new changes in teaching, or perhaps they know about this, but simply they do not care about improve their manner of teach, and even change their minds. A teaching portfolio serves in so many different ways, not only to compile, rather, to improve and have an effective and great teaching performance. III. Self-Evaluation and Reflection

If I look behind of me, what do I see? If I recall that moments while I am in the classroom, stand in front of my students; I see all the things that I have done or I wanted to accomplish and for a reason I could not because in classrooms there are different kind of learners, and I have to make a various types of techniques in order to have great learning. I remembered my first class, there were 8 students at that time and I thought they were a lot, I was new, actually I did not know how to give a class to teenagers, when I got home, I started to think of what I did during the classes and while I was reflecting, my mind was full of ideas, like a brainstorming how to teach certain topic, in fact I remembered that I used a technique and a method but I did not realize about that. I had an opportunity to give one class to children and most of the public schools in El Salvador do not have technology like TVs and data show, they only have one CD player; for the class we did cutouts of a sun, moon, stars, trees and I got the audio of a song, and the class finished good. Now, I work at the Academia Internacional, and by the time I have learnt many things that involves teaching, then I did not know about methodologies and techniques, now I know what it is, and sometimes it hard for me identify or use the correct one. For professional educators, the goal is always the same: monitor and adjust instruction to increase the learning of all students. Conscientious faculty members subject their teaching strategies, instructional techniques and style to their own critical evaluation on an almost constant basis. This evaluation often does not have a formal structure but even a simple checklist can help to focus ideas. Those faculty who are most interested in doing their best are the one who tend to take selfevaluation most seriously and may share their critiques and seek advice from colleagues on how to improve the effectiveness of their teaching. (Schwartz, 2014) Well, effectiveness does not come in a Christmas box, rather, I have to work hard to have it, is not going to make me perfect but will help to change the way I was teaching. Moreover, I must respect all possible pieces of advices that a colleague can see, and I cant, thats the reason why make a self-evaluation and reflection of

my teaching performance helps a lot, I can realize of how I am teaching the language; and in what point I am failing. The literature about the practices of reflective teaching focuses on how to do reflection and what has been done. The reflection process is presented as finding out the problems in classroom teaching, working out strategies and solutions, solving problems and reflecting on the result. The problems are determinate by the teachers based on their observations of classroom teaching. Most of the problems discussed are concerned with how to teach the knowledge prescribed in the curriculum more effectively. (Lyons, 2010) By doing this reflection, I have noticed that last year I only made written quizzes, and now I have changed, I try to do both because in that way I can avoid that students have afraid to do the oral quiz, or even the written, and also I am trying to do round tables, in order to see each other and listen what they say directly; face to face and this worked out, but in addition I have to mix up other techniques because some of them, were boring listening other opinions. When you feel you are losing the attention and motivation of some of the pupils. (Matchett, 2005) I have to change the techniques and strategies that I am using to give the class and this will help me not to lose pupils attention. Reflective teaching means looking at what you do in the classroom, thinking about why you do it, and thinking about if it works - a process of self-observation and self-evaluation. By collecting information about what goes on in our classroom, and by analyzing and evaluating this information, we identify and explore our own practices and underlying beliefs. This may then lead to changes and improvements in our teaching. (Council, 2011) classroom is the body of every school, what teachers make in the classroom depend of the quality of their teaching, I know that I have failed in some cases but even though I do not give up, I try to learn more about teaching; it is good the help of colleagues, because they give me an advice that can improve my teaching. A reflection is how I identify if it works the activity or why I do it in certain way, I have done this kind of reflection and when I do it, I try to fix up the problem and I finished doing a good job. IV. Why do I need a teaching portfolio?

Teachers we have worked with find that a portfolio serves a number of purposes.

a) First, it provides a demonstration of how a teacher approaches his or her work and presents evidence of the teachers thinking, creativity, resourcefulness, and effectiveness. b) A portfolio serves as a source of review and reflection. The process of compiling the portfolio prompts the teacher to engage in a comprehensive self-assessment of different aspects of his or her work. c) A portfolio can promote collaboration with other teachers. For example, it can become part of the process of peer coaching; the peer reviews and discusses the portfolio and uses it to give feedback about teachers work. (Richards, 2014) Those are some of the proposes of why I need a teaching portfolio, I can use it for many purposes that of course involve teaching, doing a portfolio help me to keep and present information of my creativity, and effectiveness that I have when I am in classes. I have started the art of teach, but have I started developing my teaching portfolio? Well, I have to do a compilation of documents, pictures and assignments that I do with my students, in addition I have to make a review and reflection of what I am doing good or wrong and try to promote collaboration with the rest of teachers. Being selfish with the knowledge is not a good way to have growth professionally. A portfolio can facilitate acquiring tenure, facing an annual review, or gaining a promotion: even after you have landed that academic job, your teaching portfolio will continue to carry weight in professional matters. Committees will again expect to see a record of your teaching abilities when it is time for promotion decisions or annual reviews. A portfolio can provide evidence if your credibility is challenged: In case there is ever an instance when a student or faculty member criticizes you, an up-to-date portfolio can help you defend yourself. (pittsburgh, 2010) Well, I need a teaching portfolio because not only help me to organize or review background information of my teaching performance, this also helps to defend myself if someone else critiques my teaching and with this I can evidence what I have made in the classroom with my students. Expectations are of great importance even in the case of a portfolio created for improvement and personal growth instead of personnel decision. (Seldin, Miller, & Seldin, 2010) If I am going to need a teaching portfolio, I have to keep in mind some expectations, those expectation are important because I can see clearly the need to do a teaching portfolio, personal growth of my teaching.

Since teaching is now being taken more seriously, professors looking for recognition as superior teachers stand to benefit by providing tenure and promotion committees with their teaching portfolios. It provides evaluators with hard-to-ignore information on what they do in the classroom and why they do it. And by so doing, it avoids looking at teaching performance as a derivative of student ratings. (Education, 1993) I thought that teachers who studied a long time ago, did not know about teaching portfolios, and now I realize that it can be true because this portfolio is being useful for teachers nowadays, so why do not use. It defines the kind of teacher I want to be, give me tools to evidence my teaching performance, and in addition improve in all way possible. That is why I need a teaching portfolio. V. How should I structure my teaching portfolio?

Contents of a portfolio The following are examples of the kinds of things that can be considered, though no more than eight to ten items would normally be included. a) Evidence of your understanding of subject matter and current developments in language teaching. b) Evidence of your skills and competency as a language teacher c) Your approach to classroom management and organization d) Documents showing your commitment to professional development e) Information concerning your relationships with colleagues (Richards, 2014) I have to take in to account some of this points in order to have a great structure of my portfolio, even I have read that it is not necessary follow a mandatory format, but I have to respect the way I am going to structure it, I cannot say this the best way to do, only because I have done this activities, and plan my lessons. There are some steps that I have to follow. A teaching portfolio is not a collection of all documents and material produced for teaching activities. A good teaching portfolio consists of carefully selected items which in combination provide a clear, well documented and balanced picture of teaching experience, teaching perspectives and teaching outcome. A teaching portfolio usually consists of 4-8 pages (plus appendices). A teaching portfolio is often divided into three major components: description, substantiation and results, which in combination form the basis for assessment of teaching qualifications. (SCIENCES, 2008) at least, a teaching portfolio have to contain 8 pages around or

even more, in my opinion I think that a teaching portfolio contain a lot of information and it is more than 8 pages, depends on importance of structure that I give to the portfolio because I have to make a total description and a compilation, I have to structure my teaching portfolio with my own style, but following and respecting the different steps that a portfolio has. There are a lot of supporting material that help to structure it, not only the essentials that I consider, it must be the right. VI.
Teaching Responsibilities

When we react against something that we do not like, it is because people think we do not have responsibilities to take care of something. In classrooms, teachers is the main responsible of students behavior, what they do wrong, is because of the teacher. But how? This is an example that I would like to share to you, if students have a really bad grade, is because I did not push them enough in order to they have a good grade, the outcomes are in somehow teachers fault , I have to have students mind focus on what they are going to do. I believe that teaching children is very challenging, I enjoy teaching to children, but in this area I have to be carefully of what I am doing because they see you, as a model. If I give up on what I believe as a teacher; I mean my principles, they are going to fail in the learning process, because most of children are very intelligent people, who admire to the teacher and that is why, me as a teacher; I have to be clear what I am going to teach, under which approach, which methodology, methods and techniques I am going to use in classrooms languages. The major responsibility that I have, is that students appreciate the language as well. Responsibility has both visible components (behavior) and invisible components (cognition, affect, and attitude). We have chosen to emphasize the cognitive components (belief, knowledge, and strategies) because we believe that they distinguish truly self-regulated, responsible behavior from behavior that is more depend on external cues and consequences. (Anderson & Prawat, 2014) I have to shape students behavior, that student change their mind about they are going to be learning in classroom language. VII.
Statement of Teaching Philosophy

The Statement is a one- to two-page document that provides a clear, concise account of your teaching approach, methods, and expertise. Each statement should

be unique. Nonetheless, the following guidelines should be helpful to you as you prepare your statement. A Teaching Philosophy Statement should answer four fundamental questions:

Why do you teach?

What do you teach?

How do you teach?

How do you measure your effectiveness?

(The teaching center, 2013) How do I make my own teaching philosophy? Well first of all, I have to do consider four important questions that will help me to identify and write down a teaching philosophy. Within that questions there are many things that I need in order to achieve what I really want by teaching. Why do I teach? It sounds easy to answer, but do I teach? Because I like it or because I feel a real commitment to teach, in order to students intellectual growth, which is the one I have to fulfill. On the other hand, teachers have to have objectives for students learning, I have the responsibility to teach, by having clear objectives for lessons and for the entire course, because at the end I am going to see outcomes, which I believe, will be true, because I am sure of what I teach.

However, I must not leave behind which strategies I use to develop my classes, nor the techniques because these are essential in learning process, in this point I have to decide what is the methodology, and the methods, I am going to use, whether I use instructional technology or not, and IT is becoming an important tool in language classrooms.

VIII.

Teaching methodology, strategies, objectives

The Communicative Approach The communicative approach pursues the development of communicative competence. Chomsky distinguished between a native speakers underlying competence- referring to knowledge of the language, including rules of grammar, vocabulary, and how linguistic elements can be combined to form acceptable sentences- and the individuals performance- or actual production and comprehension of specific linguistic events. (MINED, 2008) The Direct Method Communicative language teaching Total physical response Learning strategy training, cooperative learning, and multiple intelligences Dessugestopedia The silent way (Larsen-Freeman, 2000) I believe in what I do, these are some of the methods that I am using in my practices as an English teacher. The communicative approach is the correct one to acquire the language in classroom, the MINED program is very structure because has objectives for all students in El Salvador, the purpose of this program is that students acquire the Language prociency levels, and how I must get this, well using a good methodology which is a body of methods; I am going to use the techniques of these methods in order to students get at least the necessary of the language. I know that I am going to shape bilingual students, but what I figure, is that students start to think different about English, and start to see English since another perspective. Why did I choose this methods, well because I see them useful, give me the techniques that I want, as role-plays, conversation practice, real-life materials, action sequence, discussion, make conversation only by watching pictures. Some

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methods have techniques are very interesting because helps students not to worry if they do not want to participate, by the time they are going to lose the afraid to speak, and share information with others. If I do not have objectives is, like if do not want to accomplish anything in my teaching and students are going to learn the language with a purpose in their minds. My objectives are: short term and long term because I need both, one helps me in my lesson plans and the other one to have a commitment at the end of the process of learning.

REFERENCES Anderson, L. M., & Prawat, R. S. (2014). resposibility in the classroom. Recuperado el 3 de 3 de 2014, de resposibility in the classroom: http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_198304_anderson. pdf Center for teaching. (2014). Recuperado el 2 de 3 de 2014, de Center for teaching: http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-portfolios/#what Council, B. (15 de June de 2011). Teaching Enlgish. Recuperado el 3 de 3 de 2014, de teaching english: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/reflectiveteaching-exploring-our-own-classroom-practice Education, A. C. (1993). The teaching portfolio concept. Recuperado el 3 de 3 de 2014, de The teaching portfolio concept: http://www2.acenet.edu/resources/chairs/docs/Seldin.pdf Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and Principles in language teaching. New York: Oxford university press. Lyons, N. (2010). Handbook of Reflection and Reflective Inquiry. Ireland: Springer. Matchett, M. J. (2005). The Reflective Teacher. Recuperado el 2 de 3 de 2014, de The Reflective Teacher: http://www.etini.gov.uk/index/...non.../the-reflectiveteacher.pdf Mellon, C. (2014). Guidelines for Teaching Portfolios. Recuperado el 2 de 3 de 2014, de Guidelines for Teaching Portfolios: https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/DocumentingYourTeaching/T eachingPortfolios/TeachingPortfolios.pdf MINED. (2008). English syllabus. Recuperado el 3 de 3 de 2014, de English syllabus: http://www.mined.gob.sv/jdownloads/Nuevos%20Programas%20de%20 Estudio/Programa%20de%20Estudio%20de%20Educacion%20Media/ingle s_educacion_media.pdf

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pittsburgh, u. o. (2010). Teaching Portfolios-CIDDE. Recuperado el 3 de 3 de 2014, de Teaching Portfolios | CIDDE: http://www.cidde.pitt.edu/teaching/teaching-portfolios Richards, J. C. (2 de 3 de 2014). Chap 7 Teaching Portfolios - Jack C. Richards. Recuperado el 2 de 3 de 2014, de Chap 7 Teaching Portfolios - Jack C. Richards: www.professorjackrichards.com Schwartz, M. (2014). the learning and teaching office. Recuperado el 2 de 3 de 2014, de the learning and teaching office: http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/lt/resources/handouts/SelfEvaluat ion.pdf SCIENCES, F. O. (October de 2008). GUIDELINES on the use of teaching portfolios. Recuperado el 3 de 3 de 2014, de GUIDELINES on the use of teaching portfolios: http://bss.au.dk/fileadmin/BSS/Aktuelt/Ledigestillinger/Guidelines_teac hing_portfolios_211008.pdf Seldin, P., Miller, J. E., & Seldin, C. A. (2010). The Teaching Portfolio: A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions. The United State of America: John Wiley & Sons. The teaching center. (2013). Recuperado el 3 de 3 de 2014, de The teaching center: http://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/About/ProgramsforGraduateStudentsand Postdocs/resources/Pages/Writing-a-Teaching-PhilosophyStatement.aspx#.UxVOg_l5OAV

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