Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction

In section two of this portfolio project, the reader will find out more information about

the teacher candidate. This section includes educational and work experiences, school

observation experiences and classroom application, the teacher candidate’s philosophy of

education, as well as their resume. In the section titled ‘Teacher Candidate Educational and

Work Experiences’, the reader will find life and work experiences which inspired the candidate

to become an educator. The section titled ‘School Observations and Classroom Application’, the

reader will learn about school related experiences the candidate took part in while taking courses

at Medaille. In the same section, the candidate will connect best practices used to theorists in the

field. In the ‘Philosophy of Education’ section, the reader will be able to read all about the

candidate’s beliefs about the role of school, curriculum, learning, the learner, assessment,

classroom management, and the teacher in society. The last part of this section includes a resume

developed by the candidate. Here the reader will find out other details about the candidate

pertaining to achievements and personal history. All of these parts will come together to explain

the teacher candidate’s journey to becoming an educator. The reader should be able to

understand why the candidate wants to become an educator, in addition to finding out just how

dedicated and hardworking the candidate has been along the way.

Teacher Candidate Educational Background and Work Experiences

 Education Experiences

At a young age I always wondered what I would be when I grew up. That was the

question that young children are asked often. My answer to that question was always, “I

want to be a teacher when I grow up.” Years later this remains true. Throughout my
childhood and adolescent schooling there were many people and events that have made a

positive impact on me and my professional goals.

Growing up, I had one sister and a few female cousins. Since there were no boys

in my family, us girls mainly played with barbies and baby dolls. Once we reached

school-age however, we would play school whenever we were able. We had organized

desks, labeled school supplies, fake school work, and much more that kept us busy for

hours. I believe this is when my passion for school really took off. Some of us would

pretend to be the teachers, and others would pretend to be students in our classes. I would

always take on the role of the teacher. Even in such a pretend fashion, I worked very hard

to make sure all of my students were happy and successful. The rest of the family

couldn’t believe how much we enjoyed playing school even though most of our time we

were actually in school ourselves. Three of us; my sister, one cousin, and myself will be

the first generation of teachers in our family. There were none before us. I find this

interesting because oftentimes teaching runs in a family meaning many people in a family

throughout generations are and become teachers. I owe it to my sister and cousins for

helping me find my passion for teaching at such an early age.

A few years after I had begun school I started to become close with many teachers

of mine. This happened throughout elementary school and carried into both middle and

high school. I respected my teachers and the hard work they put forth in giving me and

my fellow students the best education they could. I remember a few teachers who were

very special to me. These teachers motivated me, cared about me, and always encouraged

me to try new things. I spent first and second grade with the same teacher, she was

amazing. She was probably the first teacher I really enjoyed having. Then again in fourth
 grade I had another teacher who was very special to me. I loved going to school that year.

I looked forward to each and every day that year. These teachers along with many others

have influenced my decision to become an educator.

Once I started switching classrooms per subject, I began to find my passion for

math. To this day I still love math. From then on, I mainly connected with my math

teachers. I didn’t stop enjoying the other subjects, I was just really good at math. My

father has always been good at math, so I think that’s where my skills come from. When I

began high school, I started to realize just how much I enjoyed math and that was when I

decided that I would be a math teacher when I grew up. Had I not found my passion for

math, I may have chosen a different career choice. Since I began my college career I have

realized if I was to strictly teach math, I would have to settle for teaching adolescent

students. This was something that I knew I could do but didn’t want to do for the rest of

my life. I have since come to realization that I would be much happier teaching younger

children all subjects and be able to spend the entire day with my students creating a safe

and fun learning environment for all learners.

My upbringing has been full of wonderful school-related experiences. Had I not

been interested in school as much as I was, I may not have chosen to follow my dreams

of becoming an educator. For this I am thankful for my family, former teacher, and math.

 Work Experiences:

I have worked several jobs that will assist me in my future role as a classroom

teacher. I have also spent some time volunteering to do similar tasks. While in high

school, I was a volunteer for a Youth Engaged in Service program in a suburban district.

During this time, I volunteered at many family events within the district. I had a great
 time working with the children and their families while creating a fun environment. This

was probably my first opportunity to work with children ages one to twelve. After

completing my bachelor’s degree at Medaille, I became a substitute teacher in a local

suburban district. Although I only substitute taught a few times, I enjoyed the experiences

I had there. Being in the classroom setting as the teacher for the day was very insightful

and helped me realize that I do want to spend the rest of my working life in the

classroom. I was able to try out different classroom management methods as well as learn

how teachers manage their own classrooms. I definitely gained lots of knowledge from

those experiences.

For the past three years, I have worked part and full time at a local daycare in a

suburban district. I have taken on many roles there. I started out at a teacher’s aid, then

spent a summer being a school-age summer camp counselor, and most recently I have

become the lead teacher of the three-year-old program. The experiences I have gained

from the work I’ve done there is unlike any other. I spend my days teaching, learning,

and playing with my students. Although the students I care for are only three years old,

they are just beginning their educational journeys. I currently spend a lot of time planning

activities, crafts, and art projects for the children to participate in. I try my best to make

these things based on my students’ interests and needs.

Having all of these experiences under my belt, I am sure that my future will be full

of excitement and pride. I anticipate the hardships that I will encounter but with the

experience that I have thus far, and the experience I will gain down the road, I’ll be able to

conquer them.

School Observations and Classroom Application

 I have spent many hours observing teachers throughout my college career. I have learned

more than I thought I would during these observations, but each experience has taught me

something different. I’ve spent time in schools in urban districts and I’ve also had the pleasure of

observing at a preparation program in an urban district. The best practices I learned about there

were how to deliver beginning of the year expectations, co-teaching, and graphic organizers or

foldables that can be used for different content areas. All of these observations will definitely

serve as stepping stones that I will carry with me throughout my teaching career. I have learned

to be thankful for the teachers who have come before me because without them, I wouldn’t be

able to learn about the profession and observe them. I appreciate all of the teachers and who have

welcomed me into their classrooms as a teacher in training and have given me the tools to be

successful in the future.

During my time at the preparation program, I was able to sit in on a few different classes

being taught. The content areas of those classes were science and math. This program took place

on a university campus in the area on Saturdays. The students enrolled in this program were

there to learn things that they were unable to learn during the normal school day. They were

looking for ways to get ahead in their education so that they wouldn’t fall behind. These students

were motivated to learn and seemed to enjoy school. The teachers of this program were well

prepared to teach even though they didn’t have all of the means that most teachers in school

buildings had. They were able to get the job done in an engaging way that helped their students

learn. All of the students came from different homes and backgrounds, so the teachers had to do

their best to accommodate all of the students and their individual needs. I did find it interesting

however that each of the classes were separated by gender. The boys had their own classes, and
the girls had theirs. Both the boys and girls took each class, they were just unable to take the

classes together.

The best practice that I witnessed at the preparation program was the use of course

outlines that broke down the class into assignments, what was to be covered during the course of

the semester, and classroom expectations. I know a lot of teachers who discuss all of this with

their students at the beginning of the year but never give the students a hard copy of the

information. I think it’s a great idea to hand out a hard copy for the students to keep because then

they can refer back to it all semester long if they have questions. I found an article online that

discusses the Pygmalion Effect. The Pygmalion Effect is a theory that means “positive

expectations influence performance positively, and negative expectations influence performance

negatively.” (Solomon, 2014) Meaning that if students are positively given this information at

the beginning of the year, this will impact their performance positively. On the other hand, if

students are negatively given this information, it will negatively impact their performance.

Duquesne University (n.d.) discusses the original research on the Pygmalion Effect on their

website and this is what they wrote:

“The original research of Rosenthal and Jacobsen focused on an experiment at an

elementary school where students took intelligence pre-tests. Rosenthal and
Jacobsen then informed the teachers of the names of twenty percent of the
students in the school who were showing “unusual potential for intellectual
growth” and would bloom academically within the year. Unknown to the
teachers, these students were selected randomly with no relation to the initial test.
When Rosenthal and Jacobson tested the students eight months later, they
discovered that the randomly selected students who teachers thought would bloom
scored significantly higher.” (p. 10)

Knowing this information, I plan to use this practice in my own classroom. I have always

assumed that students perform better if they know exactly what is expected of them. I
plan to apply this information to not only my classroom expectations but expectations on

assignments and class content to be covered.

One of the two urban school classrooms I observed in was a fourth-grade class

which was co-taught. I have learned about co-teaching in many of my courses at Medaille

but to observe one first hand was an amazing experience. Especially one that was taught

so great. I have had my suspicions about co-teaching in the past however, now I believe it

to be one of the best ways a classroom can be taught. An article I once read stated that,

“Co-teaching is one of those ideas that have the potential to work well but require more

oversight in order to allow it to reach its highest potential.” (Grant, 2014) After being in a

co-taught classroom I know this to be true. Many times, teachers have a hard time giving

up some responsibility in their classrooms, however if teachers were to do this more

often, maybe they wouldn’t feel so stressed out all of the time with everything that have

to do themselves. I think this is one of the reasons why co-teaching works so well. The

co-taught class that I observed used many of the methods of co-teaching rather than just

one. I witnessed one teacher-one observe, team teaching, one teacher-one assist, station

teachers, and supplemental teaching within my time there. (Grant, 2014) I hope that

someday I have the opportunity to work in a co-teaching situation with a fellow

colleague. Having seen co-teaching the way that I have makes me confident that I’ll be

able to provide for my students while also working alongside another teacher.

The second urban classroom I observed was a third-grade class taught by one teacher.

This teacher really understood social and collaborative learning. She would teach her class using

direct instruction then go on to let the students learn together in groups. I have learned about

social learning and have also seen it first hand in many classrooms but for some reason the
groups and the work that they were to complete in this class was memorable. Her students

enjoyed working together to complete tasks while learning. There were very few times when she

would have to remind the students of the task at hand or stop the group from working due to

distractedness. I plan to use social learning in my classroom as a way to make the students aware

of the fact that they will have to work with others for the rest of their lives. In school, they get to

practice this so that they have the communication skills necessary to be successful in their

futures. An article I found online read, “Consequently, instructional strategies that promote the

distribution of expert knowledge where students collaboratively work together to conduct

research, share their results, and perform or produce a final project, help to create a collaborative

community of learners.” (Neff, n.d.) This way in which student learn together also creates a

welcoming and safe learning environment where each student feels equal to the others. The same

article references Lev Vygotsky and his theory of social learning. To which it says, “He

suggested that learning takes place through the interactions students have with their peers,

teachers, and other experts.” (Neff, n.d.) I have learned from my professors at Medaille that

sometimes students learn better from each other than they do from their teacher. They said that

this is because each student has different ideas and slightly different ways to explain things than

the teacher does. Giving the students a chance to share and learn from each other can only

benefit them as they grow into the learners of tomorrow. I am excited to try these methods of

teaching in my own classroom.

Philosophy of Education

The School

I believe the mission of a school should include the well-being of its faculty and students

as well as the community it is located in. Also, I believe that it should include the future of its
students and their capability to change the world for the better. Schools should be a place where

children gather to learn and grow with their peers. Students learn from not only the teachers but

each other. Schools bring structure to learning. Piaget thought that the role of a school was to

create men and women who can do new things without repeating what has already been done.

Piaget also believed that the role of school is to make the men and women creative, inventive,

discoverers who can be critical. I think that if school is challenging enough for students without

discouraging them to learn, they will become both creative and inventive, which will of course

help them in their future careers. Schools have an incredible impact on their societies. If students

are involved in the community, the society as a whole will be positively influenced. Sports,

clubs, and organizations of schools bring society together for different reasons.

The Curriculum

A crucial component of education is the curriculum being taught. In today’s schools,

students are taught the core contents; math, science, social studies, English, a second language,

as well as additional electives. Had I known that I was going to go to college to become a math

teacher, I would have taken some of the AP math courses. I was an average student who wanted

to finish school by taking the easiest routes. Today, I’m working toward furthering my education

to better my future. Comenius thought that students should be taught math, science, religion,

writing, reading, history and Latin. He referred to this as universal knowledge. Information that

was universal, meaning conventional, common, and useful to know during that time. I think that

there is a new version of Comenius’ universal knowledge. This universal knowledge includes the

core subjects that are taught in today’s schools. I’m sure hundreds of years from now, there will

be another version of curriculum. Hidden curriculum is an idea that I both agree with and invite.

Hidden curriculum that I believe should be integrated into today’s schools are lessons about how
to treat people, and how to be a “good person”, and other similar traits that sometimes are lost

along the journey. However, I don’t think that hidden curriculum should be concentrated on.

Educators should be spending their valuable time planning and delivering lessons that pertain to

their content.

Learning

I believe that parts of a teacher’s teachings should be differentiated for each student. I

believe there are ways to engage each student in their own learning. Today’s classrooms are so

diverse today that more classrooms are becoming inclusive to students with disabilities. Schools

can meet the diverse needs of students by making themselves as well as their teachers aware of

all aspects of each students’ needs. There are two philosophers that I agree with on their ideas of

learning. Herbart thought that learning happened by means of focus and retaining information

based on interests had, and the connections made between learned concepts and concepts known

prior. Students are highly engaged in content that they are interested in, right? So why aren’t

educators teaching students based on their students’ interests? I hope to one day master my

teaching technique so that I’m able to connect with my students in order to help them learn

without losing interest in either the content or school entirely. With all of the research that

happens now concerning education, new methods of instruction, and strategies to use while

instructing are difficult to keep up with. Today’s learning involves much more hands-on

instruction and collaboration. A current problem I think of often is that teachers are finding

themselves stuck when it comes to freedom and creativity. Although teachers are the ones who

are doing the teaching, they’re not the majority of people creating the lessons they’re supposed to

teach.

The Learner
 I believe that the role of the learner is to be susceptible to exposure of new ideas, ways of

thinking, and concepts. Essentially, willing to be a ‘sponge’ and try new things. Pestalozzi

thought that the role of a student was to become knowledgeable and whole regardless of

economic status. He makes a good point because I too think that regardless of a child’s social

status, economic status, ethnicity, or any other individual characteristics, that child should have

the right to education just as every other child should too. Addams’ sympathetic knowledge is an

idea that I think has lost its value in today’s society because people tend to have selfish and

egotistical tendencies. Maybe if sympathetic knowledge was introduced at the elementary level,

students would grow together being mindful of one another. Although I received my Bachelor

degree in adolescent education, I’ve decided to switch gears to elementary education. I would

love to have the chance to work with students in fifth through eighth grade, aged ten to thirteen

years old. This is because I I’ve found that I can relate to them based on my own experiences. I

really enjoyed school at this age because I was becoming more invested in school and I wanted

to be there to learn. This is also an age where students are discovering who they want to be in the

future, what they’re interests are, and they’re creating friendships that will last. During this time,

many children are also going through major physical changes that will impact their lives

differently. I would love to be a teacher for students this age because I will be able to make a

difference in their lives based on my own experiences.

Assessment

There are formative assessments which assess learning as it grows. Then, there are

summative assessments which assess all learning of an entire unit or learning segment.

Comenius’ gradual learning is the process of learning but the teacher as well as the students

cannot continue new learning until the student has mastered the material. If possible, this is how
I would like to run my classroom. As a future teacher, I hope to use assessment to not only track

my students’ learning but for the students to track their own successes. I believe that knowing

your students is a very important component when trying to decide which methods should be

used to assess them. I also believe that all students should have a fair and equal chance to be

successful on their own, not based on an assessment they took in school one day. I believe that

there are two goals of assessment in education. These are to provide teachers with feedback as to

how well or not so well they gave information as well as to provide students with feedback based

on how well they comprehended the material that was taught.

Classroom Management

I believe that classroom management is the most essential piece of teaching. Without it,

classrooms would break out into chaos and both students and teachers couldn’t be successful.

Classroom management can be broken down into many parts. To name a few; classroom setup,

rules and procedures, reward and punishment and expectations. Pestalozzi believed in

simultaneous group instruction as well as leading with love and caring. I too push for group

instruction because students learn a lot from their peers, sometimes more than they do from their

teachers. Herbart’s sequence of systematic teaching includes the following five steps;

preparation, presentation, association, generalization, and application. I do believe that lesson

planning/preparation, and presentation can be done by using classroom management strategies.

However, I think that association, generalization and application are more based on the

curriculum being taught. Beginning teachers have the opportunity to try out different classroom

management techniques that work among students. As a future teacher, I am excited to try new

techniques that I think will add to my teaching. Some of the most effective classroom
management techniques that I have observed thus far are ClassDojo, behavior charts, and

effective seating arrangements within a classroom.

The Teacher

If I were to walk down the street and ask each person I saw ‘what do you think the role of

a teacher is?’ I think that I would hear many different responses. That is because everyone has

their own opinions that may or may not be based on their own experiences. Comenius believed

that the role of teachers was to arrange lessons based on real life experiences and understand

child development. I agree with Comenius, but I also believe that teachers should be responsible

for more. Piaget believed that teachers should resemble a mentor, consultant or coach. He also

believed that the role of teachers was to challenge students and create learning experiences that

are open to new directions based on student’s needs. I hope to be a teacher who resembles a

mentor, consultant or coach. I believe there are certain characteristics that a teacher should

occupy both personality-wise and professionally. I think that teachers should ultimately be

caring, patient, kind, optimistic, considerate, and creative. Professionally, I think that teachers

should be punctual, prepared, well-dressed, respectful, passionate, communicative, and

determined. I hope to have all of these characteristics and more when I become a full-fledged

teacher. I am excited to evolve as a teacher in the years to come.

Resume

This resume includes my qualifications and experiences that make me eligible for

employment. Although this isn’t a fully rounded resume that includes every piece of information

necessary for picking employees, the rest of the needed information is found throughout this

portfolio. This is a great addition to the project. Thank you for taking the time to read through it.

Jessica Lussier
12 Rondelay Court Cheektowaga, NY 14227

716-866-8439

JFL58@medaille.edu

Education:

 Sept. 2009 - June 2013

West Seneca East High School

Regents Diploma

 Sept. 2013 - May 2017

Medaille College

BSED Adolescent Education: Mathematics 7-12 & Students with Disabilities 7-12

Honors Program & Cum Laude

 Sept. 2017 - Current

Medaille College

MSED Elementary Education 1-6

Anticipated Graduation Dec. 2018

Educational Experience:

 Student Teacher at Orchard Park Middle School

Associate Teacher: Leanne Kaleta

Grade 8 Math

January 17, 2017 - March 10, 2017

 Student Teacher at West Seneca East Sr. High School

Associate Teacher: Christine Irene

Grades 9-12 Special Education

 March 20, 2017 - May 12, 2017

School Observations & Fieldwork Locations:

 Buffalo Prep Program

18 Acheson Annex University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14214

 BPS 54

2358 Main Street Buffalo, NY 14214

 BPS 74

126 Donaldson Road Buffalo, NY 14208

Work Experience:

 Orchard Park Central School District

3330 Baker Road Orchard Park, NY 14127

Substitute Teacher

Sept. 2017 - June 2018

 Child’s Creative Development Center

138 Delaware Street Tonawanda, NY 14150

2900 Transit Road West Seneca, NY 14224

Teacher’s Assistant

2015-2017

 Child’s Creative Development Center

2900 Transit Road West Seneca, NY 14224

School-Age Summer Camp Counselor

June 2017 - Sept. 2017

 Child’s Creative Development Center

 2900 Transit Road West Seneca, NY 14224

Three’s Room Lead Teacher

Sept. 2017 - Current

Scholarships:

Medaille College – Presidential Scholarship 2013 - 2017

Medaille Medal Recipient 2016

Medaille College – Garman Family Scholarship 2015

Medaille College – Palisano Foundation Scholarship 2015

Professional Development:

EGSS Professional Development Humor in the Classroom with Mrs. Kelly from Maple East

Elementary School in Williamsville, NY

Certifications:

Completed:

 DASA Certificate

 Child Abuse/SAVE Certificate

 First Aid/CPR July 26, 2017

 Foundations of Health and Safety Training in 2017

Uncompleted:

 Adolescent Education: Mathematics 7-12

 Adolescent Education: Students with Disabilities

 Elementary Education 1-6

References:

* References available upon request *

Conclusion

This section is essential for the reader to know about the candidate’s personal life

regarding the profession. Without this information, the reader would lack the appropriate

information needed to make an employment decision. The educational and work experiences are

personal and vary among candidates. For this reason, it is a necessary part when choosing

employees. School observations and classroom applications prove to the reader that the

candidate has experience in classrooms where they are able to apply what they have learned.

Knowing where the candidates have had opportunities to be in the field is also important. The

philosophy of education and resume are a great way to give one last impression on the reader.

These parts are unique of each candidate and considered very important to employers.