Section Five: Teacher Candidate Reflection Guidelines

Introduction

The previous sections of the MSED Portfolio Project was a great opportunity for me to

showcase my areas of competencies and my various abilities as a professional teacher candidate.

In this section of the portfolio I will reflecting on my educational experiences and my

experiences working on the MSED Portfolio project as it relates to my readiness to become an

elementary school teacher. Throughout section five, I will be referencing the professional

standards of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council and the Council for Accreditation for

Educator Preparation (TEAC/CAEP) Claims. As I make connections to the TEAC/CAEP

Claims, I will demonstrate that my educational experiences and my MSED Portfolio Project

demonstrates my abilities in meeting the diverse needs of students by using the best teaching

practices, effective pedagogy and as a passionate and dedicated teaching candidate. The previous

sections of my portfolio were a roadmap of my journey as I pursue a career of a professional

educator, and as my journey will continue, section five will be a reflection on my journey thus

far and to demonstrate my readiness for my role of a professional teacher.

Portfolio Project/Teacher Education Learning Experiences

One’s journey in self-discovery can be exciting yet it can entail many curve balls that

often leaves us to question who we are and what impact we want to have in our community,

society and the world. Throughout the journey, one does not stop learning whether it’s from

education, experiences or spiritual. Though there were several stopovers throughout my journey,

it led me to the Masters of Science in Education at Medaille College. Medaille College, an

institution of higher learning, has provided me with knowledge and valuable tools that I will use
to promote and cultivate growth in my future students and the young minds of society.

(TEAC/CAEP Claim 1: knowledge of subject matter, TEAC/CAEP Claim 3: caring educator).

On my educational journey leading up to pursuing a Masters of Science in Education at

Medaille College, I have often reflected on those experiences and the portfolio project served to

highlight those experience to the reader. The artifacts and work presented in my portfolio are

items that were create during my studies at Medaille College, and with the help of various

knowledgeable instructors, it has challenged me to think critically and present my fine work. My

experience with such instructors highlighted my perception of what an experience, caring and

effective educator does, and the importance of bringing creativity and zealousness to the class

while fostering the growth of students. The artifacts provided in one of the previous sections of

my portfolio illustrates my best teaching practices, my pedagogical knowledge, and my passion

for the teaching profession.

Of the many artifact provided in section three of my portfolio, I sincerely enjoyed

developing lesson and unit plans because they served as helpful practice in understanding more

on the NYS Common Core Learning Standards for ELA, Math, and Social Studies, the Ontario

Education Expectation, NYS Learning Standards, and the ISTE Standards for Students and

Educators (TEAC/CAEP Claim 1: knowledge of the subject matter, TEAC/CAEP Claim 2:

effective pedagogy and best teaching practices for Diverse Learners). Moreover, I had the

opportunity to learn more on the Council for Exceptional Children (TEAC/CAEP Claims 1:

knowledge of subject matter, TEAC/CAEP Claim 2: effective pedagogy and best teaching

practices for Diver Learners, TEAC/CAEP Claim 3: caring educator) and the INTASC

Standards. I thoroughly enjoyed working and collaborating with my classmates during group

work because it exposed me to the important practices of the Ontario Ethical Teacher Standards
and the NYS Code of Ethics for Educations (TEAC/CAEP Claim 3: caring educator). Several of

the items I included as artifacts for my portfolio included technology and research, which are

important elements that can enrich, encourage and improve student learning. (TEAC/CAEP

Claim 2: effective pedagogy and best teaching practices for Diverse Learners, TEAC/CAEP

Claim 3: caring educator). Reflecting on my experiences on developing my artifacts, it is pivotal

that students acknowledge and identify the importance of foundational and structured skills that

they will learn during their learning experiences.

It should be mentioned that during my educational experience at Medaille College, we

have studied the foundation of education through theorists, their theories and the various

philosophies of education that still resonates in schools, curriculums and classrooms today. The

knowledge I have acquired while studying such theorists has proved as a valuable tool to build

the best teaching practices on my journey as a professional teaching candidate (TEAC/CAEP

Clam 1: knowledge of subject matter, TEAC/CAEP Claim 2: effective pedagogy and best

teaching practices for Diverse Learners). Throughout the program I have had the opportunity to

explore the pedagogy of the language arts, sciences and math which will translate into my

teaching practices and introduced into my future classroom(s). Several of my artifacts include

assessments that can be administered and evaluated as part of determining comprehension in

writing and the language arts while developing the best teaching methods to motivate and

encourage student learning. The same applies to assessments included in a unit and lesson plans

as part of my artifacts for my portfolio that reflect my determination in incorporating the best

teaching practices to ensure student success (TEAC/CAEP Claim 1: knowledge of subject

matter, TEAC/CAEP Claim 2: effective pedagogy and best teaching practices for Diverse

Learners, TEAC/CAEP Claim 3: caring educator).

Reediness to Become a Teacher

The MSED program at Medaille College has allowed me to allocate my previous

educational and professional experiences and to reflect on my journey to becoming a passionate,

caring and effective teaching professional. There have been countless instances in my life where

I felt a great reward when helping others and supporting those I know on their journey to self-

discovery. This portfolio has allowed me to reflect on my educational experiences at Medaille

College and reinforced the very reason why I chose the path of teaching. The MSED Portfolio

Project serves as a polished artifact that highlights my growth as a student of life, a student at

Medaille College, and my commitment in becoming a great teaching professional.

My educational experiences from all the post-secondary institutions I have attended has

confirmed that learning can be exhilarating and intriguing, and that is the type of outlook I wish

to bring to classrooms and instill in the young minds of students. The MSED program at

Medaille College exposed me to countless teaching strategies, opportunities to excel in my

development as a teaching candidate, and a wealth of knowledge that reflects in my readiness in

becoming a professional educator. One aspect I sincerely enjoyed about the program, which I

believe will strongly benefit myself and students in future classrooms, was the opportunity to

explore and use various technological tools and apps that can support and foster student growth

inside and outside of the classroom(s). The importance of technology in the classroom is not

simply to ensure that students know how to use a computer or tablet, but rather that they

understand the importance of technology as part of projects/assignments and in society, how to

become a great digital citizen, a safe cyber user and broadening their technological horizons as

they become contributive members of society.

 Another aspect I enjoyed during my studies at Medaille College, was learning how to

introduce subject matter in motivating and fun ways during lessons. As a student who struggled

in math, I can relate to students who may lose interest if they’re not being presented with

meaningful material in stimulating and encouraging ways. Some courses of the MSED program

at Medaille College highlighted the importance of using a variety of manipulatives and tools to

enhance student learning, and I believe that struggling learners benefit greatly when the subjects,

especially math, are hands on and interactive. Additionally, I will ensure to incorporate

interactive activities and games when delivering math lessons so that all students can have

enjoyable learning experiences. Determining students’ interests is beneficial as a professional

educator because we can modify lesson and unit plans as they connect to mathematical concepts.

For example, one of the artifacts included in section three of my MSED portfolio was a Grade 3

math lesson plan that addressed multiplications and divisions within 100, where students create a

Bunny Brownie Jar by completing a worksheet that provides them with the necessary ingredients

provided by the teacher. This math lesson plan is a fun and interactive approach to

multiplications and divisions where students gain conceptual understanding, portray procedural

knowledge and demonstrate math reasoning to create their own Bunny Brownie Jar. Along with

participating in this math lesson plan, students build confidence as they demonstrate

understanding and creativity as they build their very own Bunny Brownie jar.

My various experiences prior to the MSED program at Medaille College have taught me

that I want to have a positive impact on the lives of students. As I was provided with a wealth of

knowledge and tools during my studies at Medaille College, it further reinforced my passion for

the field of teaching and goal in ensuring students partake in wholesome, supportive and

enriching educational experience. The artifacts presented in section three of my portfolio

presented my readiness in becoming a teacher. They demonstrate my creativity in developing

unit and lesson plans that include accommodations, a variety of teaching strategies to address

various learning styles. Along with lesson plans, my artifacts highlight my abilities to conduct

research and integrating numerous technology tools that will enrich the learning environment of

my classroom(s). Additionally, it is pivotal to mention that my educational experiences at

Medaille College has reinforced the importance of culturally responsive teaching and that dignity

of all students is immensely important. As I reflect on my journey today, I have learned that

professional teachers demonstrate their commitment in ensuring that the wellbeing of all students

is being met, model a respectful behavior in their professional practice with students, parents,

guardians and the administration, and understand that consistent reflection assists them in their

professional responsibilities and commitments (TEAC/CAEP Claim 1: knowledge of subject

matter, TEAC/CAEP Claim 2: effective pedagogy and best teaching practices for Diverse

Learners, TEAC/CAEP Claim 3: caring educator).

Conclusion

My journey through several educational experiences has been filled with challenges and

exciting milestones. My studies in the MSED program at Medaille College has allowed me to

further explore my abilities as a professional teacher candidate and I am excited to embark on the

next stretch of my journey as I bring my pedagogy, talents and passion to the field of teaching.

Along with my past educational experiences at OCAD University and Seneca College, my

Masters of Education from Medaille College has helped me further develop my technology

skills, has highlighted a further understanding on various teaching strategies, classroom

management and planning skills. Throughout the gradual completion of my MSED Portfolio

Project, I have discussed on the numerous standards as they connect to the artifacts provided and
portrayed my readiness as a professional educator as I reflected on the TEAC/CAEP standards.

This experience has taught me that there is still a magnitude of information to be learned, used

and shared. I sincerely hope that you, the reader, enjoyed the journey through my portfolio as

much as I enjoyed delivering it.

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