Section Five: Teacher Candidate Reflection Guidelines

Introduction

In this section of my portfolio, I will reflect upon my experiences of writing this

portfolio. I will also reflect on my educational experiences obtained while attending Medaille

College and my previous post-secondary institutions, explaining how these experiences have

resulted in my readiness to become a teacher. I will connect my obtained skills to the Teacher

Education Accreditation Council and the Council for Accreditation for Educator Preparation

standards. I will explain some of the courses and experiences that have been particularly

beneficial to my future role as an educator while at Medaille, as well as how my degrees in

Sociology and Family Studies through the University of Western Ontario have contributed to my

preparedness as an educator.

Portfolio Project/Teacher Education Learning Experiences

While creating this portfolio, I have had the opportunity to reflect upon my past three

semesters at Medaille College and what it means to me as a future educator. In less than a year, I

have already learned so much about the teaching profession and gained many new skills thanks

to the wonderful professors at Medaille. I have been fortunate to have been taught by some

extraordinary educators with years of experience who are passionate about their careers. These

professors modelled the DOE Claims as well as CAEP Standards by showing their expertise in

subject matters, showing a variety of teaching practices, modeling what a caring educator looks

like and displaying pedagogical knowledge. Below are some of the experiences that I believe

have helped me to become a well-rounded educator through developing a strong pedagogy,

a more caring educator.

One of the first skills I developed at Medaille was how to create a lesson plan. I

remember this concept being broken down and taught over the course of a few weeks. It was

very overwhelming and lengthy, as I had no experience with lesson planning prior to this. After

many hours dedicated to lesson planning and writing several, I quickly realized the workload that

comes with being a teacher. That being said, I loved having the opportunity to create a variety of

different lesson plans and use my creativity to make each one different. As a new educator, I

believe lesson planning will be very beneficial to my first few years of teaching. Lesson plans

will ensure that I am well prepared to teach my students on a variety of subjects (CAEP Claim 1:

Subject Matter). I will continue to incorporate Bloom’s Taxonomy into these lesson plans,

ensuring that clear goals and expectations are outlined for each lesson. This will ensure my

students are meeting curriculum standards while using a variety of teaching practices (CAEP

Claim 2: Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices).

Of all experiences I believe to be the most useful to my teaching experiences while at

Medaille, I believe my Field Experience courses were most effective. These courses allowed me

to observe and work with students in two very different schools. I was able to interact with these

students each Monday morning in a real classroom setting. I learned how many different aspects

can influence a student’s learning, including the environment, teacher interaction and types of

resources within the school. My two experiences differed significantly as the first school was

located in wealthy neighbourhood, while the second was in a poverty struck neighbourhood. I am

very grateful for these experiences as it opened my eyes to the different experiences and

opportunities students have. This experience made me want to learn more about my students and
where they come from, as it can have a result on their school experiences. It has taught me to be

appreciative of the upbringing I have had and has made me want to help those who may not have

been as fortunate as I was. I will certainly ensure that my future students know how much I care

about them and will do my best to help them in any way I can. (CAEP Claim 3: Caring

Educator).

Prior to starting this program, I knew little about assessment. I believed the only types of

assessments teachers used were tests and projects. I now know there are many different ways in

which you can assess students. Through my courses, I learned the difference between a formative

and summative assessment, and when each should be used. Formative assessments can be used

throughout a unit to analyze students’ progress, while summative assessments are used at the end

of a unit to summarize what students have learned. By incorporating different types of

assessments, it allows students to show their strengths in different areas. For example, some

students may know and understand content, but struggle on tests as they become anxious. By

providing formative assessments throughout the unit, such as exit tickets and classroom polls, it

allows teachers to grade students progress rather than their end result. I will ensure that I

incorporate a variety of types of formative assessments in my classroom to understand how my

students are progressing and discover areas they made need more practice in (CAEP Claim 2:

Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices).

One course I have found particularly helpful to my teaching is the Technology course

offered in this program. Given that I am a millennial, I have always considered myself to be

someone who is tech savvy. That being said, there are so many different programs and resources

I have learned about. Through this course, I have learned how to create a Weebly website, a QR

code, use Smart Notebook, create an online newsletter and more. As the use of technology in the
classroom more prevalent, it is important that educators feel confident in using technology. By

incorporating technology into different teaching practices, it provides a different type of learning

for students. This could become more important in the next few years as we are seeing a rise in

online learning (CAEP Claim 2: Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices.

Readiness to Become a Teacher

The Masters of Science Education program through Medaille College has provided me

with the confidence, knowledge and skills of an effective educator. It has taken me nearly six

years of post-secondary education, hundreds of volunteer hours, and much perseverance and

dedication over the years, but it has all been worth it. After obtaining my Bachelor of Arts from

the University of Western Ontario, and being on the verge of completing my Masters of

Education through Medaille College, there is finally a light at the end of this long journey. I

believe these experiences have shaped me into the educator I have become, and I am ready to

share my knowledge and skills with principals, colleagues and students. I have much to offer to

the teaching profession and I am ready to begin my new role as an educator.

My Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario allowed me to study

a variety of subjects, focusing mainly on Sociology and Family Studies. These courses allowed

me to better understand how humans socialize and how certain factors, such as different life

events and opportunities, can have a different effect on each individual. I believe these courses

prepared me to be more understanding and recognize I will come across all different types of

families and students during my teaching career. Any educator knows that teaching goes far

beyond what is learned in the classroom and therefore it is important to be knowledgeable in

understand different learning needs and behaviours that may be a result of outside factors.

Medaille College has provided me with a wealth of knowledge that has prepared me for

my career as an educator. My courses have provided me with knowledge in different subject

areas including Math, Science and Literacy. Within these courses, I have learned how to

incorporate different types of technology, providing students with a more modern approach to

learning. The courses offered at Medaille have provided me with everyday skills related to the

teaching profession, including lesson planning, understanding curriculum and incorporating

learning standards. I have learned a variety of social skills, including how to communicate with

students, colleagues and parents. The program has been successful in preparing students in

becoming well-rounded educational professionals.

In addition to my required education, I have taken additional courses through Medaille on

important social matters. These workshops consisted of training in areas of child abuse, bullying

and dignity for all students. This training has provided me with knowledge and skills to approach

potentially uncomfortable but important matters. As educators, we must remember we serve as

many different roles. It is important to be educated on outside factors that may affect our

students and be able to approach these scenarios in an appropriate and professional manner.

Conclusion

It has been a long journey that was not always predictable, but I am happy that I have

followed my dreams of becoming an educator. I never thought this path would lead me on the

journey it did, attending school in another country, but I could not be more grateful for this

experience. I was fortunate to have such dedicated professors, as well as met lifelong friends on
the same journey. As I reflect upon my these past few years, I am thankful for the learning

opportunities that have shaped me into the well-rounded educator I have become. Between the

education I have obtained through both the University of Western Ontario and Medaille College,

I have gained a wealth of knowledge that has prepared me for my next chapter as an educator. I

am excited for what my future holds and I cannot wait to see where this next journey takes me.

In the next section, I will submit a video answering interview questions while reviewing my

Weebly website.