Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction
The love of teaching and love for children was always there in me. I always wanted to
know how children develop and learn. How do they think and how do they make sense of the
world around them? My curiosity about young children grew even more with time. I decided to
study Early Childhood Education at college level first, I learned a lot and I was able to teach my
own child and watch him grow and learn. From that point I wanted to know more, I joined
university and graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education. My goal was to work
with young children and I was fortunate enough to get hired at the Peel District School Board as
an Early Childhood Educator. The love of teaching and learning does not stop, that why I
decided to join Medaille College and pursue my degree in the Masters of Science in Education
program.
In section one of my portfolio project introduction I mentioned that this is an opportunity
for me to showcase my proficiency in teaching and my ability to demonstrate my possession of
the major teacher competencies of planning, instruction, evaluation, making accommodations,
providing students with a safe environment where they can learn and reach their potential,
collaborating with my peers, my willingness to engage in professional development, as well as
the understanding and use of curricular and professional standards. In this section I will also will
provide details about my educational and work-related experiences which inspired me to pursue
a career as an elementary teacher. I will also highlight relevant classroom observations along
with applications, my philosophy of education, and resume in the hopes of demonstrating my
professional development journey thus far.

Teacher Candidate Educational Background and Work Experiences

Throughout my education, be it in elementary school, middle school, secondary school,

and even my years in a post-secondary education, I have always held the highest regards for the
teachers who have taken the time to ensure that I was moving toward the personal goals that I
had set for myself. As a very shy young student the beginning of every new school year was a
very stressful experience for me. I was always left behind because I was too shy to interact with
others, and this is when my new teachers would notice that and support me in making
connections with other classmates. It was this warm welcome that allowed me to become part of
the learning community. I was blessed with teachers who understood me and acknowledged what
I was going through, they believed in me and always supported me emotionally. It is true that we
go to school to get educated but it is not only books and its content we learn from, there is a lot
more than only knowledge. A good teacher will make a difference in children’s life, a good
teacher will always be able to read her students and provide them with all the support they need.
As an elementary student I had teachers who spent extra time with me outside class hours to
insure I understood concepts and topics learned in class. Those teachers inspired me and left a
positive impression on me. They believed in me and encouraged me when I doubted myself.
My experience in middle school was a potential catalyst that allowed me to envision myself
taking on a career as an educator. I still remember my teachers especially two teachers who
believed in me and encouraged me every step of the way. My English teacher was the one who
inspired me the most in middle school. She saw the potential in me, she developed peer tutoring
and chose me to tutor few of my classmates. She was the one that helped me develop and learn
so much. My music teacher was another teacher who inspired me and encouraged me. I always
loved music and still do, I never though I will be brave enough to stand in front of the crowd and
play my instrument. She was the one that noticed my love for music and encouraged me to join
the music band and I did. She believed in me and that encouraged me to be successful. The same
positive experience followed me in secondary school where I was also fortunate to have amazing
teachers who truly inspired me. I still to this day remember my French teacher, she was the one
that guided me to set my goals and pursue them. I always knew that becoming a teacher is my
goal. I took slow steps, but I was always sure that I am on the right track. I first went to college
to study early childhood education, I graduated and decided to pursue a university degree in early
childhood education. Young children are like sponges, every new experience, every word they
learn, every behavior they adopt is an investment in a more fruitful future. It is known that you
can never have a greater impression on a person than when they are in their early childhood
years and that was my goal. I knew the importance of learning at a very young age, studies have
shown that ninety percent of a child’s brain development occurs in the first five years of their life
making it critical window for early years education as they develop new skills and explore new
learning opportunities.
Work Experiences
After I graduated from university with honors I was fortunate to get hired in the Peel
District school board as an early childhood educator, and it has been a wonderful journey. Being
a kindergarten educator was a crucial experience for me. I was able to apply what I learned in the
classroom with young students. As an educator my role is to promote the well-being of children
by creating, fostering, and sustaining a learning environment that is healthy, caring, inclusive,
and accepting. A learning environment that will support not only children’s cognitive, emotional,
social, and physical development, but also their mental health, resilience, and over all state of
well-being. I do assessment, observation, and work on report cards with my teaching partner. We
both collaborate to implement the program, extend children’s learning, monitor and assess
students, and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment.
School Observations Classroom Application
Classroom experiences are extremely beneficial in providing teacher candidates with
opportunities to learn and apply various teaching techniques. We learn and go through various
experiences during the Master of Science in Education program, it is only when we enter the
classroom that we are able to understand how and why different strategies work or not work. I
was fortunate enough to observe in different classrooms and gained different experiences. I
wasn’t only an observer I interacted with students and felt part of the classroom community.
My observations took place in two suburban areas, in Buffalo, NY and Mississauga, ON.
My classroom observation at Buffalo Prep was an excellent experience. Buffalo Prep is a
school that is offered to gifted students from low income families, I observed the grade 7
students. The boys and girls were separated in different classes. It was very interesting to see the
different dynamics of the room between having the boys and the girls. One of the best practices
that I learned about in the book (Class Management) was teacher-student relationship, and how
important it is for young students to have a positive relationship with their teacher which will
greatly impact their behavior. I noticed that the teacher was warm and friendly and that will help
her build that positive relationship with her students. She left a good first impression with them.
The students were comfortable to speak and share their ideas during the class and the teacher was
very engaging and knowledgeable about what she was teaching. She was well prepared, moved
through the topics smoothly and gave all the students the opportunity to share their thinking. As
a future teacher, I was looking for best practices that will help me become an effective teacher.
One of the best practices I observed was beginning the class with self-introduction, and then
asking the students to introduce themselves, showing them that I am interested to know them and
that I appreciate having each and every one of them in my class. Another best practice I observed
is how the teacher was well prepared and had the materials ready for the students. The teacher
was able to make the class go very smoothly from the very beginning. I noticed how the teacher
went over classroom expectations at the very beginning as well. She gave the students time to
read the classroom expectations and clarified each point with them.
My next visit to Buffalo prep was a science class and a math class, two teachers were
teaching the science class a male teacher and a female teacher, both were teaching at the same
time. I was able to note how both teachers differentiated their teaching style with both the boys
and the girls. I believe that best practices for a teacher is to be flexible by adjusting the
curriculum, methods, and pace to meet student’s needs, to vary teaching and to be able to
respond to each induvial student and his/her needs. Every teacher should believe in her students
and have high expectations for them regardless of their abilities, skills and experiences.
I had the opportunity to visit students in the Peel district school board in the city of
Mississauga. I observed students in grade one, and grade 4/5 split. Students were from different
ethnicity, background, and socio-economic status. There were students with special needs and
ELL (English Language Learners) students as well. My observations in the grade one classroom
was very interesting. The students are a little more mature than in kindergarten the grade I am
used to working with. They are more independent and are able to work in a more structured
classroom. Every time I visited the classroom the students were engaged in different
lessons/activities. I observed the students during science lessons, language lessons, and math
lessons. During language lessons the children were writing in their language notebooks. The
teacher gave them a choice about what to write, for ELL students and academically low students
she wrote a couple of ideas on the board to help them start their writing, students chose one idea
to write about, for the rest of the students it was free choice to write about anything they choose.
Students were expected to write at least two full sentences, but one sentence only for ELL. The
students were encouraged to use the word wall to help them write or ask a friend for help. I
observed the students during guided reading and reading to a friend time, where a small group
worked with the teacher reading and answering questions, and the rest of the classroom read on
their own for 10 minutes then read for a friend for another 10 minutes. After reading students
were allowed to get a language game to play. During science lessons students were learning
about the different seasons and the changes that happens in every season. During math period
one of the lessons I observed was about tally charts. Teacher taught children about tally charts
and how they are used, then she provided work sheets for the students to help them practice.
During my observations, I witnessed best practices form the teacher, and as a future educator I
should be able to implement in my classroom. I noticed that the teacher invested in time needed
before every lesson or activity making sure to review the expectations with the students. The
teacher made sure to explain the lesson/activity and have the children practice it before working
on it on their own. The teacher had all the materials needed ready for the students to use. She
always used encouraging words and gave positive feedback to her students.
During my observations in grade 4/5 split I noticed that all the students were engaged.
The class is divided to two groups, grade 4 and grade 5. It was interesting to see the two groups
working on different things at the same time. Both grade 4 and grade 5 were working in small
groups of 3, in pairs, and few were working on their own. Grade 4 students were working on
science, researching about stones and minerals using laptops and iPads. The grade 5 students
were working on a social study lesson about Sadako. The students were working on Art projects,
researching and writing, drawing and painting, making a diorama, and making sculptures. The
teacher was going around the room looking at their work, giving them feedback, and answering
any questions they had. As a student teacher, I was looking for best practices that will help me to
become an effective classroom teacher. I noticed that the teacher had a very effective classroom
management. She had clear expectations for the beginning and the end of the period. At the
beginning the teacher explained what the students will be working on during the period. Toward
the end of the period (10 minutes before the end) the teacher gave the students a warning that in
5 minutes they will tidy up, put materials back where it belongs, and get ready for lunch. It was
very clear that the teacher had set clear classroom rules regarding transitions and the use of
classroom materials and that was evident. Best practices were observed during group work. The
teacher went over the expectations and the rules for group work. Allowing students to work
cooperatively in learning groups which has a positive impact on student’s achievement and
learning. I noticed during my observations that there is a positive teacher-student relationship. I
didn’t see any behavioral problems during that week, and I think that is closely related to the
relationship the teacher developed with her students. I perceived that the teacher was friendly,
helpful, appealing and engaging. She gave students positive feedback on their work and
encouraged students who need it to persist.
Classroom Application
Reflecting on what I observed and learned every day was crucial for me. I made
connections to what I learned in my classes/program with what I am observing in the classroom.
Every time I saw a good practice I connected it to what I learned during our class discussions. As
a teacher candidate, I would want to develop an effective relationship with my students. To be
able to have this positive relationship I have to make the children trust me and like me. Showing
them that I respect and care for each and every one is crucial, it is also important to be helpful
and friendly and to cooperate with them. To manage the class effectively I need to have clear
rules and expectations. I need to maintain control by knowing what is going on, how it’s going
and when, but at the same time give the students the freedom to be responsible for their learning.
One common best practice that I observed the teachers practicing was giving sufficient time
explaining the topic/assignment to students, going over the expectations and making sure the
children understand exactly what they are doing. Another best practice that I will implement in
my classroom is small group instructions which is an excellent strategy to differentiate pace. I
noticed during my observations that the teachers created groups of mixed-ability levels so that
high-achieving students can help struggling learners, and I think this is a great practice to
implement in my classroom because it will help struggling learners to move along in the
curriculum. One of the hardest practices but a very crucial one is making sure that all of the
students are receiving equal attention in the classroom. This is something I witnessed and
discussed with the teachers. This was evident in the classrooms because the teachers circulated
the entire room, and made sure to monitor students work, which gave her the opportunity to
notice anything that was worth bringing up.
I believe that every teacher continues to learn, develop and grow with her students. As
teachers, we are always learning and modifying our teaching style to make sure it is effective. I
don’t believe there is an ultimate recipe, rigid or fixed formula, or a simple list of do’s and don’ts
to ensure effective teaching. I believe the best practices for a teacher is to be flexible by adjusting
the curriculum, methods, and pace to meet student’s needs, to vary teaching to be able to respond
to each induvial student and his/her needs. Every teacher should believe in her students and have
high expectations for them regardless of their abilities, skills and experiences.