My Portfolio
The following pieces of this portfolio, like all portfolios, are a constant work in progress. There will be many times through the year where I will be adding on to what is already here. I hope that this brief introduction will help to clarify what follows on the next few pages. To go to associated page for each section, simply click the subtitle.
Content and Pedagogy
Pedagogy, as many of us know, is the art or science of teaching. It deals with the various learning styles that one uses to teach our students. In order to be effective with the content of our lessons, we need to teach through a variety of methods. On that same note, the content has to be vast, deep, and interesting, allowing all of the learning styles to draw from it. Without such a sea of information to pull from, the pedagogy side of it all doesn’t stand a chance.
Assessment
Assessment is something that many assume is a process that needs no thought put into it. I disagree with that point and feel that assessment is one of the most important pieces of the lesson plan that any teacher could possibly work on. Not only is there a need to do both informal and formal assessments, but there is a necessity to make sure that what you are assessing is what you taught! Too often it happens that a teacher accidentally assess the wrong thing, completely missing the judgement on the desired outcome.
Another issue that arises in the area of assessment is the need for records as to what a teacher has and has not covered. Not only does this help support the teacher on the side of the administration, but this allows for parents to see more clearly what is covered in class. These records can also become a tool for following teachers to use in structuring their classes and individualizing lessons.
Community
Our schools are supposed to be communities. We say this out loud, in our letters home to parents, and in our lessons. We push to have kids aware that they are a part of their community. We tell them all the time that they can make a difference. Is this practiced in the classroom? Maybe not with other teachers, but I strive to allow my students to feel as though they are really apart of the decision making process. When there is a low batch of grades, I take suggestions from the students on how things can be rectified. I think through all of them, come up with a few options that will suit the majority of my students and myself, and then I let them vote. A community listens to it’s people and lets them have a say.
Professionalism
If I made it through college and now have my certificate, why does professionalism seem to still play a part in my classroom? The answer to this, for myself, is very obvious: If I don’t continue to learn, how can I expect myself to continue to teach? To me the two go hand in hand. In order to be the best teacher I can for my students, I too have to remain a life long learner.
While many of us educators would like to think that teaching is a quick and easy process, it’s not. Much like how Buddhism is built off from the Four Noble Truths, education is built off from these four. Each section lends itself to who I am as an educator, and in turn, how I effect my students’ learning experiences. The one thing that will remain the same is the key concepts spoken of here within: content and pedagogy, assessment, community, and professionalism.