Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction

Section two, this Teacher Candidate Background Experiences, will be comprised of

seven subsections which will introduce my background experiences and connect them to

professional teacher competencies. The seven subsections in section two will be this Introduction

to the section, my prior Educational Experiences, my prior Work Experiences, School

Observations & Classroom Applications, my Philosophy of Education, my Resume, and a

Conclusion. Though some sections will not exhaustively include all my life experiences, the

included selections will show what I have learned from my relevant experience, and that I am

ready to take on the challenges of joining the teaching profession.

Education experiences.

My educational career has been anything but straightforward. In my childhood, each

transition from elementary to middle school to high school took me out of my home school to a

new district. Needless to say, I never had peer friends who came along with me. When everyone

entered a new school knowing their classmates from prior years, I entered knowing nobody. This

resulted in me depending on my teachers for supports that extended beyond instruction, for

example some of my most beloved teachers served as role models or mentors. In hindsight, these

experiences served me well in because of the variety of school environments I was able to

experience.

My elementary school was a low income, inner city school. We had lots of ethnic

diversity among student, as well as many different home life situations. As a student, I really

enjoyed the celebrations for the wide range of holidays that we acknowledged at the school. As

an adult, I can appreciate the patience and understanding I saw teachers exhibit for students who

had individual needs. I aim to incorporate both things into my practice as a teacher. It is
important for me to expose student not only to an acceptance of their own cultures, but also to

important experiences of other cultures that they wouldn’t experience at all otherwise.

My middle school was a small alternative school outside of my district. Only ~60

students, most lessons were taught using student driven projects, simulations, or large, entire

school experiences. As a student I truly enjoyed many of the activities in that school. Some of

my learning was very real life applicable, such as the “Town” simulation in which we completed

and ‘filed’ income taxes for our personal and business at its culmination. That said, I found the

far departure from curriculum very hard to recover from when I returned to traditional schooling

in high school. As a teacher, I will look to strike the ideal balance between incorporating student

autonomy, project-based learning, and covering the curriculum thoroughly. I know first-hand the

joy that can come from thoroughly reporting on a subject of your choosing, and I aim to provide

that for my students as well.

The high school I attended was a highly ranked university prep school in an affluent area

with a homogeneous population. A stark contrast to the project based middle school, there were

only a handful of courses available that didn’t directly lead to a university major, and about 85%

of graduates go on to an undergraduate program. While there was far less creativity in the

lessons here, the rigorous academics meant that we covered a very large amount of material in a

school year. This showed me how much can be accomplished when it is time to ‘get down to

business.’ In reflecting upon my wide array of childhood educational environments, I feel I have

a good breadth of experience which will help me to adjust to a variety of school cultures, but also

to provide varied, meaningful experiences and connections for my students.

Work experiences.
 I have worked in a wide range of positions and industries during my varied career, from

finance to health care to athletics. While they all have taught me some transferrable skills that

will help me as a teacher, I believe the most applicable and influential is my time as a coach.

Starting in my adolescence, I have been a gymnastics and cheerleading coach for over a decade.

My favorite part of the job was working cooperatively with the athletes to learn new skills and

routines. When athletes finally learned skills that scared or baffled them, sharing in their joy,

relief and accomplishment is among the most rewarding aspects of any work I’ve done to date.

This, and my intrinsic desire to always explain things, are two of the reasons that I believe I will

enjoy teaching. Outside of my enjoyment, I learned many useful skills that will assist me as a

teacher. Most importantly, this job really built up my instructional confidence and

communication abilities. When explaining a skill or correction to athletes, I employ verbal

communication, visual communication with drawings, demonstrations or videos, and kinesthetic

communication by having athletes move around. The key to teaching – be it athletic skills or

mental strategies – is to utilize these various methods fluidly and interchangeably as needed.

This is a skill that coaching has honed, and that will help me be a proficient teacher.

A second work experience that I believe will greatly benefit me as a teacher is my time as

a hedge fund administrator. Though often overlooked, clerical skills are a great boon to a teacher,

whom must manage grades, communications, permission forms, and many other documents for a

class of dozens of children and their families. A great deal of time at that position was spent

handling and manipulating large spreadsheets, managing multiple clerical tasks at once, and

processing large numbers of transactions and communications. I anticipate that I will use these

skills daily while I enter grades and anecdotal evidences for student, manage parent

communications, and tackle administrative tasks for the clubs and/or teams I will run.
School Observations & Classroom Applications

During my time in this program, I have spent time in classrooms in both Buffalo, NY,

and Brantford, ON. These experiences have been very different from each other, and gladly I

have learned different things from each experience.

One classroom I have spent time in is a grade 5 classroom in an inner city setting. This

has been a mixed experience. The school and room appear to be full of positive reinforcement.

All throughout the hallways there are posters and artwork referencing growth mindset and

positivity about learning and achieving. I will touch on the power of yet (Dweck, 2010) further in

my philosophy of education in this section but suffice to say that I am a proponent of Growth

Mindset, and plan to teach it as part of my socio-emotional curriculum throughout the grades.

While this approach is delightful, my short time there has also born witness to multiple examples

of student basic needs not being met. As Maslow identified, all people have basic physical and

security needs that must be met if they are to be ready to learn and grow (Burton, 2019). This

experience has shown me how important classroom environment and classroom culture is to

student learning. To get the best results for students, I must foster my classroom as a bastion of

safety and provide opportunity for these basic needs to be satisfied within my room.

Another of the classes I have spent time in is a grade 3 classroom in a residential area.

During my time here I have seen how excited students become when they are able to engage in

cooperative learning competitions, and when they are able to exhibit autonomy in their lessons.

Though not a true Montessori school, I have witnessed great success with self-selection

assignments. For example, over the course of a novel study unit, the students will have to

complete 20 reading responses. Each student is given a list of 35 response ideas and must select

any 20 of them to complete in any order they desire. In addition, students can propose new ideas
to the instructor for a response that is not on the list. They self-directed aspect of this activity has

led to high levels of student engagement and excitement about each of the activities the students

‘pick’ to do. This type of product differentiation (Metcalf, Cruickshank, & Jenkins, 2016) is a

method that I plan to use in my classroom to engage students in different mediums, afford them

some level of autonomy over their learning, and allow them room to develop their own curiosity.

Philosophy of Education

During my time as a young student, I was far from what one would call an inspired

student. I was attentive. I was polite. I was largely unnoticed in my classes. I performed

adequately and caused few disruptions. I was not, however, a stimulated or avid learner. In fact,

by the time I left undergrad, I’d have been happy to never step foot in a school again. It wasn’t

until after I left the school system that I discovered how beneficial and useful learning is. The

kinds of learning that finally clicked for me were necessary and meaningful. Want to buy a car

and get a good deal? Time to learn. Want to build a computer to do exactly what you want? Time

to learn. Many times, I have reflected on how different my life might have been if I had made the

connection between academics and learning earlier in life.

It is this line of thought that has changed my mind about a career in education. Access to

massive amounts of information, both good and bad, has changed the self-education game. I

believe that I can infuse the classroom with these practices, enriching my students’ experiences

with an understanding of their power to inform themselves.

The School

Throughout history, school and education were not always close partners. Sometimes,

education occurred without the formal structure of a school, such as the utilitarian learning of

pre-literate societies. At other times, schools were established in which the complete education
of students was not the primary objective. This is where the history of public schools in North

America began, particularly in New England. Due to the Reformation’s emphasis on reading the

bible at home, a swath of vernacular schools opened. Each was run by a religious group whose

primary concern was to ensure that the populace was able, and motivated, to read their version of

the bible. Since this religiously motivated beginning, the idea and role of basic education has

come a long way. On multiple occasions, the courts have ruled that all students have a property

interest in receiving an adequate education (Ornstein, Levine, Daniel, Vocke, & Gutek, 2017).

This is a far cry from the aristocrat-only education ideals of the past, and, I think, a step in the

right direction.

This current idea of basic education as a right is quite contemporary. As a prospective

educator, I applaud the current pursuit of the right to an adequate education without

discrimination. At the same time, it is important to realize that school is, at its core, a public

institution. As such, education of the population for the purpose of enriching the lives of citizens

is only one of several purposes of schools. Other important purposes that schools serve include:

economic benefits, such as freeing more parents to enter the workforce during a child’s

development; community services, such as continuing education, leisure programs, or facility

rentals (Upper Grand District School Board, n.d.); promotion of social harmony through

diversity studies and analyzing popular culture; and development of a collective youth

consciousness (Степанович, & Федорович, 2019).

I believe the roles of schools are now multi-faceted. Schools are central focuses of their

communities, where facilities can be used for both academic and non-academic activities that

enrich the entire community. They are also locations through which Canada can develop its
young citizens into productive members of Canadian society, and highly trained specialists to

offer to the global economy.

The Curriculum

Across the span of educational philosophies, there are a wide range of views on what

curriculum should cover or how specifically curriculum should guide student learning.

Montessori believed that all available activities should be designed in a way that is both

intelligent and stimulating. However, she strongly felt that selection of learning materials should

be left predominantly to the students’ discretion. While many of Dewey’s followers may have

agreed with Montessori, he himself supported a balance between the driving forces of the student

and curriculum. In his writing he notes that “the child and the curriculum are simply two limits

which define a single process. Just as two points define a straight line, so the present standpoint

of the child and the facts and truths of studies define instruction” (Dewey, 1902, p. 11).

Personally, I support the establishment of a full curriculum of topics for students from K-

12. I feel there are some aspects of education that should be clearly defined, and some that

should allow teachers to make their own decisions. In the case of Ontario’s curriculum, I believe

that the province has done an excellent job on not only separating requirements from

suggestions, but it has incorporated a wide range of topics and higher order thinking across

subjects at all the elementary grades. Ontario’s entire curriculum is available to the public online.

There are nine pdf documents and each one covers a subject from K-8. Inside each document one

can find assessment criteria categories, assessment charts, descriptions of streams in each

subject, considerations (not requirements) of teaching, and specific learning goals for each grade.

While this might seem all-encompassing, a great deal of the content is recommendations for

implementing best practices. For example, in the document on Language, the curriculum advises
teachers to “clarify the purpose for learning, help students activate prior knowledge, scaffold

instruction, and differentiate instruction” (Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2019, p. 22). The

curriculum also promotes engagement in the higher order thinking skills that require evaluating,

analyzing, and critical thinking. This is evidenced through the inclusion of a Media Literacy

stream in the curriculum beginning in grade 1, as well as specific learning objectives such as

“Express personal thoughts and feelings about what has been read” (Queen’s Printer for Ontario,

2019, p. 40). This is a framework that I will happily teach within.

Learning

As with most things in life, I believe that moderation in education is the best approach.

Teachers should provide clear guidance, directions, and purposes regarding what is being

learned. Simultaneously, students should be encouraged to explore the material, express their

thoughts and responses, and develop meaningful connections to the topic. This largely aligns

with Dewey’s theories that emphasize balance between the driving forces of education. This, and

other constructivist ideals, most closely align with my personal beliefs on learning.

Constructivism aligns with my opinions because it matches my own experiences as a learner. I

am a very inquisitive person and am most motivated to learn when my curiosity has been piqued.

Another reason that I support constructivist learning is that I believe that when students take an

active role in their academic learning, they are taking the first steps to developing into lifelong

learners.

In addition to my affinity to constructivism, I believe there are times when incorporating

other educational approaches is integral to a well-rounded education. For example, it would be

impossible to conduct a unit on media literacy without incorporating a postmodern analysis of

the material. Postmodernism is the critical analysis of official text, histories, or canons by
deconstruction (Ornstein et al., 2017). These theories are related in that they each encourage the

learner to build their own understanding and opinions about the world around them by engaging

in any material they encounter critically, skeptically, intelligently, and meaningfully.

Another theory that I strongly believe in is Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset. Dweck,

author of the book Mindset, states that “mindsets are beliefs—beliefs about yourself and your

most basic qualities… Are these qualities simply fixed traits, carved in stone and that’s that? Or

are they things you can cultivate throughout your life” (Dweck, 2010, para. 1). Dweck’s

underlying message is that the effort an individual puts forth is the leading factor in their success.

This is a theory that I plan to incorporate into my daily teaching practices.

An important aspect of school for students is that it is a place where they interact with

people and opinions outside of their home environment. It may be the first place they experience

diversity of culture, opinion, or life experiences. For example, as a child there were many

television shows that we weren’t allowed to watch. It was my mother’s attempt to shelter us from

violence. Unfortunately, her efforts fell short, as I watched them at friends’ houses and discussed

them at school. In this way, school is somewhat of an equalizer, where all students come and

experience diversity to some extent. It is important to acknowledge this diversity within the

learning environment and utilize it as a resource whenever possible.

The Learner

As an instructor and educator, my goal is to build my students’ abilities to question all

that they see around them. For this to succeed, students must become increasingly intrinsically

motivated and take an active role in their learning activities. As Lee & Hannafin (2016, p. 713)

identified, “Students who pursue intrinsic goals tend to engage their learning tasks more actively
than those who pursue primarily external affirmation, recognition by instructors, or avoidance of

negative consequences.”

To effectively support students in fulfilling this role of the active learner, I must

understand and respect each student’s developmental level. Piaget’s theory divides child

development into four distinct stages. The speed and age at which students progress through

development varies by individual, therefore it is important to provide flexible instruction and

environments to best assist each student.

A related concern is design and implementation of lesson content and scaffolding for

students. According to Vygotsky, there exists a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) for

everyone in relation to every task or skill. If a lesson or exercise is within a child’s autonomous

ability, minimal learning will occur. Similarly, if a lesson or exercise is far beyond a child’s

autonomous ability, minimal learning will occur. Ideally, I want to expose students to material

that is nearing the edge of their ZPD while scaffolding for them to succeed. I can best adjust

lesson content to match the varying abilities of my students by preparing extension questions for

advanced students and preparing additional scaffolding for struggling students.

Assessment

In today’s Canadian classroom, there are seemingly endless options for assessment

methods. That said, the purpose of assessment is always to measure the effectiveness of the

teaching and the depth of student learning. I support the use of a wide range of assessment

methods, however as with all learning, moderation is important. In formative assessments, it is

ideal to use a variety of strategies so that students may communicate their understanding in

multiple ways, and to best utilize the strengths and weaknesses of various methods. Electronic
quizzes, such as Kahoot, excel at knowledge checks and provide the benefit of speed. Written

strategies, such as an exit ticket (U of T, 2019), offer opportunity for higher order responses.

Summative assessments should also be offered in a variety of forms. Quizzes, tests, and

projects should all be utilized. In designing quizzes and test, I intend to model the format of

required standardized tests as much as possible. Though this would be difficult, I feel it would be

worth the effort. In my opinion, familiarity with the procedures and questions of high stakes test

would help students to become more comfortable with the process.

Projects are another excellent opportunity to offer differentiation and autonomy to

students. Depending on the topic, students could select modality, subject, or group composition.

While I support the use of technology in assessment, I must caution vigilance in implementation.

Teachers must ensure that they are assessing the learning material, and not the student’s ability

with the technological delivery method. I feel it is essential to have detailed rubrics prepared and

distributed for every project. This crucial to ensuring equality in the assessment.

I believe that all work assigned to students should contribute to a ‘mark’ in the class,

even if only for completion. This is beneficial to students, as having more marked items will

decrease the stakes of any single given task. Additionally, this provides stimulus for students to

complete the work.

Classroom Management

I believe that classroom management and instructional success are inseparably related. For

me to determine that I’ve been a successful instructor, my students should achieve more than

learning the curriculum requirements. They should grow as people and as thinkers. They should

be able to identify things that interest them, then be empowered and confident to pursue that
knowledge. They should utilize multiple strategies to source and evaluate material that will help

them achieve these learning objectives.

Building the classroom as a community is imperative in meeting these instructional goals.

Having clear rules, which the students are involved in selecting and establishing, will help them

to take ownership of the class as their own. Of course, students are children, and pushing limits is

part of their growth and exploration. An integral part of every rule set is clearly communicated

expectations and consequences, both positive and negative. Though intrinsic motivation causes

deeper learning, there are times when extrinsic motivations are required and useful. As Skinner

proposed, reinforcement, either positive or negative, can lead to behaviors being repeated more

or less often. Whether managing behaviors or modelling interactions and routines, clarity and

consistency are both key to success.

Outside of daily routines, a teacher must be cognizant that every aspect of their interaction,

preparation, and demeanor affect their class. If I intend to allow students the freedom to explore

content and work on projects within my classroom, I must organize it in such a way that is

conducive to containing multiple workspaces. If I expect students to take risks, I must ensure that

I am supportive and available for reinforcement and redirections. Managing a class in this

manner also requires a clear and complete understanding of my learning objectives for students.

Frequent reflection, detailed yet flexible preparation, and honing of one’s ‘withitness’ (Marzano,

Marzano, & Pickering, 2003) are vital to successful class management.

Technology serves multiple purposes within a classroom, one of which I feel is related to

classroom management. By effectively integrating technology into my lessons, student activities,

and available resources, I will be able to alter the pace and focus of my class. I will use this to

maintain student focus in complex lessons. To me, it is important that students understand
multiple uses and purposes for technology. It can serve as entertainment, but it can also be an

extremely useful tool. Allowing room for these multiple uses, as well as clear direction on each

instance of use, is fundamental in effective technology use in the classroom.

The Teacher
Teaching is a demanding, complex job. Every day teachers are expected to fulfill

multiple roles effectively. Among their colleagues, one must be professional, collaborative,

reliable, understanding and sometimes supportive. Among parents, teachers must be experts in

subject matter, sound communicators, and effective listeners. Among students, teachers must be

consistent leaders, kind supporters, role models, and sometimes fair disciplinarians.

As a teacher I aim to embody the role of a Warm Demander. Alexander (2013) describes

a warm demander as a teacher who maintains high expectations of students, believes in students,

convinces them to believe in their own abilities, and supports them to reach these standards (all

within a disciplined, structured environment).

Fulfilling this role requires teachers to exhibit many traits, both inside the classroom and

out. For example, a key aspect of being a warm demander is to foster meaningful relationships

with all your students. If you have a student’s trust and you tell them that you believe they can

achieve something, then their confidence will ideally follow.

As a mentor and role model, it is important that I make myself available to students as a

support, resource, and positive relationship in their life. Teachers, especially teachers who come

from places of privilege, must remember that students are all individuals. Just like all other

people, they will have good and bad days. Teachers must respect their life outside school and

demonstrate flexibility, empathy, and compassion.

It is a priority for me to differentiate what you learn in school from learning in general

and communicate that both types of learning serve important purposes. Communicating to
students that many kinds of learning occurs every day in their life is important. Learning can be

experiential, cultural, academic, hobbyist, and it is all worthwhile and can add to their breadth of

experience and perspective as a person.

Outside of the classroom, I believe it is important for teachers to lead full lives. To instill

life-long learning, one should be a life-long learner. This includes engaging in hobbies and

continuing one’s education, either formally or informally. Of course, it is important to maintain

current certifications, but even beyond that being a well-rounded person is the best way to model

and share a well-rounded life with your students.

So, what does all this mean? What has this philosophy of education said about my desires to

teach, my methods of instruction, or what I believe an effective teacher is? In Ontario’s

curriculum, there are goals for analysis, criticism, and personal responses in every subject. I

intend to run my classroom with the aim of providing opportunities for critical analysis of

curriculum related topics that the students are interested in. I intend to differentiate in lessons by

providing multiple strategies for thinking or solving problems, and by providing opportunities

for differentiated products. I intend to nurture a collaborative community with my students and

families by embodying the warm demander, providing support to students and families, and

providing encouragement and gentle pushes as needed. Lastly, I intend to reflect on my

practices, purposes, and results consistently and realistically. The reflective process will likely

result in developments and changes in this philosophy of education, of course. This is not only

acceptable; it is desirable and necessary. It is through reflection and analysis that we continually

develop as educators and as individuals.

Development of Resume
 AMANDA DAVIES, B.PHE (HONORS), MSED Candidate
21 Burke Avenue, Brantford, Ontario N2S 6V5 | 613.929.7638 | [email protected]

Intrinsically motivated, results oriented individual. 3 years’ experience in the retail financial sector, and 10+ years
coaching children and running training seminars for adult peers. Currently pursuing further education for teacher
accreditation. A peer leader specializing in operational and interpersonal communication excellence.
Comprehensive knowledge and talent in accomplishing complex activities and mastering platforms and processes.
Able to thrive in a multitasking environment where a high level of accuracy and attention to detail is required.
Recognized for an energetic, motivational attitude and building strong relationships. Recently returned from an
extended around-the-world trip, enriching my breadth of experiences and knowledge.

Education .

Medaille College – January 2019 – Present

Masters of Education, Elementary Education (MSED)
 Currently in term 3 of 4
 Current 4.0 GPA since term 1

Queen’s University - September 2008- December 2013

Bachelor of Physical Health and Education (BPHE Honors)
 Graduated Winter Term 2013
 Varsity athlete all 4 years

North Toronto Collegiate Institute – September 2003 – June 2007

 Diploma with honors

Skills .
.

Critical thinking Independent, quick learner. Creatively and resourcefully assesses issues and investigates
ideas for resolution and plausibility.
Communication Clear, concise written and oral English. Confident public speaking and presenting with
the proven ability to proactively listen and answer queries effectively. Adept at leading
groups of varying age and size.
Organization Punctual individual with goal-oriented management of tasks. Able to adapt to constantly
shifting priorities while maintaining quality results and meeting deadlines.
Technology Extremely adept at using and troubleshooting various forms of technology. Personally
interested in technology with specific knowledge in computer (components and
features) and audio technology. Adept at Microsoft Office, Smart notebook, and other
educational software.

Relevant Work Experience .

.

Best Buy – November 2018 – January 2019

Connected Solutions Sales Specialist
 Assist customers in finding their desired products by listening and communicating effectively
 Maintain knowledge & expertise in technology products regarding troubleshooting, options, and other areas
  Build and maximize long-term relationships with customers by responding to concerns, escalating
appropriately, and being ‘amazing’

SS&C Fund Services – December 2016 – July 2017

Senior Securities Processing Officer
 Senior member of a team which handles all day to day back office Investor Services operations for Cayman
and Delaware-domiciled weekly and monthly Hedge Funds with a total of over $28 Billion USD Assets Under
Management
 Assumed responsibility when supervisor is gone as main point of contact for ongoing enhancement and
reporting projects with our client
 Lead process designer and tester for department wide operations system conversion related to change in
company ownership
 Designed new workflows between international departments for daily BAU procedures
 Created training materials for department and delivered training seminars for multiple groups within
department
 Developed the hybrid use of Email Capture and Query cases for NAV and archiving process, shifting 4 steps of
the NAV process onshore allowing onshore teams to archive NAV cases independently and immediately
 Lead development of an EUC to generate fund pipelines compatible across Paxus. This will automate pipeline
maintenance, reduce processing time, reduce manual intervention, and decrease error and compliance risk.
 Lead development of an EUC to generate a report that fulfills 3 monthly and quarterly requirements.
o Two of the affected reports were previously 100% manually generated. Risk of error greatly
reduced, and 2 hours of processing time saved.
o Third report was previously generated in Sharp and is now automated from Paxus.
 Acted as a point of contact for process issues and system queries between tech and operations
 Member of the Voice of the Employee Committee for 2017
 Created a department wide compliance review within the BAU system that replaced manual checklists and
processes
 Performed end user testing for annual bug fix and enhancement project
 Provided feedback and helped design the career growth and development plans for subordinate members of
team
 Lead semi-weekly workflow meetings with client

University of Toronto Gymnastics Club – February 2012 – May 2015

Supervisor/Coach (Part Time)
 Acting supervisor for recreational program
 Actively maintain daily administration log and consolidate new enrolments into existing classes
 Use quick thinking and flexibility to develop appropriate, challenging, safe classes for athletes upon arrival
when a lesson plan is not present.
 Communicate with parents and athletes to resolve conflict and enhance learning for all athletes
 Offer training and support when appropriate to new coaches

Kingston Elite Cheerleading Company – May 2009 – December 2012

Head Coach of Recreational Program
Assistant Coach of Special Needs, Junior, and Senior All Girl Teams
 Lead team of 4 coaches running simultaneous classes involving children from ages 4 to 14
 Plan and lead practices for teams of 28 to 32 athletes involving stunting, tumbling, and showmanship
  Organization and maintenance of facility, equipment scheduling, athlete enrolment, emergency contact
records and athletes’ files
 Independently develop and implement progressive development program for all athletes in company
 Work within a team to create and teach routines designed to optimize points based on a rubric. Personally
responsible for instructing and choreographing all tumbling skills and sections
 Manage communications with parents as their main contact point with Kingston Elite Inc.
 Analyze complex skills by observing component movements to correct errors in athletes and teach ideal
movement patterns for safe and effective skill execution
 Respond to any injury or incident to occur during practices. Able to tape and brace injuries and provide
appropriate rehabilitation exercises for injures athletes during practice time.
 Advised and assisted coworkers in all areas, including adapting to and resolving problem scenarios involving
athletes and parents, lesson planning and lesson execution.

Volunteer Experience and Professional Development .

James Hillier Public School – January 2019 – Present

Classroom Volunteer
 Assist teacher in preparing lesson materials
 Circulate and respond to student queries
 Secure and prepare laptop for students with IEP
 Assist in training students in use of their assistive devices

DASA - Dignity for All Students Act Training – July 2019

Identification and Reporting of Child Abuse and Maltreatment – July 2019
School Violence Prevention and Intervention – July 2019

Additional Information .

 Athletics: Varsity Athlete, Queen’s University Cheerleading Team: 1st place at the Canadian National
Cheerleading Championships (2010-2012); member of the Kingston Elite-All Star Cheerleading team – semi-
finalist at the World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida (April 2012); Competitive Gymnastics and
Coaching (9 years); Competitive Rock Climbing (2 years); recreational power lifting (4 years)
 Music: Viola (3 years); Music Theory and Composition (3 years)
 Computers: Advanced knowledge of Computer Hardware; Windows Troubleshooting; Skilled Software and
Custom Program Use (4 years), Experience with wide array of web-based software; Able to adapt to new
software and programs extremely quickly
 Cross-Cultural Experience & Awareness: Spent 9 months in 2017/2018 travelling abroad throughout Asia,
Europe & South America. Experienced many different cultures and societies. Extensive experience as senior
member of a diverse team from at least 6 different national backgrounds.
Conclusion

Throughout this section of the portfolio I have summarized experiences in my own education, my

working positions, and my volunteering positions within classrooms. I have detailed my philosophy of

education and provided a detailed resume showing my current skills and professional developments. In

this section my goal was to provide more background and explanation to why I have decided to become a
teacher, what experiences have led me to this decision, and what experiences I believe will help me

succeed in this profession. Throughout my philosophy of education and sections of classroom methods, I

have tried to expand on how I aim to foster learning and manage the environment in my classroom. I

believe that moderation is the key to all success, and that my breadth of experiences in both my education

and work will aid me in building a nurturing classroom that values the question why.

In the next section of this portfolio I have collected a series of artifacts that I have developed,

created, or completed during my time in this preparation course. The selected artifacts have been curated

to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, dispositions, and competencies of teaching that I have gained so far

in my training.