Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction

What does teaching mean to me? Teaching means to give the students the opportunity to

explore and find themselves. It means to be the guide that the students need to critically think

and find their own answers. Teaching has come a long since I was a student which wasn’t that

long ago. Teaching used to be all about standing in front of a classroom lecturing to students,

having them take notes, and then usually giving a test on all of that information. There was no

reason to understand what we were learning because all we had to do was memorize the

information to pass the class. Today’s teachers are heading in the direction of inquiry based

learning. A place where students can feel free to question everything, where there isn’t always

one right way or one right answer to a problem. School is a place to explore the things that the

students may be wondering about and then it is the teacher’s job to connect their wonders to the

curriculum. This opportunity to explore will be much more valuable to the students when they

try to find who they want to be in the world as adults.

Education is also not only for the students that want to explore but it is also for those who

are drawn to the “old school” way of learning. Education is for everyone. As a teacher, it will be

my job to differentiate, accommodate, or modify when necessary to make sure that all of my

students are learning at their own level, at their own pace, in their own way. Education is for

everyone no matter who they are, no matter where they come from, no matter what ethnicity or

race they are. As a teacher it’s important to make that every student feels a part of the classroom

community. This sense of community will help them feel comfortable to be who they truly are.

Along with community it is important to teach students about important values like honesty,

forgiveness, respect, responsibility, and love. The values will follow the students throughout

their whole life and help them be good human beings.

Teacher Candidate Educational Background and Work Experiences

When I think about my childhood I think about all of the different schools I went to and

how different each school was in its own way. For as long as I can remember I was always a

people pleaser. I always wanted other kids to like me and I would do or say pretty much anything

to get liked. I always wanted the other kids to be happy, and when I saw someone that was down

I wanted to know why and if there was something that I could do to make it better. My love for

other people and other kids is where my love for teaching started. I constantly wanted everyone

to know what it was like to be loved and cared for. No matter how short or tall you are, no matter

how old you are, no matter where you come from everyone deserves to be loved and feel that

way, especially in the classroom. Later on I would learn that these strong relationships are what

would get me through my education.

Growing up I switched back and forth between public and private schools. I found that in

both types of schools I always felt cared for, the main difference between the two was the

education aspect and the teacher to student ratio. The relationships that I used to build with my

teachers were very strong because they usually saw how caring I was with other students. I

usually ended up being the teacher’s assistant, which didn’t sit well with the other students in the

class. This actually caused me to be made fun of and my relationships with other kids weren’t

that great. Now looking back at it I am so thankful that I had such great teachers to support me. I

can only imagine where I would have been had I not had such caring teachers. I want to be the

teacher that my students can confide in, I want to be the teacher that helps students like me build

stronger relationships with their peers. I want my classroom to be a safe space for students to say

how they feel and most importantly a place where everyone can be accepted no matter who they

are.
 All my life my parents, my friends, and many bosses told me that I would make a great

teacher because of my caring and loving nature. At a young age I became very maternal, I

always helped take care of my younger siblings and everyone around me. This along with many

other experiences opened the door that lead me to the path to becoming a teacher. My first

encounter as an educator was when I was in university and I got the opportunity to work as a

teacher’s assistant in an after school Hebrew school. I would be there twice a week, mainly

working one on one with a student that needed extra support to stay focused and also to help

manage the students when they got out of hand. I feel that the role of an assistant was very

important especially in an after school program. Students were in class all day and then they

were expected to sit through another class learning a new language, chances are they needed to

be stimulated and engaged a lot more. The role of the assistant really opened my eyes to the

amount of assistance a teacher may need at any given time. The associate teacher and I worked

together to make the lesson plans and set expectations for each lesson. This allowed us to be on

the same page before the kids came into class. Since we were on the same page, we had minimal

issues during our class, so we were able to really sit with the students throughout the lesson and

games that we had created.

As the school year came to a close, I was offered the teacher position for the same class. I

was very excited and nervous all at the same time, because now their education was on my

shoulders. Since I was an assistant before it gave me the necessary experience to be able to plan

my lessons according to the students needs. We had a set curriculum that we needed to follow

but I sometimes had to slow down to make sure that all of my students were on the same page.

My class consisted of both lectures and games to make sure that the students understood the

information. Since the students played the games using what they just learned in class they were
able to practice what they learned and that helped them remember the vowels, consonants, and

Jewish holidays. Unfortunately, after one year of working as a teacher, my school schedule

didn’t allow me to continue. My next job was a neurophysical trainer which was a place where

adults and kids with ADD, ADHD and Autism could come in a train their brains to have better

control of their disabilities. This job showed me how hard some people have to work to be able

to get to that state of “normal”. It got me thinking about what is normal and why does everyone

strive to get there. Is there just one normal? This job swayed my path and made me question

everything I was working towards.

As I reached the end of my university years, I had to make a final decision of who I

wanted to be, or at least I thought I did. Although I knew I wanted to be a teacher, I still wasn’t

convinced that that was my best way of helping kids feel understood and loved. I ended up

graduating with my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in hopes of becoming a child psychology to

help kids end the battles that they had within so when they go to school they can go there just to

learn and be whoever they want to be.

I had a period in my life where I was very lost. After working for a couple of years and

moving to Toronto, Canada in the process I found myself interviewing to be the assistant to a

principal. During my interview with her my teaching spark was lit once again. I asked her how

and why she became a principal and she told me all of the wonderful things she had

accomplished throughout her career. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was because she reminded

me that it wasn’t too late for me to be a teacher and if I wanted to do I should go for it.

A couple months later, after tons of research and I got accepted to Medaille College in

Buffalo, New York. This school was perfect in terms of my commute, my job and it fit so well in

with my lifestyle. Since it was a weekend program I was able to keep working during the week
which is what my current lifestyle required. This program was very hard, time consuming but all

in all the best decision I have ever made for myself. This school opened my eyes to what

teachers are like today and that if I want to be one of the greats it all starts with the relationships

that I build with my students.

Once I decided to go back to school, I also decided to take on a secondary job and be a

tutor. Being a tutor only reminded me more of how much I loved teaching and how much I loved

learning. Then I realized that was it, that is why I wanted to become a teacher. I wanted to share

my love for learning with students since many of them just find school as a necessary step just to

get into the real world. It got me thinking about the nature vs. nurture argument that many of my

psychology classes went over. Kids aren’t born not liking school, it is taught through parents and

teachers alike. I want to help to see how much fun learning can be.

School Observations and Classroom Application

When I first stepped foot into the different schools where I did my placement and

observations, I had no idea what to expect. Seeing as I just past the last few years of my life

working for retail stores or as a legal assistant this first step was bringing me back to my original

path, my original journey. Taking those first steps reminded me of what I have been missing all

of these years. Looking at the bulletin boards outside of the classrooms, was like a looking at my

past and my future.

My first observation was in a grade one classroom in the York Region District School

Board. Since I have only taught older students before this was a new age for me; many of the

kids in this classroom were about five or six years old. For about three weeks I came into this

grade one class every day to observe their routine, taking notes on the different teaching and

classroom management strategies that were used. Since I have only taught older grades before I
didn’t realize how time consuming and how long it takes grade one’s to learn the daily routines

of a classroom. Things like taking out their agenda, changing for their outdoor to indoor shoes,

where to put their homework folders took a really long time for them to remember. Since

Kindergarteners don’t really have a routine where much is expected of them, this is the first time

in a child’s life where they are expected to truly produce work and where they are held

accountable for what they do. Ms. Z has been teaching for about fifteen years and she had a class

of 24 students. This was Ms. Z’s first year teaching grade one and she planned so much in the

summer for what she was going to do or need during the school year. Ms. Z also came very early

to school and usually left a few hours after the kids were gone. She had so many wonderful ideas

and different ways to engage the kids in the curriculum. Her classroom was set up with a few

bulletin boards on the walls, along with the classroom rules, a calendar, the alphabet, a word wall

and she had a carpet where the students would come when they needed a break from their desks.

Best Practice Focus

Ms. Z’s has many great practices but her best one has to be her withitness. She was about

to be aware of the whole class without showing the kids that she was paying attention. When she

saw something inappropriate or bad, she wouldn't yell or embarrass the students, she would

simply ask the student if they think that what they are doing is appropriate and they usually know

exactly what the answer is. She would also make eye contact with a student that she knows is

normally well behaved and simply says “make good choices” and they actually do. I was so

surprised that such a simple statement could have such an impact on such young kids. So

ultimately this shows me that not only is minimal effort needed to have kids do the right thing

but also knowing your students and having good relationships with them is crucial. Another best

practice that I noticed from Ms. Z was she never showed the students if something was bothering
her. She always kept her composure especially since she had a behavioral student who needed to

be evaluated but was on a waiting list to do so. He was very disruptive and she was always very

fair to him and the rest of the students. Just because this student was disrupting the class, she still

gave him a chance to answer questions and be involved if he raised his hand or sat together with

the class. During this observation, Ms. Z did many read alouds throughout the day the were

cross-curricular and were a good starting point to teaching the students something new. When

they were given assignments she gave them many different options of how to complete them to

help differentiate between the students. Lastly, her math homework was the best I have ever

seen. She found some math games online and she created these Ziplocs bags each with a

different math game in it. Each bag contained everything a student needed to play the game. The

teacher would send home these bags one a Thursday and expect them back in the class by the

following Wednesday so that they students could get a new game every week. The amount of

effort she put in to being a teacher and making learning fun for her kids was truly incredible.

Applications

From this experience, I have learned how important it is to be patient and how important

withitness is. Being aware of everything that is happening in your classroom is hard, but being

aware without the students knowing that you are aware is even harder. Ms. Z knew each and

every one of her students so well that she didn’t even need to be paying attention to know who

was doing what and who knew better. I hope to one day get to that state of withitness and

constantly be aware of my classroom without the kids necessarily knowing it. Being patient,

especially with the younger ones is crucial. Patience is important to not only have with the class

but also with each student. Sometimes each student needs more time to answer a question, or

more time to think over what they want to say and frankly we shouldn’t be rushing them. If we
don’t give students the opportunity to answer at their own pace than why even both asking the

question. School shouldn’t be a race; it should be a learning experience that will guide them

through the rest of their lives.

My second observation was at the same school but it was a grade six/seven split. Being

that this class was a split class made it all the more amazing to observe. It was interesting to see

how the teacher, Mr. H, balanced the two grade levels considering they are both learning such

different things. Since the class was a split between two grades the ages ranged from 10 to 13,

and the class had more boys than girls. This class has four ELL students that just moved to

Canada and there was one behavioral student with an IEP. The rest of the students were between

a mix of Italian, Persian, Armenian, Canadian, Asian American, and African American. The way

the teacher broke down his time was crucial because he had to balance both classes and make

sure they were both getting the attention that they needed. In order to do so he has the grade six

students sit with their own grade and the grade seven students sit with their own grade. This was

important so that the students could help each other out when needed. While one grade did

learning centers the other grades would learn something new from their curriculum whether it be

math or literacy.

Best Practice Focus

Mr. H’s best practice was the way he spent time with the ELL students in his class. Along

with having a split class, his ability to still make time to sit one on one with the ELL students

was amazing. Since the three ELL students were new to Canada they didn’t understand a lot of

what they read, but they did speak and understand enough English to give the teacher the

opportunity to help them. He would take the time to give the ELL students the time they needed

during recess, lunch or during class to ask him any questions that they needed answered and to
help them improve their reading. He would sit down with each one of them for at least 20

minutes a day to make sure that they are getting enough practice so they couldn't slowly

improve.

Applications

From this experience, I have learned how important it is set the classroom up in a way

that fits the students needs. There were about six students in the class that used yoga balls as

their chairs and that helped them concentrate more. The teacher had a reading nook area where a

lot of students felt more comfortable to do their work because it was away from their original

seats. Another great thing about his classroom, is he lets the students sit wherever they want until

they show him otherwise. He wanted to show them that he trusted them from the beginning and

in turn that allowed the students to trust him.

First Field Experience

My first placement was at a Jewish Day School in Thornhill, Ontario. This school had a

dual curriculum where the students learned general studies for half a day and then Jewish studies

the other half. The class that I observed was a grade 2 class and it consisted of 18 students, one

with an IEP. From the moment you walk into this school you feel an automatic welcoming and

safe community. There was a security guard at the door that would great everyone and make sure

that they are supposed to be at this school. The security knew everyone that walked in and out, so

if you were new, like me, she took interest right away. Since the school was under construction

at the time the library was near the front of the school right when you walked it. As you walked

down the halls you would see bulletin boards of the students work at all of the different grade

levels. When I walked into Mrs. R’s second grade classroom I was immediately invited it by a

welcoming smile and eighteen sets of eyes looking in curiosity to see who I am. Since I started
teaching in Mrs. R’s class I noticed right away the balance there was a balance between lecture

and hands-on learning. Her class was very organized and she was always prepared in advance for

all of her lessons. She had a little classroom library that she filled with books that interested the

students and she had round tables where the seating was changed every month so that they

students could move around and sit next to new people. As I started to take over for her as the

teacher I could tell the students really liked to see a new person in the classroom. Along with

their normal teacher, the students are used to having a least one other adult around at all time,

whether it be a teacher’s assistant, a resource teacher, a parent volunteer, or newcomers coming

to check out the school. You can see the sense of community within the school; by the end of the

placement I felt like I was leaving my family behind.

Mrs. R’s class was very organized and always had a schedule on the board so the students

knew what to expect for the day. At the beginning of the week, she sent home a homework

packet that was due by the end of the week so students can ask for help if they need it. I noticed

while she gave out the homework, some of the packets were a little easier or harder than others

and I liked the not only did she differentiate in the classroom, she also differentiated their

homework. You can truly tell that Mrs. R cared for her students and really wanted them to have

fun but seeing as her general studies period is so much shorter than public schools she had less

time to teach the curriculum, therefore was always worrying if she would get the content

understood by all of the students in time. She also knew when she had to stop and reteach

something that the students may not have understood. She would change her schedule based on

the needs of the students and that is so important.

Best Practice Focus

 In Mrs. R’s class it is hard to talk about just one best practice. One of her best practices

has to be the discussions that the students and her have in the class. Whenever a new topic is

introduced she takes the time to allow the students to discuss and make the necessary

connections to be understand what they are learning. For example, the students we learning to

compare and contrast two similar stories and after the read aloud the class got into a discussion

about the main characters and how they are similar or different then themselves. Once a student

connected in some way to the new information it was much easier to build that strong

foundation. Since they are in grade two these discussions and connections are very important

because it is the foundation of their future learning.

Applications

From the experience, I have learned how important it is to be organized. Mrs. R was

always five steps ahead, usually the plans for the current week are planned the week before so

she is never stressed and so she could prepare what she needed before every lesson. Since most

of her lessons included a game or some sort of hands on learning component she needed to make

sure she had what she needed in the classroom so that the lesson could go as smoothly as

possible. Along with being very organized, she always stayed in constant communication with

the parents. She sent weekly emails about what’s going on in the classroom that week, what they

will be learning, important dates and what the homework it.

Second Field Experience

My second field experience was at a public school in the York Region District School

Board in Maple, Ontario. I was placed in a grade four class with 28 students in it. There were 18

boys and 10 girls in the class. When I first walked into Mr. C’s grade four classroom I felt the

excitement from the students that a new person would be apart of their classroom. From the
moment I walked in they wanted to know everything they could about me and couldn’t wait for

me to start teaching their class. From the first day in Mr. C’s class I could tell that he doesn't

teach like other teachers do. His class is fully focused on inquiry based, self assessment, and

critical thinking for each student. He views himself as a guide to the students rather than a

teacher. Along with the curriculum he allows the students to each have their own independent

projects that they have been working on throughout the whole year. These independent projects

include make a club for the school during lunch, making a website, making a podcast, and many

more that have to do with real life jobs. The students love this time because they are able to

create, explore and learn how to do new things. Mr. C didn’t have assessments for his students,

instead he had his anecdotal records that allowed him to see the progression of the students’

learning. Instead of teaching the students about fractions, he set fractions rods on a table as a

provocation, to see what the students will do with it during their exploration. This method is very

different from me because it wasn’t a planned out organized lesson plan because you can’t really

anticipate what the students will say. Everything I taught in that class was based on the students’

exploration. I found that through the exploration the students eventually got to where they

needed to be each at their own pace.

Best Practice Focus

In Mr. C’s class his best practice was not worrying about the answer to a question and

allowing students to critically think about different ways to go about finding an answer. We are

all so used to making sure students having the right answer with only one way to get there, but

what I have found is that students have so many different ways of finding the answers to a

question and allowing them to voice how they did it will show the teacher where they are as far
as differentiation is concerned. With this method, each student can be wherever they need to be

and the others will catch up at their own pace.

Application

From this experience, I have learned to trust the process and trust the students to get

where they need to get without much teaching. When given the provocations the students end up

becoming their own teachers and the teacher is the guide to help them get to wherever they want

to get. Since I was first hand able to see what the students can accomplish I would love to

incorporate it in my classroom. Along with giving students the chance to explore, I also want to

be able to give them time to work on something they want to work on and learn how to do. This

will be so helpful for them in their future and after their schooling is done they may find

something that they love to do.

Philosophy of Education

A philosophy of education is a set of beliefs that a teacher creates as a set of guidelines to

help them stay on track. During the school year it is so easy for a teacher to lose track of their

beliefs because there is so much going on and so much curriculum to get through. The

philosophy of education is there as a reminder of what is truly important and to make sure the

teacher stays on the path that she created for herself.

The school is where it all begins. In every society, every city, every neighborhood you

will find a school in the center of it all. The school is a place of community where kids from all

around the city come together for one common goal and that is to gain knowledge. The school is

a place where students can come and be themselves or even find themselves. They are able to

explore and come out of their comfort zones.

 The school should have set goals and learning objectives to help parents and students stay

on the same page and to help them understand what the expectations are. In today’s society

creating a safe, positive learning environment is the priority. We want our children to feel safe

not only in their classroom with their classmates, but also in their school with all of the students

that go there, but this sense of community starts in the classrooms. It starts with accepting one

another for our flaws and imperfections. It starts with loving one another no matter what the

other person has, looks like, or wears. It is about teaching students about accepting one another

for who they are and this will help create a safe, positive environment within the school. The

learning objectives are also about giving the students the opportunity to work in a stimulating

and challenging learning environment. You want to give students the opportunity to not just

learn in a way that they like, but also to explore other options. Schools should also have their

learning objectives include being able to think creatively, think critically, collaborate with others,

and communicate.

Within every province or state there is a set curriculum that it put together by the

Ministry of Education that every teacher is required to teach to their students. However, this

curriculum is not realistic when we are trying teach our students values, and give them meaning

experiences all at the same time. Unfortunately, in today’s society there just isn’t the time to

teach it all, and teach it to accommodate each student’s needs. The curriculum should not only be

content based, it should be so much more than that. It should include skills that students directly

need for life and success (Prensky, 2014, p. 4). According to March Prensky, in order for a

person to succeed in the real world they “need to be able to think effectively, act effectively,

relate effectively and accomplish effectively” (Prensky, 2014, p. 2). The ability to learn how to

do so will help our students build a better future for themselves. All of the subjects that are
currently in the curriculum have no direct correlation to the jobs that we have in our society. Just

as our society is constantly going through changes, our curriculum should be doing the same.

However, within our curriculum that we currently have as teachers we need to adapt to

our students needs and give them the experiences that they crave the most. We need to make

learning fun with inquiry, exploration and hands-on learning. Through their explorations a great

teacher can connect the required curriculum so it will fit the students’ wants and needs. The

assessments that students are required to take should be anecdotal notes that the teacher takes so

it can reduce the anxiety and stress for the children when they hear things like test and exam.

When teachers use anecdotal records, or voice recordings of what students say they can have a

much more meaningful learning experience, both for the teacher and the student. Some of the

meaningful experiences could include guest speakers, field trips, inquiry or play based learning,

exploration, collaboration with others, and so much more.

A part of my teaching philosophy includes students and teachers having mutual respect

for one another. Having that mutual respect will allow strong relationships to build and that will

help make the classroom and the school into a community. Along with the mutual respect, it is

important to differentiate, accommodate, and modify if and when it is necessary to make sure

that all of the students have the same opportunity to learn the same content and values. It is

important to teach the content but it is equally, if not more, important to teach the students about

important life lessons. These lessons should include but not be limited to kindness, love, and

acceptance. Another aspect of my philosophy of education is to give students the opportunity to

experience and explore the content rather than just memorizing the information. Exploring will

help them understand and really connect with material.

Resume
 Introduction

A person’s resume is a piece that says who a person is, what they have accomplished and

what they are looking to accomplish in a future position. A resume is what employers base all of

their thoughts on the person on, even before they meet the individual. That is why it is so

important to make yours stand out from all of the rest. In my resume you will find my relevant

experience to the education field, my other experience in other fields, my honors and awards, and

my references.
Conclusion

I have known since I was in elementary school that I wanted to be in a field where I could

work with kids and help them be the best human beings possible. Teaching is more than just

teaching students about the content, it is also about teaching them how to be and how to survive

in the real world. Teaching is about showing students the love for learning and showing them

that learning can be fun. If taught correctly, students will be able to experience everything that

they are learning and they will understand everything on another level when they are able to

make that connection.

At the end of this section, I have talked about my background experiences that have

included my past work and field experiences. These experiences are what have lead me to be the

teacher that I am becoming today. These experiences have changed my perspective on teaching

and have strengthened my philosophies to give the students more of an inquiry based learning

environment. I have learned to trust the process and let each student strive on the path that they

are meant to follow.