Welcome to my portfolio
In an attempt to connect what I have learned in my college courses to the necessary skills required for my career as a high school English teacher, I have put together this portfolio which features a number of assignments that I created as a secondary education/English teacher. Each of the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) and The Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (inTASC) standards is connected to these projects. I have also included explanations have helped me grow as a teacher. Please enjoy this summation of four years of study in my field.
Each of the portfolio examples discussed below can be found by clicking the link at the top of the page with the corresponding name. You can also simply click on the titles throughout the main page to navigate.
Each of the portfolio examples discussed below can be found by clicking the link at the top of the page with the corresponding name. You can also simply click on the titles throughout the main page to navigate.
Unit Plan
Composing this unit plan taught me about the importance of alignment in every component. I first wrote up a rational and big question and found standards that supported my unit goals. I then incorporated a summative assessment that fit with the main unit goals and created ten lessons to help my students reach the goals I made for them. Lastly, as is always important in the field, I wrote a reflection that allowed me to consider what worked and what I would tweak in future lessons. I found myself constantly balancing between finding activities that would engage students and adhere to their dominant learning styles while aligning with the tenth grade standards and assessment anchors. This unit plan was a great learning experience for me because it forced me to consider the needs of my future students and to gain practical pedagogical knowledge.
NCTE 2.1
>Within my lesson plans, I designed activities to fit all learning types and worked in practical accommodations for students. >See accommodations section of plan. My lessons include group discussion, acting , writing , and artistic representation, to name a few things. |
NCTE 2.6
>I incorporated scenes from different theatrical versions of the play we read and included activities such as performance and art into my lesson plans and art in my final assignment. Also, the contextual knowledge in my power points crosses into British history. |
NCTE 3.2
>I used pre-reading power points, videos, and discussions as well as discussions, activities, and visuals (timeline) throughout the reading and created an assessment that forces students to tie the reading and the historical context together at the close of the reading. |
NCTE 3.3
>I used a KWL chart and background knowledge to teach students to make educated pre-reading predictions, activities and discussions to ask questions and interpret what they read, and a project at the end to apply the information from the play and the novel. |
NCTE 4.2
>My goal was to look at text within context. I achieved this by creating activities that asked students about the characters, language, and themes in a way that allowed them to grasp the main goals. I used activities such as plays that asked students to interpret scenes into modern times. |
NCTE 4.3
>The expansive historical background that permeates my discussions, art, plays, and activity sheets ties in with the history curriculum and asks students to apply the information to their English class. |
NCTE 4.5
>I used discussion, acting , and art projects to help students connect to the difficult language and foreign concepts of the play. I also showed them theatrical interpretations of the play to pass language borders. |
NCTE 4.10
>The projects and discussions throughout the class were informal and allowed me to get a sense of whether or not students understood certain pieces of information. My project acted as a summitive assessment to let me know if I needed to change the unit next time I taught it or to tweak my teaching style for the current class. |
inTASC 1
>I tackled a difficult author for students and used a more modern piece as well as group discussion and visual and oral projects to help the students delve into Shakespearean language, themes, and style in a more personal way while aligning with the standards and anchors. |
inTASC 5
>Discussion and group projects are at the center of the unit. The introductory novel gave students a more relatable protagonist and the questions often asked students how they would react in a similar situation or how bringing the story into modern times might change events. |
inTASC 6
>PowerPoints, videos, and interactive globe theatres were used to keep students engaged and help them to grasp new information. Also, class began with group discussions and often contained projects such as acting that allowed students to improve their oral expression and collaboration abilities. |
inTASC 7
>I chose to open the unit with King of Shadows to help ease students into Shakespeare. Also, I used a summative assessment that both involved writing without overwhelming students; the grading gave just as much weight to visual and oral explanations |
inTASC 8
>The projects and discussions throughout the class were informal and allowed me to get a sense of whether or not students understood certain pieces of information. My project acted as a summitive assessment to let me know if I needed to change the unit next time I taught it or to tweak my teaching style for the current class. |
Field Experience Journal
The purpose of the field experience journal was to reflect on my weekly observation at the high school in order to grow in my knowledge of pedagogy and student reactions. I focused on the teacher and student teacher who were team teaching and noted how students reacted (positively or negatively) to their strategies, lessons, and approaches. This journal was beneficial because it gave me the opportunity to observe experts in my field from the sidelines and to acquire strategies and notice mistakes in order to avoid making them. As a future teacher, it is important for me to reflect on my teaching to tweak my lessons for future classes. This strategy to improve my teaching is a great one to begin practicing as a student.
NCTE 2.3
>After observing my mentor teacher and discussing the class with my peer, I summarized my notes to discuss strategies that worked well ans aspects that fell short >Choosing novels that geared to the class reading levels and refraising questions while still covering the same literary elements seems effective; allowing one student to distract the rest of the class suggests the need for a new strategy. |
inTASC 3
>The notes I compiled focused on variations in teaching styles between the honor's and general level classes to meet the students' needs. >Using more discussion in one class while asking the other class to work silently and then compile a list on the smart board as a group. |
inTASC 9
>I observed the student's reactions to the teachers' lessons and commented on what I would change or use in a similar situation. >Monitored student's on task to know whether or not certain aspects of the les lesson kept students interested. |
inTASC 10
>Reflected on the practices of mentor teachers with a peer in order to grow professionally. >Observed and commented on the lessons. |
Young Adult Novel Chapter
After surveying high school students and critically reading The Hunger Games trilogy, I evaluated multiple popular aspects of young adult novels in order to compose a chapter that incorporates all of these aspects. Students would benefit from a study such as this because it offers them an opportunity to develop oral and social skills while learning about common aspects of novels and movies they often read and enjoy. Creative writing is also a skill that most students do not practice but that will help to develop their literary skills. I would probably expand this unit to include the same process with a story from a different time period in order to show students the evolution of writing, readers, as well as similarities in literary aspects that have withstood the test of time.
NCTE 3.4
>Research student interests and characteristics of popular young adult novels to create a novel chapter > Incorporating a possible love story (something students expressed interest in) and a strong female lead in fast paced, present tense, dangerous situations (found in the novels I read) |
inTASC 2
>Teaches students to find modern novel themes by working in groups and alone in order to assess what is popular and what occurs across texts. Inspires writing development >Noted such aspects as dangerous situations, strong female protagonists, and present tense writing in order to compose a story with these elements. |
Outcome 1
>Observe current trends in young adult writing and apply these aspects to advance my own literary abilities within the genre. > uses common trends such as sci-fi technology and creatures and cliff hanger chapter ending, to name a few. |
Sexism and Athletics
Sexism in Athletics: Old-fashioned Views for a New Fashion Time, resulted from an assignment that was meant to explore an injustice I had witnessed by combining a narrative and a research paper that I wrote. Focusing on a gender issue that I faced in gym class, I chose to expand my horizons and explore national examples of statistics and other personal accounts. These combined to create a paper that utilized both ethos and logos to inspire change. Throughout my teaching observations, I've learned that students enjoy making personal connections to what they've learned and that these connections help them to learn. Allowing students to choose their own topic and express its significance also helps motivate students to invest time and effort into the research and writing of their piece.
NCTE 4.4
>By arguing for equal rights and neutral views for both sexes, the paper seeks to work through differences >Discussing personal and factual source examples of sex-discrimination in order to argue for equality |
NCTE 4.6
>Discusses stereotypes created by the media and uses carefully chosen articles and sources through the paper >Critically evaluates media created gender stereotypes to argue against them. |
NCTE 4.8
> Incorporates a personal narrative into the story along with a research section to draw readers in and give students motivation to research. > The opening and concluding narrative allows students to expresses personal experiences. |
Japan and English
As a final paper for a History of the English Language class, I chose to evaluate information about English acquisition in Japan. Through my research, I found that English is often learned as a second language in foreign countries because it is considered the language of scholarly prestige and financial power. English is also considered a global language and is currently the common tongue of the world. The paper also explains the barriers both cultural (stereotypes against asking questions in class) to verbal (a lack of a separate r and l in Japan) that inhibit language learning. The research and writing of this paper allowed me not only to learn about a different culture that I might encounter as a teacher, but also to understand why my native language is taught so widely as a second language.
NCTE 2.2
>Focuses on the reasons for and cultural linguistic barriers to English language acquisition of a foreign culture. > English as a means of connection with the perceived culture of power. Difficulties with language learning due to a lack of questioning and a varied language pattern, to name a few examples. |
NCTE 2.5
>>Focuses on the reasons for and cultural linguistic barriers to English language acquisition of a foreign culture. > English as a means of connection with the perceived culture of power. Difficulties with language learning due to a lack of questioning and a varied language pattern, to name a few examples. |
NCTE 4.7
>Explains the purpose of learning a English as a second language. > English as a language of trade and power. English as the "common" world language. |
Outcome 3
> Incorporates a large body of research into a new subject to create a paper with strong explanations and arguments that explains, defends, and reiterates a thesis. >See bibliography of sources. Also, transitions and explained in-text citations to defend the paper thesis. |
Feminism within the Bounds of Patriarchy
Feminism within the Bounds of Patriarchy is a feminist literary analysis of the Wife of Bath that was written as the culminating assignment for a Chaucer class. While attempting to create an argument that the Wife of Bath was a woman ahead of the Medieval period views on woman, but who was forced to express her views within the society in which she existed. In an attempt to compose a well supported argument, I picked through a multitude of initial scholarly sources to narrow my list down to the most relevant ones and endeavored to explain these sources and work in their quotations appropriately. Also, many of the arguments presented in support of my thesis came from the information gained from my professor's explanation and student-generated discussion and feedback. This paper exemplifies my abilities to turn information from a class into a solid literary argument, defended and expanded up by an inclusive list of professionals in the field.
NCTE 2.4
>Uses information about a character's context from multiple accredited sources to argue for a different interpretation. >Thesis about the character as a feminist who is bound by society and source citations. |
NCTE 3.1
>Covers important skills of writing a literary argument.
>Introduces, argues for, and ties together a thesis statement. Properly uses sources. |
NCTE 3.5
>Uses a primary source, accredited scholarly sources, and other sources to defend an argument. >Quotes from the frame story, scholarly journals, and the Bible (a source often quoted by the character. |
NCTE 3.7
>Applies a mixture of information from class discussion and information from professionals in the field. >Scholarly article mixed with personal argument created from professors explanation and classmate feedback. |
NCTE 4.1
>Included sources that were both reputable and useful to argue for the thesis >bibliography of authors cited in the text chosen after narrowing down many initial sources. Each defends a point and is clearly cited and explained. |
Outcome 2
>Discusses a work uses feminist criticism and pinpoints specific details and quotes about the character and information of her context to argue. >Details about the wife tricking her husband to get her own way and reglossing old texts to her advantage, taking advantage of cultural norms. |
Virtual Field Trip (Exploring Japanese Castles)
The purpose of creating this virtual field trip was to give students an opportunity to gain information on a topic in a more visual and interactive way that would work as an effective tool for students of multiple learning styles. This project uses relevant visuals, sounds, a set navigation, and links to internet sources to create a field trip-like experience for students without leaving the classroom. The internet links included vary from live cams and short videos to informational sites. The travel journal that students will print off and be responsible for filling out is a great form of solid individual assessment. While I chose to concentrate on a topic that focuses on a specific type of architecture, the uses of a virtual field trip vary widely; such a project lends itself well for creating a context such as life in Elizabethan England pre-Shakespeare unit or as a look at the evolution of a genre in context, such as Poetry from Beowulf to present at the start of a poetry unit. Regardless of what this project is used for, it is a flexible way to spice up a unit plan and increase student interest.
NCTE 3.6
>use of technology to mix written explanations with visuals and links to help students with different learning styles. >reading paragraphs, reading website links |
NCTE 4.9
>Combines power point and website reading with printed questions to prepare students with the background of a print novel. >power point slides and internet links with printed off travel journal |
inTASC 4
>Employs websites, visuals, videos, texts, and music to enhance learning >side links and castle visuals to match text |
Outcome 4
> Incorporates a variety of media which have been chosen from evaluated online sources
>live feed videos, scholarly sites, brief useful videos |