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Professional Development/Portfolio Activities
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1

What Kind of Teacher Do You Want to Be?
As a teacher candidate, you may be imagining what kind of teacher you aspire to become. As well, you may be setting learning objectives as the means to achieve your goal. These learning objectives often become evident during your teacher training. Write a letter to a friend describing your expectations with respect to your teacher training and the kind of teacher that you want to become. What strengths do you want to develop? What do you believe will be your most significant challenges? Place your letter in an envelope and put it away until the end of the first term. After a few months, read it again; consider what you have learned, and redefine and confirm your goals.
2

Planning for Problems
Teaching environments are fast-paced and complex. Anticipating what might happen and planning ahead will help you to prepare for potential challenges. Try this activity. Make two columns on a piece of notepaper. Consider the grade level and the students that you want to teach. On one side of the paper, brainstorm and list some of the challenges that might happen in the classroom. On the other side, write a strategy for how you might cope with these challenges.
3

Your Teaching Philosophy
Understanding why you are teaching a subject is as important as understanding how you teach that subject. Imagine that you are about to begin your first teaching position in a few weeks. Prepare a letter of introduction for parents that outlines your plans for the class. In this letter, describe your philosophy or approach to teaching. As you explain your philosophy, consider the following questions: Is your focus on the development of basic skills? Will you encourage your students to be “higher-order” thinkers? Will you stress personal growth as a goal for your students? What will you do in your classes to help your students reach the learning objectives? Place this letter in your portfolio





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