Teaching Portfolio

I made a HUGE portfolio in college as a requirement. I knew I wasn't going to carry that big thing with me for interviews, so I condensed it significantly.

Here are a few things I included:
*A reading assessment and written report on a student.
*Parent Communication-I included a "Peek at the Week" I created while doing a long term sub in a 5th grade classroom.
*A math lesson showing modifications-I copied a lesson out of the teacher's manual. I modified the lesson by writing notes in the margins. This showed that I taught using the district's curriculum, but I also made modifications as I saw were needed.
*Some pictures of me teaching lessons
*A unit I had created based on a book from the district's curriculum. Along with examples of student work from beginning to end.
*Examples of informal reading assessments I created and used-a form for anecdotal notes and observations.
*cards and notes I receieved from students and parents to show "establishes positive relationships".

I think the key is to keep it small and simple to navigate. They don't have time to go through and look at a ton of things. A few key examples are all that is necessary. Most don't ask to see it anyways, you have to show them as you feel it's necessary to help answer questions.

For the cover you can create a picture with your name or something. I had student taught at my school, so I asked a student (3rd grade) to draw a picture of the school. He drew the school and wrote the name on it. He included the playground, parking lot, and school patrols with orange flags. It was adorable and added a personal touch. The principal really liked it. If course I had a different cover for interviews at other schools!

Good luck!

My portfolio is huge, and I really don't use it at interviews. Instead, I give them an electronic copy and leave some items (lesson plans, letters of rec., pictures, etc.) with them to look at after the interview. That way they can have something to remember me by after they finish all of the interviews.

As far as what I actually put in my portfolio:
- Resume
- Background info about myself
- My favorite lesson plans with pictures
- Projects and pictures completed by my students
- Evaluations
- Transcript
- Certification exam scores
- Teaching certificate
- Recommendation letters
- Letters from parents, students, colleagues

If you go to the INTASC website, there is a list of standards. I used this list to help me decide what to include. For example, one of the standards is about assessment, so I include different activities that I used to assess students' learning. My portfolio is organized by standards.

I have taught for three years and have been in two different school systems in Georgia (due to relocation). I will tell you what I have in my portfolio and hopefully it will help. Let me know if you need any more information!

*Student teaching is not included in my teaching portfolio, since I had to do a separate one for college. In this portfolio, I had my philosophy of education, lessons plans that I taught, samples of student work from the lessons, evaluations from professors, reference letters, and any awards that I received while I was in college. I do take this portfolio with me on interviews, along with my most current teaching experiences.

*Throughout my portfolios, I have used educational scrapbooking materials and stickers that I have bought at Wal-Mart to make it more creative and interesting.

1. Cover- I made my cover reflect what I feel about teaching. I have a cute hands-on picture of one of my classes with the finished product of a Mexican unit that we did. I then put a theme on it that went along with my philosophy of education.

2. Philosophy of Education page/on the back I have my current resume.

3. Title page for each school: name of school, principal's name, address, phone number, how many students in the school, the grade that I taught, and how many kids I had in my room.

4. Behind that I include some lesson plans, pictures of the children at centers, pictures of hands-on activities with a brief description of each, works samples from the children, and a separate page of the listed curriculum that I used to teach the children (publishers, particular reading programs, assessment methods that were used at the school, etc.).

I then did this same format for my second school. I always put the most current school first in the portfolio.

5. After the school sections, I included a separate section that had my discipline system listed, as well as copies of weekly and daily checklists that I have used with particular students and the class as a whole.

6. I then have a section of the observations that have been recorded by the administrators. In Georgia, you have to be observed three times a year for the state, for three years. I have copies of these for principals to look at, as well as my annual evaluation by my principal.

7. My last section is a section of my reference letters that principals and professors have written for me. I also have a few personal reference letters included too.

I'll be honest- my teaching-related academic awards did not help me get my teaching job on their own but my portfolio did. I recommend having a portfolio to show principals that includes things like these:

- your teaching certification and resume
- teaching awards and evaluations
- examples of lessons/units/photos of students doing things
- samples of assessment/evaluation,
- memberships

I included all these things in an organized binder and made up sections/a cover. It was fun to do and during my interviews, it made talking easier because I could actually show what I was describing.

Best of luck!

I used my portfolio to get my first job and the section I ended up using the most at my interview was the section on Assessment with various examples (e.g. rubrics) and student work. I had different levels for the same assignment so I could talk about how I evaluated them.

Whenever a interviewer asks me a questions, for example: "What is your assessment device?" My response: "Well, I use several types of assessment, for example, ... and let me show you" [PORTFOLIO TIME]. The interviewer: "Wow, that's sounds like a difficult concept for middle school." Me: "Not really, let me show you how they wrote and presented..." [PORTFOLIO TIME]. If you become nervous, you have something in front of you that SHOWCASES your work, your best work. Occasionally, you will get a limp handshake and barely a nod, that's when you demonstrate your abilities [PORTFOLIO TIME] and build up their enthusiasm. One super that met me and my portfolio did not have a job in his district for me, so he sent my name and a copy of my resume, coverletter, recs, to his friend in a nearby wealthy district with his rec, and I had only met him once!

Make up your portfolio, it should include several of your best lessons, pictures of your classroom, especially if you designed the bulletin board, copies of recommendation letters, transcripts, resume, and certification. If students or parents have given you cards or letters, put them in here
also. You should also have a copy of your classroom management devices, for example, I use contracts and letters. You should also have an assessment device. I use an Itolya, a plastic bound portfolio with plastic leaves (easier to carry than a binder and better looking).

Take a mini disposal portfolio to leave behind at only the places where you REALLY want a position. Get a cardboard folder with your university logo
on the front, put a sample lesson, photocopies of resume, transcripts, and recs. Be prepared to leave it with special schools. IT PAYS OFF!

Never take an offer on the spot...do take cards and lots of them and be willing to follow up with
a thank you note and a reminder, a combo letter.

I am in humanities. Everyone said it would be harder for me to get a job. I had 13 offers in two weeks.

It truly was a bad interview this morning. My principal told me today what a good thing it was that I brought my portfolio back last Thursday for them to look through it. It showed so much more than I could say, and represented me better than my poor attempts to answer their questions.

DEFINITELY make a portfolio! I just went through all my files and pulled my portfolio together in a few days. And this school was really eager to see it, so you never know. If they only knew me based on my interviews, I don't think they would have hired me.

Here's what I put in my portfolio...

Some notes from adoring students.
My philosophy of education.
A few comic strips about teaching, in appropriate sections.
My resume, reference letters, teacher tests.
License/certification info.
LOTS of pictures... my classrooms, students working and doing different projects. And I typed up captions and education quotes to put in, too. I put pictures in every section.
A section on behavior management, plans I've used.
A section for each subject, with my philosophy of that subject and worksheets I've made, lots of pictures.
* Parent Communication Section -- this got the most "points." I had letters I typed up for parents, welcome letters, weekly newsletters, homework help, etc.

Anything you've got! Even if you haven't taught much, you could put in your ideas.

Hope this helps/inspires someone!

This is what I have in my portfolio. I am a first yr teacher, and just got a new job (they complimented me on my portfolio -at least it was worth all that hard work!) If you have any questions, email me. I'm happy to help.

I. Philosophy of Education
II. Resume
III. Classroom Management (pictures of my team points chart, explanations of the different ways I manage behavior, a copy of my classroom rules)
IV. Lesson Plans (in a few different content areas, with pictures and sample worksheets)
V. Bulletin Boards (pictures of bb's)
VI. Parent Communication (sample newsletters, the power point presentation I did for open house)
VII. Certification and Praxis Scores
VIII. Evaluations
IX. Letters of Recommendation
X. Awards and Certificates
XI. Student Transcript
XII. Unit Plans (from student teaching)

Upon graduating from college (5 years ago), all students were required to complete a portfolio. My portfolio included the following:

*Resume
*Philosophy of education statement (It describes why you chose to become a teacher and how you plan to impact your future students)

All teachers must be proficient in the following categories listed below:

*Organizes and implements effective instruction, including the intergration of content across the curriculum areas
*Demonstrates effective classroom management and organization techniques
*Stimulates students to be creative critical thinkers by using varied dimensions
*Demonstrates knowledge of human growth and development in planning for your students
*Demonstrates how you used communications and technological skills effectively
*Demonstrates a commitment to students and their learning.
*Integrates multicultural in the lesson
*Select appropriate assessment strategies
*Know the subject area content and best practices in those areas
*Behaves in an ethical, reflective and professional manner
*Utilizes resources of the school/district/community in developing curriculum.
*Communciates regardly with parents/guardians/families

I hope this helps.

Mine is in a leather bond scrapbook with my name on the front in gold. I have each of my sections tabbed off for easy access and all the pictures are scanned in and printed along with info about the picture and lesson it went with. I also have a section for references and all that fun stuff. Don't really have a cute theme just have the pages in sheet protectors that came with the scrapbook.

I have mine all in a powerpoint presentation with links...I can then burn it on a cd if I want to give it out.

I was sitting in on interviews last year and one person had theres in a scrapbook. It looked really nice and really showed her creativity. She had a color theme- I think lime green and red. It looked very professional and it was easy to flip through to see the highlights.