SECTION A : Introduction

 

PURPOSE STATEMENT

            Presently, I am a Teacher III employed by the Ministry of Education at Belmont Secondary School as a Visual Arts teacher. This is my first teaching appointment which I have held since September 2016. Currently, I am pursuing my Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of the West Indies with hopes of one day pursuing my Masters in Education.

            This portfolio serves as a record of the development of my teaching practice while pursuing my Diploma in Education. It has provided me with the opportunity to display the new knowledge I have acquired by demonstrating my ability to apply teaching theories and strategies to which I would have been introduced. This portfolio showcases my growth in areas such as unit plan and lesson plan writing, task analysis, technology integration and assessment. In addition to my personal teaching practice development, I intend to use this newfound knowledge to assist my department in developing new strategies to improve the teaching and learning process at my school.

LETTER TO SELF

As a teenager, I was indecisive about which career path I should pursue. My parents always provided academic support but left the ultimate decision of what I wanted to study up to me. Due to my indecision, I gravitated towards subjects I liked and began doing visual arts which started my journey to becoming a visual arts teacher. During this time I had two art teachers, my actual art teacher and my after school art teacher. My actual art teacher was distant and sometimes off-putting which made me hesitant toward the subject at first. This led me to join an after school art class and this is where my love for art flourished.

My after school teacher was patient and supportive. She spent time speaking with students about life after CXC and she was the one to suggest attaining my Bachelors in Visual arts from the University of the West Indies. Because of my experience in both art classes and my undying admiration and appreciation for my after school art teacher, I decided to become a teacher as well in hopes of helping students the way my after school teacher helped me.

In my household professional development is a necessity. Growing up I can hardly remember a time which either one of my parents was not seeking some form of growth in their field. My father worked at the same company for over thirty years but was able to climb the ranks to obtain the position he holds today. My mother is a health care professional who makes it her duty to update her medical knowledge at least every five years to ensure that she can provide the best care to patients. With my parents as my role models, it is only natural for me to aspire to my professional development. There was never any question of whether or not I would have pursued my diploma, it was just a matter of when.

When I began teaching I was given general pointers but was mostly left to my devices when it came to developing my teaching strategies. I resorted to relying on anecdotal stories from my teacher friends and my instincts. This tactic proved beneficial in assisting me to relate to students on a personal level. During my time as a teacher, I have been able to connect with several students and hopeful has had a positive influence on their life. For me, this is only part of my goal and I aspired to achieve the most out of my teaching career. This is why by pursuing my Diploma in Education I hope to develop my teaching strategies and become a more effective, well-rounded teacher.

STATEMENT OF INITIAL PHILOSOPHY

Of late I have been drawn to reflect on my teaching practice and what it means to me. In addition to being a requirement for attaining my diploma, the drastic societal changes caused by the current worldwide pandemic has caused me to contemplate my role as a teacher. Before the scourge of covid 19 hit Trinidad and Tobago, I would have compared a teacher to a jack of all trades who perfectly balances and performs all tasks required or expected of them. In a day a teacher could be a mother, father, nurse, security guard, friend, counsellor, judge, jury even an executioner all while ensuring lessons are taught and learning is facilitated. However, my perspective changed with the closure of physical schools in March of 2020 and classes being held online.

Online classes meant that students were no longer left in the care of teacher for the majority of the day. Students were asked to log in to classes from their homes where they should be monitored by their parents. This did not go well with parents. I distinctly remember comments from the general public on Facebook. Persons were angry because they felt as if teachers had it easy, were we lazy and were in it for the money. The worst was when a personal friend of mine commented on my wall about the money teachers were being paid and feeling as though parents deserved half because they are the ones who have to sit with their children during their online classes. I was hurt, depressed really, because there have been countless times where I would have gone above and beyond to assist parents in ensuring the wellbeing of their child and now, in my time of need, it seemed like there was no help for me.

In light of this, I stopped considering a teacher as a jack of all trades and began to view them as a guide. The reality is that while teachers have an important part to play in a child's development we are a supplementary role, it is just unfortunate that many parents don’t have the patience to deal with their children and the burden mostly falls on us. A teacher is a guide. I prepare lessons and have conversations with them which will expose them to things and thoughts that they may have not come upon without help. My purpose is to show them the many paths life has to offer and give them all the advice I can but beyond that, the rest is up to them and their parents.

Despite it all, I still believe what I do matters and the core beliefs and values I have stood by has and will be able to be a benefit to my students. Above all, as a teacher, I value truthfulness and fairness. I believe that clear honest communication is essential for learning, classrooms virtual or otherwise should be a safe space for both teacher and student and lessons should not pander to students, they should be achievable and challenging in order to facilitate improvement.