What A Portfolio Is And How It Can Help You
A portfolio showcases your talents and skills. Typically, a portfolio includes items such as certificates, transcripts, samples of past work, and letters of recommendation. You can use one to make a positive impression when youre looking for work, applying to a post-secondary school, or planning your career.
Teachers, designers, engineers, journalists, and many other professionals often show off their work this way.
Even if a portfolio isnt required for your job interviews, you should consider putting one together. Doing so can help you in a few different ways:
- A portfolio can be a powerful work search tool. Gathering documents and information for your portfolio reminds you of the great things youve done and the skills youve learned. This helps you understand the work youre qualified for and the work youd like to be doing.
- You can pull information from your portfolio every time you update or tailor your resumé for a specific job.
- Use your portfolio to prepare for an interview or to show that you should be considered for a raise or promotion.
Anything Else That Makes You Unique
Youre unique. Your digital teaching portfolio should reflect that. I cant tell you what else to include, but I can tell you what Ive chosen to include. Since Im an avid reader, I included a link to my GoodReads profile. I want future admins to know that I value reading, for enjoyment and to learn. I also blog and create teaching resources, so I showcase those as well. This is a huge part of who I am as an educator, and I want them to know that these are skills I have. The bottom line is that you can easily create a free Google Site digital teaching portfolio that will showcase who you are as a teacher. This will bring you one step closer to your dream teaching job.
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The Gold Teaching Portfolio Award
Thats it! Ive given you all you need to create an informative and attractive portfolio. Each of these teaching portfolio templates is a winner of the Gold Teaching Portfolio Award, even though some of them are vastly different from the others.
I would be truly honored if the authors of these portfolios placed this badge on their websites. All you need to do is just copy and paste this code into an HTML editor:
< a href=”https://mytechclassroom.com/teaching-portfolio-examples/”> < img src=”https://mytechclassroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/badge.png” style=”max-width: 100% “/> < /a>
Before you begin, you should decide how you want to present yourself, then make a list of all the important points that support who you are as an educator. Finally, select colors, fonts, and graphics that are unique and easy on the eye.
If you havent got a clue about design, ask for help from a friend or colleague who does. You can even get ideas online. Appearance is important. Creating a teacher portfolio is one of the few times in life you can wax eloquent about yourself for a good purpose.
Bottom Line:Bluehost.comSquarespace
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What To Bring In A Teacher’s Portfolio To A Teaching Interview
Sometimes referred to as teaching artifacts, your teachers portfolio will serve as a guide to potential employers of your skills, capabilities, plans, and accomplishments. This portfolio should be brought to your teacher interview in addition to the documents and items listed above. Here is a quick overview of what should be included in your teaching portfolio.
Proof Of Student Success
Teaching portfolios rely on students’ work and their formalized test scores to confirm the success of the educator’s methods. These objective measures provide institutions with a clear sense of a teacher’s effectiveness compared to other candidates. Ideally, an educator includes work from students who struggled and those who achieved at a high level, along with the feedback given to both. These details show how a teacher responds to students with different needs and ensures optimal results for all. Teaching portfolios typically include a combination of students’:
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Essays and papers
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Overall grades
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Use It To Supplement Your Answers
Instead of waiting to be asked to show it , use your teaching portfolio to provide a visual as you speak.
You can show your best lesson plans, projects, and student work. I had a card from former students and showed it when asked about what I thought students would say about me. I think that sealed the job for me! Cindy H.
I love having my teaching portfolio with me. They never ask to see it, so I take it upon myself to bring it out to supplement the answers I give to different questions. Erin M.
Ok Youve Convinced Me What Next
A key element to your portfolio is that it should be visually engaging. Think infographic-like in appearance. It should be an easy-to-skim, impressive outline of your accomplishments. The easiest way to create an interview portfolio is to create it in PowerPointbut more on that later. For now, lets talk a little bit about each section.
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Include Your Professional Background
After the introduction, offer a brief look at your professional background. This should be a visual timeline of your education, training and career. Include the most critical accomplishments from each stage of your professional career to show the employer how you have progressed.
An effective and creative way to create this section is to include an infographic with a timeline of your career.
Think Outside The Box
The more unique your portfolio is the more it will be remembered. Of course, multimedia always catches the eye, but think about other ways you can model your dedication to your work:
- Hyperlink all text-based docs to sites outlining some of your pedagogical beliefs.
- On top of your classic letters of recommendation, add shorter testimonials of parents, students, and peers that attest to your practice. Bonus points for video testimonials.
- Start a blog on your site that highlights your reflection, pedagogical leanings, personal experiences, and passion for improving.
- Showcase your participation within the greater school community by including links to news pieces, videos at sporting events, and documenting your work with extracurricular activities.
The more you add to your online digital portfolio, the more three-dimensional your application will become. The truth is, traditional applications are designed to narrow down applicants. When they are little more than text on a screen, they are easier to overlook. An online portfolio turns you into a fuller, more dynamic applicant, and therefore much more difficult to disregard. Good luck this summer and happy job hunting!
Lambert is an English / Language Arts teacher in Connecticut.
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What Should I Include In My Digital Teaching Portfolio
The easiest way to explore how to build a Google Site teaching portfolio is to jump into what to include in your portfolio. Of course, this can be a very personal decision, but Im going to share what I included in mine and why. Just keep in mind that the goal is for someone to spend 5-10 minutes looking at your portfolio and have a good idea of what kind of teacher you are.
Send A Picture You Decide
For a final phone interview for an out of state position, I reluctantly decided to upload a picture through their online application system as an attachment. I like to visualize who Im talking to and figured they would as well. I learned after I got the job that they had my picture up as I interviewed, so this worked for me. Ive heard arguments against this as well, but I wasnt attempting to send a Glamour Shot. I just wanted them to have some idea who they were talking to. For the record, I would NOT send a Glamour Shot.
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Collection Of Your Best Works
The crucial part of the work portfolio is a collection of the samples of your best works, and achievements. For example:
- If you are working as a chef and applying for a job of a chef, you can include recipes of your specialties, recommendations from the restaurants where you have worked before, training certificates and inspection reports. You can include also your chef certificates, and anything other that demonstrates your cooking skills.
- If you are construction worker, you can include of the buildings you have worked on during construction and close ups of your construction techniques, a list of projects you have worked on, records that illustrate your ability to meet deadlines and maintain high levels of safety, as well as your training certificates, diplomas, etc.
- If you are a web designer, you can include pictures of the websites you designed, describing the key functionality and a goal you had in mind while designing each particular website. Of course you should choose your best works only.
Reviews Of Your Performance
Teaching portfolios also share reviews from qualified professionals who’ve observed your work and of students you’ve taught. When applying for a job, you may require formal letters of recommendation from supervising teachers, administrators or professors. However, portfolios can also include any letters that highlight the values and skills you’re proud to share. For instance, a high school educator might include a letter from a student expressing appreciation of their commitment to helping them get into college.
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How To Make A Portfolio Of Evidence Guide
Surely you already know that,Portfolios are an essential tool for students and also for teachers, so you may have wondered How to make a portfolio of evidence? You are in the right place to find out!
The evidence portfolio compiles different works and activities carried out throughout the educational career, and here we will show you what are the parts that make it up, what should be in a portfolio of evidence both students and teachers and much more.
How To Be Confident With These 9 Teacher Interview Questions
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When it comes to landing that teacher job, you want to make sure you are well prepared for your teaching interview. That is why it is so important to practice commonly asked teacher interview questions beforehand.
The more you are prepared, the more confidence you will have in your interview. Those interviewing you will be able to feel that confidence.
So lets get started with some teacher interview questions elementary teachers should know about.
Practicing common teacher interview questions can give you the confidence you need for success.
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Professional Development And Contributions
Teaching portfolios share how an educator has improved their abilities and become a more effective instructor. A candidate might list seminars or conferences they’ve attended, or they might detail their involvement in the development of new curriculum or teaching practices. Portfolios can also highlight any other contributions an individual has made to their professional community. For example, a teacher might list articles they’ve written for teaching journals or share their involvement in teaching committees.
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The In Person Teaching Interview:
For every question that deals with the classroom, think of a student you have had in the past that demonstrates that particular part of teaching. For example, instead of simply talking about working with struggling readers generally, say something about your classroom practices and then add the student example like: One example from my own classroom was when I helped Terra who was unable to find motivating just right books by doing some emergent publishing. We spent 15 minutes a day during the literacy block typing up her own stories as she told them to me aloud. She loved her personalized stories and used these as a supplement to her just right texts. She also used them during our writers workshop block. This was one way Ive tried to individualize instruction for one of my struggling readers.
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Presents Actual Examples Of Work
It’s one thing to tell an employer about your skills and what you have accomplished, but it’s another to provide them with tangible examples to demonstrate your qualifications. Furthermore, a hiring manager may be far more likely to remember you if you have provided them with a copy of your portfolio that they can refer to again later when making a decision.
Why Develop A Portfolio
Teachers create portfolios for a variety of reasons. In teacher education programs, students develop portfolios to demonstrate their achievement. Later, they may present these portfolios at job interviews. Experienced teachers construct portfolios to become eligible for bonuses and advanced certification. And, some administrators have invited teachers to become architects of their own professional development by having them create portfolios based on individual growth plans.
In Colorado, for example, teachers are preparing portfolios in many different settings. In the Douglas County School District south of Denver, teachers submit portfolios to demonstrate their teaching excellence. Those who meet district standards receive annual performance bonuses. Some teachers also are striving to earn national recognition by preparing portfolios for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. And soon, Colorado will require all educators, including administrators, to develop portfolios in order to renew their professional licenses.
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Why No One Wants To See Your Stupid Portfolio
Thanks for coming in. Do you have any questions for the interview team?
Well, I just wanted to show you my portfolio before I go
Thus ended half a dozen interviews I’ve conducted over the years. Every time, a thick folder or 3-ring binder was briefly passed around, barely perused, and returned to its owner.
We seem to love portfolios in education. Certainly, for some purposes, they’re better than any alternative.
But pleasestop bringing them to job interviews.
Nobody wants to look at your portfolio, and nobody is going to give you a job because they were impressed by your binder.
Divide Your Teaching Interview Notes Into Clear Sections For Quick Reference:
*Introduce self Personally and professionally*Why am I interested in this school?*Teaching Philosophy*Difficult child what do you do?*Professional reading and development *Strengths and weaknesses*Good reading instruction what does it look like?*Good math instruction what does it look like in your classroom?*RTI and assessment experience*What sets you apart from other candidates?*What can you add to your team?
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Education And Teaching Experience
Again, this isnt anything revolutionary, but it is important to include your education and teaching experience. Also include any awards, certificates, and special skills that are teaching related. Essentially, you want to include your resume. I recommend including this as one page on your digital portfolio. Be sure to continue to update this often.
What To Put In A Portfolio
When attending an interview, you should bring a portfolio containing information that demonstrates your ability to create lesson plans. Show how you manage your workload while in college , include teaching certifications, thank you notes from parents or students, classroom newsletters, and hours completed as a student-teacher.
Include your resume, cover letter, philosophy of education, sample lesson plans, and letters of recommendation in the portfolio.
While having extra information in your portfolio is a fabulous asset during an interview. Dont inundate it with useless information. Dont include every dissertation written, holiday card received, or individual lesson you taught in your professional career. A portfolio full of pertinent, exciting, and impressive information can be beneficial.
Dont just bring a standard portfolio with your resume and cover letter. Making a solid effort to demonstrate your strengths will show the interviewer you are organized, a forward strategic thinker, and proud of your accomplishments and that you are passionate about securing the opportunity. Those who are interested in reading it will be impressed by your forethought and preparation.
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Work Portfolio One Of Twenty Applicants Will Bring It
Only a few people think about creating a portfolio, or about bringing it to the interview with them. Statistics I collected while running a recruitment agency reveal that less than five percent of job seekers did actually bring the portfolio to the interview. A mistake? A chance missed?
Before we think about it together, let me explain what a portfolio is:
- Portfolio is more in-depth than a resume, and it explains your education, skills and abilities, working experience and achievements, in a simple to understand yet attractive and professional way. For creatives, it often stands for a collection of their best works.
Add Elements And Customize Your Design
On the toolbar on the right, you can add text, images, embed videos, pick different layouts, and add kinds of different elements. Play around and dont be afraid to try different things. You can undo anything you dont like, and changes are saved automatically.
You can add different pages on the toolbar as well. To edit an existing pages name, just click on it. To add a new page, click the plus sign at the bottom.
Lastly, you can change the theme, the font colors, and the font. Again, there arent a ton of options, but enough to get the job done.
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Why Keep A Teaching Portfolio
- When going on an interview, it is a great way to show off your students artwork and give a visual example of what you can do. In my opinion, having something visual to show administration is vital as a visual arts teacher.
- During the interview, you can flip through to a relevant page that answers the question asked. For example, lets say the interviewers ask a question on collaboration. That would be the perfect time for you to show pictures of a project where you collaborated with another teacher or school. Make sticky tabs that mark important papers.
- Its professional. I felt more organized, prepared and confident going into interviews.
