2. INTRODUCTION
My name is Eassa Alkadri and I
am in my first year of the
consecutive education program
at the University of Calgary. This
portfolio will aim to
demonstrate what I have
learned thus far on my journey
to becoming a professional
teacher.
Used with permission from Micros
3. SCHOOL CULTURE
“The most important foundational element is the
culture of the school.”
-Allan A. Glatthorn (1992)
The definition of culture is so vast and encompasses many different
aspects of a school and the environment within that school. A
positive culture leads to increased morale and satisfaction. What
can I do to make sure that I am contributing to a positive culture in
my school?
I have learned that the answer to this question is not as simple as I
initially thought it was. Everything from a teacher's interactions
with his/ her students to the architecture of the school can affect
learning.
Used with permission from Micro
4. SCHOOL CULTURE
VIDEO: TRICKS OF THE
TRADE - THE HANDSHAKE
Used with permission from Microsoft
The way in which the teacher in this video interacts with his
students is friendly but he still maintains respect from them
and they look up to him as an educator. I would like to
incorporate similar methods into my own teaching. I saw this
as a useful review method for making sure that students are
remembering previous lessons by quizzing them randomly.
5. Emerging Literacies
VIDEO: 21ST CENTURY
PEDAGOGY
Used with permission from Microsoft
This video resonated with me so strongly because I am on the
path to becoming a secondary English teacher and so emerging
literacies are a major component of what I anticipate teaching my
students. Books have been such a critical part of my own
education in language arts in the past and I will need to
incorporate a more technological approach to teaching literature
in order to keep my students interested in the subject matter. By
keeping up with technology it will be easier to communicate with
st
6. VIDEO: LITERACY: A WORLD
TO DISCOVER
This video opened my eyes to how broad the
definition of literacy has become. It involves so
much more than reading and writing. There
are many diverse literacies and as an English
teacher I will need to rely on more than just
books and essays to engage my students.
Multimodal literacies are an integral part of
living in the 21st century and I will have to
introduce my students to media literacies by
having them analyse commercials, print ads
and even web pages to understand how all
aspects of a text come together to enforce a
central meaning or convey a certain message.
Used with permission from Microsof
7. CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE
TEACHING
As a secondary language arts teacher, I
anticipate teaching English literature to
students who will not always be native English
speakers. It will be my responsibility to adapt
to their diverse learning needs to ensure that
they receive a fair education like everybody
else in the classroom.
I worry about being able to teach English at
the high school level to ESL students. How can
I teach English literature to students who
struggle with English as a language? What can
I do to provide a comfortable and effective
learning environment for such students?
Used with permission from Microsoft
8. TEACHING DIVERSE
LEARNERS
“Culturally Responsive Teaching is a pedagogy that
recognizes the importance of including students'
cultural references in all aspects of learning”
-(Ladson-Billings, 1994).
I need to make a point of learning about my students'
backgrounds. I have learned that when teachers use
knowledge of their students' backgrounds when planning
lessons, academic success increases. Students feel more
comfortable as they recognize elements of their own
backgrounds in the classroom.
Used with permission from Micro
9. THE DEMOGRAPHIC
IMPERATIVE
"the still relatively homogeneous teaching
force"
-(Gay and Howard, 2000, p.1)
Teachers are still predominately Caucasian. How can
I make use of my own experience as an ESL student
and my ethnic background to enhance my students'
learning experiences? I should try to relate to
students with different cultural backgrounds because
I was once in their shoes. I remember how hard it
is, as a learner, to encounter new cultural
perspectives at school. When coming to a new
country, not only are you faced with the difficulties of
learning a new language, you also need to be able to
recognize and adapt to new cultural norms. This is
why it is so important for me to learn about my
students’ cultural backgrounds and incorporate
Used with permission from Micros
10. UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR
LEARNING
A set of principles for curriculum
development that gives all individuals
equal opportunities to learn.
The curriculum should be flexible in that
it can accommodate students with
diverse learning needs. Lessons and
assignments should be accessible to all
students. Diverse students need a
diverse curriculum.
Used with permission from Microso
11. VIDEO: UNIVERSAL DESIGN
FOR LEARNING
As an aspiring teacher, I really appreciated the
methods this video provided for dealing with
students with diverse learning needs. Tailoring
lessons and assessments to different learners is
crucial because a certain student may not excel in
one area such as writing, for example, but he or
she may be better accustomed to different forms
of expression such as drawing or acting. It is up to
the teacher to find out what mediums students are
comfortable working with, and giving them a
chance to learn the same lessons as their peers
using those mediums. In the video, I enjoyed
seeing how teachers go out of their way to make Used with permission from Micros
12. OVERTY AND LEARNING
It was very eye opening for me to learn
that poverty is not strictly limited to
economic status. In class we talked
about how poverty can be
emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, et
c. It will be important for me as a
teacher to make sure that my lessons
are readily accessible to all my
students. I need to ensure that I have
the skills necessary to provide the
entire class with a fair opportunity to
Used with permission from Micros
13. LEARNING TO CHANGE CHANGING TO LEARN
Educators need to
adapt to changes in
society. Students
interact with
technology on a daily
basis and, as a
teacher, I should
capitalize on this
engagement by
bringing that
technology into the
Used with permission from Microsoft
14. VIDEO: LEARNING TO
CHANGE-CHANGING TO
LEARN
In this video, one of the speakers mentions the “death of
education, and the dawn of learning”.
I understood this as learning has become less about knowing
facts and more about finding information, validating it, and being
able to work with it. In the future, I would like to learn more ways
in which I can allow my students to discover things for
themselves. I could spend an entire hour throwing facts at
students but what benefit would that give them? They may
remember those facts and recall them during exams but they will
never be able to truly engage with that information and work with
it beyond the classroom. I think it is much preferable that my
students be inspired to want to learn things for themselves and
