Section 2:

Teacher Candidate Background Experience

Introduction
I have been working in the field of education for roughly fifteen years now. I have gone
to great lengths to ensure that I continue to be an integral part of elementary education. Having
the opportunity to affect the outcome of individual lives is a massive responsibility, a
responsibility that I look forward to every day of my life. I have such passion for igniting the
minds of todays youth. I want every student I teach to have the chance to become an
outstanding member of society. I want the lessons learned with me to have a lasting impact on
the students I work with. I hope that they can pass along the lessons they have learned from me
to everyone they come into contact with.
Teaching is not only one of the best professions in the world, it is also my passion. The
following will give an indication of this passion and dedication to the field of education.

Education Experiences
The world of education has changed vastly since I was an elementary school student in the
1980s and 90s. Education has become much more individualized and accommodating; a path
that I believe will benefit every student that has the opportunity to learn in this system.
Teachers have become increasingly accountable for their efforts, and challenges abound
the field. I believe that education is heading in the right direction, a direction that will see the
future of students become prosperous and successful.
I believe that although the way in which students are educated has changed over the
years, my education was fair and complete. My educational experiences from elementary school
to graduate school have enlightened me as a person, and led me to a positive perspective on life.
During elementary school I attended a school in the culturally diverse city of Brampton,
Ontario. Going to school there helped me identify and understand people and cultures. I was
given the opportunity to learn in an environment that preached equality, friendship, and hard
work.
While I was in Grade 5 I became motivated to become a teacher. I know that this may
sound like a young age to decide on a career path, but that is how it happened for me. My Grade
5 teacher was an inspiration.
During the first month of school I completed assignments and continuously received high
grades. The work I was handing in was sufficient, nothing outstanding, but good enough for me
to achieve the grades that I wanted.

I remember being assigned an auto-biography assignment. This was one of the first times
I remember having to be self-reflective. The words auto-biography were puzzling to me at
first, I had never encountered them before. My teacher explained them to me, my parents
explained them to me, and I discussed their meaning with classmates. Finally, I understood what
was required of me for this assignment. I had to create a piece of work that told the story of my
life. How easy! All I had to do was write a few pages about me and my favorite things, right?
Wrong!
I completely ignored the provided rubric, put very little effort into what I did produce,
and handed it in to my teacher thinking that my efforts would lead me to the same results I had
received on all of my previous work.
I was completely wrong. Upon receiving my final grade on the project I was in shock. I
received the grade of D-. This was by far the worst grade I had ever received in elementary
school. I was very upset. I questioned my teacher, I questioned my parents, I questioned my
friends, how did this happen? I thought I had done such a good job?
Well as it turns out, my teacher was not only a fair grader, but also a dynamic educator
that explained it all to me. He sat down with me and we looked over the rubric together.
You failed to do this John-Michael; you put very little effort into that John-Michael.
Your ideas were there, but you failed to follow instruction John-Michael.
After the sit down was finished I felt like a new person. I felt a drive for success. I felt a
drive for not only meeting the status-quo, but exceeding it at every opportunity. That teacher
opened my eyes to something I had never acknowledged before, a challenge.

From that point forward every assignment I completed got the attention and effort that it
deserved. I ended up having a very successful year in Grade 5 thanks to that teacher. My eyes
were now open to the effect that a good teacher can have on a student. The teacher has the
power to completely alter the path in which a student is on, and change it to a positive one.
After that encounter my respect level for the teacher grew exponentially. I started doing
extra-curricular activities, ones in which that teacher coached. I started helping younger students
and new students to Canada learn English. There was now a fire burning within me that directed
me towards where I sit today.
All the way back in Grade 5, I decided to be a teacher. I continue to pursue that goal
because I know that the power of a good teacher is unmatched throughout society. The power to
change the future is something I would like to have every day for the rest of my life.
High school was one of the best experiences of my life. I really came into my own
socially during those years. I was involved with athletic teams, drama performances, and school
politics. The new found freedom of high school was beautiful, and I cherished every minute.
Going into high school I knew that decisions about my future were just around the corner.
Working part time at the local hamburger shop was not the career path for me. As I chose my
courses and schedule, I applied myself to subjects and content areas that I felt comfortable with.
Nutrition and well-being instead of shop class. Drama instead of biology. I chose courses that
allowed me to nurture, and learn through emotions and critical thinking skills. All the while, I
lived, having the focus of teacher in the back of my head.
I did as well as I could during my high-school days. I was stretched thin on occasion due
to my social responsibilities at the time, but I had what I believed to be a successful high school

career. I finished high school with a 72% average overall. I thought I could apply for and be
accepted to any university that I wanted. I was completely wrong. I did not do enough research
into post-secondary education to know that the top schools had far more stringent academic
requirements. I applied for three universities and I got accepted by one. I was delighted to get
accepted by one, but being rejected by two schools hurt a lot.
What was about to happen changed my life forever. I attended a school that was in a
town that is one and a half hours away from my home by car. I was living on my own for the
first time in my life, and I was meeting new people for the first time in my life. I wish that I put
a little more effort into getting the grades that I needed to stay at home and go to a school close
by.
Thats not the way it worked out. I attended my classes, made new friends, matured, and
stayed focused on my goal of eventually becoming a teacher. After six years of undergraduate
education I finally graduated. The six years were spent toiling with unmet expectations and
disappointment. I finally did reach my goal of receiving a bachelors degree in Geography, but
my grades in university did not qualify me for teachers education programs anywhere in
Ontario. My dreams of becoming an educator had come to an end. Or so I thought.
During my final year at university I encountered a recruitment agency. They sent
students with bachelors degrees to South Korea to teach English. This was a perfect chance for
me to fulfill my career goal of becoming a teacher.
I travelled to South Korea in 2006 with high hopes and no expectations. The experience
there changed me forever. I spent seven years teaching English in South Korea. The working

environments were safe and organized, and the cost of living allowed me to become financially
sound.
During my time working for private English institutions, universities, and large
corporations, I found myself. I found myself as an educator. I developed the way that I wanted
to interact with students, co-workers, and administration. I took curriculum and developed it in
ways that accommodated every student I encountered. If I had a problem with content, I would
fix it. If there was a challenge in front of me I solved it. My experience in South Korea made
me personally responsible for my actions as an educator. It developed me into a caring,
accommodating, hard-working professional. That was an experience that I will cherish for the
rest of my life.
Upon returning to Canada I still had dreams of teaching in Ontario. I applied to several
graduate schools in New York State. I was accepted by Medaille College. For the first time in
my life I am being formally trained to offer students the best opportunity to succeed in life. I
now study theory and philosophy of education, classroom management, culturally responsive
teaching, planning, instructing, assessment, and best teaching practices. These are all avenues of
education that I had been aware of, but Medaille College is fine-tuning all of my skills now. I
believe that I am in the best place in the world to help the future of our world.

Work Experience

I have had fifteen years of experience in the field of education. Those experiences have
taken me from substitute teaching for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board to
teaching English at the kindergarten, elementary, high school, university, and executive levels in
South Korea. All of my experiences have offered different challenges and benefits. The three
experiences that I will focus on for the purpose of this section are; teaching English at the
Wonderland English Institute in South Korea, teaching English at Seowon University in South
Korea, and my student teaching placements as a teacher candidate at Medaille College.
Wonderland English Institute is a private school in South Korea. I worked as a
kindergarten, elementary, and high school teacher during my time there.
The kindergarten program was full day. Students were provided with lunch on a daily
basis. Field trips were part of the curriculum and occurred on a monthly basis. Birthday parties
were celebrated by the entire kindergarten school populous once a month, and students were
engaged with activity days once a month.
The foundation of the curriculum for the kindergarten classes was language and literacy.
Phonics were introduced in the first year, followed by more comprehensive leveled readers and
workbooks in every year following.
Teaching kindergarten was one of the best experiences of my life. The unpredictability of
kindergarten students leads to a variety of experiences that are both fun and engaging as an
educator. The key to my own success and eventual promotion lay in my ability to entertain and
educate simultaneously. My classes offered students an opportunity to learn from someone with
passion, energy, and knowledge. I gave every student I encountered the opportunity to become
fluent in a new language.

My daily routines were predictable and structured. Students always felt comfortable
because they were aware of their expectations and engaged by my enthusiasm.
That enthusiasm translated into my promotion to Head Foreign Teacher after one and a
half years. I became responsible for selecting curriculum, ordering and distributing classroom
materials, supervising field trips, organizing staff meetings, attending parent interviews, training
new foreign teachers, and directing a staff of six other foreign teachers.
The responsibility given to me in my role of Head Foreign Teacher was welcome. I
worked hard to get to the position that I was in. I completely enjoyed every day of my six years
teaching at Wonderland English Institute. The experience led me to further pursue a teaching
career in Canada.
After I finished working at Wonderland English Institute I moved on to a role as a
University English professor. This new challenge was welcome, as I am always looking to
improve myself through new experiences.
My role consisted of planning, instructing, and assessing students in beginner and
intermediate English courses for undergraduate students at Seowon University in South Korea.
This position was very different form the one that I held at Wonderland English Institute.
My role as a teacher became very independent as I was responsible for creating course work and
assessments. Once again my enthusiasm and ability to engage students was displayed
accordingly.

My classrooms were a place of higher education with expectations that were attainable
for all levels. Each semester was sixteen weeks long and included a mid-term and final exam.
The mid-term and final exams were created and prepared by me.
The classes were three hours in length. Keeping students engaged and on task proved to
be difficult at times. Undergraduate students have very different agendas than kindergarten
students. I was up for the challenge however. I engaged the students with activities that allowed
them to enjoy their time, have fun, and learn.
The courses were graded on a curve, and most students would pass my classes if they put
in the effort and time to be successful. I felt that I was a fair and honest educator; any student
that faced difficulty could come to me for help after class. I was required to available to my
students for one hour every day.
This experience drove my passion for education and assisted me in rounding out my
educational experience. I had now had the opportunity to work with every grade level of student,
an opportunity that is not available for everyone.
Finally I turn to my student teacher placement as part of my teacher training program at
Medaille College.
I was placed in a Grade 3 and Grade 4 classroom for my student teacher placements. My
placement in the Grade 3 classroom was phenomenal. I learned more from my associate teacher
about teaching in Canada then anyone I had ever encountered before.
My associate teacher was organized, effective, passionate, and rigid. These are all
attributes that I share. I learned how to find content to plan lessons that offered students the best

opportunity for success. I learned how to create rubrics that allowed for fair assessment of
students. I learned how to manage a classroom of twenty-five Ontario elementary school
students with ease. I learned how to interact with parents, colleagues, and administration. I
participated in student-teacher sporting events. My time spent with the Grade 3 class proved that
I am ready to be a professional educator. My college supervisor had nothing but praise for me.
Everything finally came together for me in that Grade 3 classroom. My experience there gave
me great motivation to be the best educator that I can be.
My student teaching placement in the Grade 4 classroom was slightly different than that
of the Grade 3 classroom. I realized how much a teacher affects a classroom. From the very
organized first placement to the unorganized second placement, I learned that the teacher makes
the classroom what it is.
My second placement was sufficient. The students were strong, but tended to misbehave.
The associate teacher constantly spoke with a raised, loud voice. I noticed that the students
would tone out this teacher. Slowly I found that I was speaking at a volume that was quite a bit
louder than my first placement. I realized that classroom management is the foundation for a
successful teacher and student body.
I quickly attempted to introduce my own style of classroom management, but I felt that
the students were so engrained in what they had been exposed to since the beginning of the year
that they could not change.
I then understood that this student teaching placement offered me a chance to try different
styles of classroom management. I tried several ways to offer the students a chance to learn. I
became silent, I raised a finger, I rang a bell. All of them seemed to work, for a time.

I now know that teacher expectations of student behavior need to be implemented at the
beginning of the school year. Failing that, a teacher may have difficulty implementing rules and
their own management skills throughout the year.
The second placement teacher and I had differing tactics on classroom management, and
thats ok. I had the chance to pinpoint the way that I would like to manage my own classroom
when I become a certified teacher. It was a great learning experience.

School observations
There were several issues that I became aware of while partaking in my student teaching
field placements. I was placed in both a Grade 3 and Grade 4 classroom during my placements.
I will identify three issues that I faced during this time.

The first issue I encountered was a lack of school supplied content resource materials in
my first placement. The second issue was classroom management in my second placement. The
third issue was creating accommodating content for IEP students in both placements.
When I arrived at my first student teaching placement I was very excited. This was the
first time I had set foot in a Canadian elementary school in over ten years. My expectations were
high and I was ready to use all of the skills I have learned at Medaille College in the classroom.
The first week of my placement was essentially an observation week. I got to know the students,
staff and administration of the school. The second week is when I started planning lessons for
social studies.
I met with my associate teacher prior to planning the lessons about Heritage and Identity:
Communities in Canada, 1780-1850. The teacher explained that she had not had the opportunity
to instruct lessons on this topic in Grade 3. She had been on maternity leave the year before
when this content was to be instructed. She explained that she did not have any content
resources regarding this subject matter and that I would be responsible for obtaining it. The
content she did have, which was provided by the school, was outdated, as the curriculum was
updated in the last five years. I was faced with a challenge. I had to prepare a unit of study
based on the curriculum standards on my own accord.
At first I was disappointed that the school did not have the resources to implement a
structured lesson on this topic. I questioned as to why this was the case. It was explained to me
that the school budget would only allow for a certain amount of resources. Then it hit me. How
is an elementary school teacher, responsible daily for the education and well-being of twenty five
students, supposed to create dynamic lessons without the required resources? I was stunned, over

my head, overwhelmed. Not only did I have to plan these lessons, but I had to find appropriate
resource material while doing so.
Immediately I turned to the internet, a safe haven for quality subject resources and
content. I found a website that had an abundance of peer approved materials. I payed for and
downloaded an entire unit about Heritage and Identity: Communities in Canada, 1780-1850. I
started using the material to create lessons, rubrics, and assessments. I felt that the material was
sufficient for my needs and the needs of the students.
I quickly found out that internet resources are not to be trusted. I used content material
that was invalid. There were spelling and grammar errors. There were holes in the validity of the
content that were insurmountable. I was embarrassed. How could I have let this happen? The
students expected the very best from me, and the content I had retrieved failed them.
The issue I have is that the school did not have the proper resources for me, the teacher,
to be successful. This became a common theme as I continued through both of my placements.
The content resources were non-existent or outdated. This is a problem. This is unacceptable.
Content resources should be at the top of the school budget priority list. Instead I was left
searching the internet and asking other teachers to borrow content resources.
This situation allowed me to realize something important. I now feel that to be successful
in the classroom, I need to find my own valid content resources outside of the school. I looked
into several publishing houses that sell curriculum based content resources. In the future I plan
to create a library of content that will meet and exceed all of the needs of my students without
relying on the school to provide it for me. If I wait for school supplied materials, the students are

the ones that will suffer. It is not fair to have insufficient content resources, and I believe this
issue needs to be remedied immediately.
I believe in a fair, respectful, caring, structured, and efficient classroom, a classroom in
which every student has equal opportunity to learn and become successful. The ideal classroom
has a set of rules that every student abides by. The students respect each other and work together
with their peers and teacher to create an environment of education that is unparalleled.
During my second placement, the ideal classroom that I imagined was nowhere to be
found. Upon my arrival at the school I quickly became aware that the students of my second
placement were unruly, disrespectful, and unnecessarily loud. This became a major issue for me,
as I have stringent expectations of student behavior.
I surveyed the classroom for an anchor chart displaying classroom rules. I could not find
one. I observed my associate teachers attempts at classroom management. It included
continuously raising her voice and shushing the students. I was appalled. I have spent years
developing my classroom management strategy and now I was placed in a classroom that lacked
any management of the class.
I looked at this situation as a challenge. I would attempt to implement my classroom
management strategies into this classroom. I did not want to alienate the classroom teacher so I
attempted to work in unison with her to develop new policies. I spoke with the students as a
group. I spoke with individual students. I attempted to have the students take responsibility for
their behavior. My attempts worked in short bursts of realization for the students. They would
openly welcome and attempt my new strategies. The next day it would all be gone. I was

confused and disappointed. How is it possible for students to seemingly forget the rules that
have been implemented in a twenty four hour period?
I came to the conclusion that if proper classroom management and expectations are not
developed with the student population at the beginning of the year, they will fall victim to their
own devices. The teacher needs to set out student expectations at the beginning of the school
year. Students need to be aware of their responsibility in the classroom or they will fail to realize
that classrooms need to follow rules.
Accommodations are a clear necessity in todays classroom. Students that have been
identified as requiring Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) need support from the classroom
teacher to become successful with curriculum content. IEPs can be provided for any student that
shows difficulty or exceptionality within given content areas. For example, a student in Grade 3
may be reading at a Grade 1 level. An IEP gives that student the opportunity to be successful
with Grade 3 content by altering the difficulty of it. This might include scripting, language
alteration, or content read aloud. The students with IEPs are given every opportunity to meet and
exceed all of their individual educational goals.
During my two student teaching placements I worked with ten students that required
IEPs. This meant that I was responsible for altering or creating new course materials for ten
students. This included providing lower level content for mathematics, science, social studies,
language, and essentially every subject area that I taught. This is a very important aspect of the
classroom, one that will benefit the student and society as a whole.
The issue I have is similar to that of the lack of content resource material. Teachers are
left to create their own accommodating material without any provisions from the school. The

identification of the IEP is left to multidisciplinary staffing, but the content resources are left to
the teacher.
This is where it gets tricky. Teachers have a large responsibility to create dynamic and
engaging lessons for their students. Most of the time, I found, the content resources to be
lacking. The question I have, and the issue overall is, how can a teacher possibly find the time
and energy to create content resources for both IEPs and the rest of the class? Where this
problem gets even more intriguing is what if a teacher hypothetically has a split Grade 3/Grade 4
class with IEPs in both classes? The teacher is now responsible for a litany of content material
that needs to be altered and made to assist all of the students. This is unfair. The support isnt
there. The resources arent there. The students are the ones that suffer. The schools need to step
up and provide support for their teachers. The schools need to acquire the necessary content to
support the teachers in helping the IEP students.
The issue at hand is unfair to the students and the teachers. Schools need to provide the
best education that a student can receive. Otherwise, the attempts to be accommodating and
inclusive will all be for naught.

Classroom Applications
The issues discussed in the previous section about school observation are the issues that I
will be attempting to remedy.
The first issue I encountered was a lack of school supplied content resource materials in
my first placement. The second issue was classroom management in my second placement. The
third issue was creating accommodating content for IEP students in both placements.
Content resource material is what I believe to be the most important aspect of learning for
students. Students require level appropriate, current, and relevant content resource material in
order to keep up with the pace of the elementary school classroom, and meet the Ontario
Ministry of Education standards. Failing to provide these resources will ultimately handcuff the
students, and deprive them of a fair and productive elementary school experience and education.

Observation of the lack of content resource material occurred in both of my student

teaching placement experiences. The Grade 3 classroom lacked appropriate mathematics, and
social studies resources. The Grade 4 classroom lacked mathematics, social studies, and science
resources.
When tasked with planning my lessons during my placements, I believed that there is no
better place in the world to find content resource material then the very schools I was placed in.
That assumption was incorrect. I was left to my own devices in searching for, or creating content
resource material for several subject areas.
The problem is that teachers are pressed to look for appropriate resources, and because of
time constraints search for the easiest possible resource. I noticed that both of my associate
teachers during my student teaching placements used various websites to find material.
These websites do not guarantee curriculum content that meets the Ontario Ministry of
Education Standards. Now the students are exposed to content resource material that they could
find on their own.
Teachers should not have to make finding content resource material on the internet part of
their daily activities. School administration should budget their finances accordingly and
provide every student with content resource material that meets and exceeds ministry standards.
During my placements I noticed that classrooms throughout the schools had Smart
Boards, Smart Boards that were being under-utilized, Smart Boards that had taken up a large
percentage of school budget. This took away from providing teachers and students with content
resource material to be used successfully in meeting ministry educational standards.

I believe that Smart Boards provide students with a great way to interact with the teacher.
The teacher can create fun and engaging lessons for students using this resource. Unfortunately,
the Smart Boards do not replace good quality content resource material. I believe that
administration of schools need to first concentrate on finding and supplying the best content
resource materials available, then spend the money on technology.
This issue needs to be corrected as quickly as possible. Teachers and students will both
greatly benefit from the correct allocation of budget dollars within a school. Administration
needs to be responsible for providing the best, most comprehensive, Ontario Ministry of
Education Standards approved content resource material.
The issue of classroom management, or the lack there of is my next focal point. I believe
that a stringent classroom management plan needs to be in place in time for the first day of the
new school year in September. Failing to do so will lead to a school year full of turmoil and
aggravation. I believe that creating a list of classroom rules, setting a level of acceptable
volume, and making students aware of consequences can create a positive work environment for
students and teachers alike.
For the classroom rules, the teacher and students need to work together to create a list
that meets the needs of everyone. Respect, honesty, teamwork, personal space, and bullying can
all be pillars for this list. The teacher can voice their opinion about what they believe to be good
classroom rules, and the students can do the same.
If students are aware of what they can and cannot do in the classroom environment, then
they will achieve great success. Everyone will know how to be successful, if those rules are not

created, then students will fall victim to their own devices and the school year will be spent
trying to alleviate unnecessary behavior problems.
An acceptable level of classroom volume needs to be implemented at the beginning of the
school year. During my Grade 4 placement, this volume level was not established and the
teacher constantly spoke to the class at a volume most closely compared to yelling. This volume
level led to student misbehavior and students that became unresponsive to teacher and classmate
requests. The time that was wasted to gain the attention of the class was discouraging. At times
up to five minutes of class time was wasted attempting to gain the attention of the class. Those
five minutes was lost a minimum of seven times per day. That works out to be thirty five
minutes of lost class time per day. That adds up to one hundred and five hours of lost class time
per school year.
This is unacceptable. Students need to be exposed to an environment that allows them to
participate in every day school activities without yelling and misbehaving. The school
workplace is one in which students need to converse with each other, complete individual and
group work, and respond to the teacher. The volume of the classroom should never hinder this
progress. The volume of the classroom should never lead to roughly three and a half days of lost
time.
I believe that the teacher needs to gather the students at the beginning of the year and
explain the negative effects of a loud volume in the classroom. The students will be able to
understand that it is a great benefit for their education to be able to speak to one another at a
respectful level. The volume of the classroom and the teacher expectations of that can be linked
to the classroom rules list discussed previously. When the students, parents, and administration

are aware of the potential classroom time loss, every effort to remedy this problem will take
place.
Closely linked to the issue of a lack of content resource material is the problem of
classroom teachers that are responsible for creating effective and dynamic lessons for IEP
students. Teachers have a lot to do in the classroom. There is classroom management, best
teaching practices, researching, planning, instructing, assessing, and accommodation. The
schedule of a teacher is full.
As mentioned previously, standard content resource material is, in general, scarce.
Teachers spend a lot of personal time locating and content resource material that should be
provided from administration. The nest problem is that not only do these resources need to be
found; they need to be altered in many different ways for IEP students. This seems like an
extreme amount of pressure for someone that is responsible for the well-being of the future of
our nation.
I believe that teachers should be provided with lesson materials and content resources for
students with IEPs. It is not fair to students with IEPs to have material that a teacher has put
together without support from administration.
This will benefit all of the students in the classroom. Teachers will now be able to
dedicate more time to instructing and assessing all of the students in the classroom. They will
not be left to toil in altering resources, resources that may not meet curriculum standards in the
first place.
Administration needs to be able to allocate funding to the pursuit of appropriate resources
for all students. The students with IEPs are just another victim of the misuse of school funds.

Philosophy of education
The School
I am a product of the Ontario public school system. Funding for the education I received
comes from tax payer dollars. Elementary and high school expenses are fully covered in this
system. Post-secondary education is available for anyone that can afford the tuition costs.
I am a firm believer that anyone who puts forth the effort required can achieve all of their
individual educational goals within this system. The most important component of this success
is student effort and quality educators, educators that inspire students to reach and exceed their
educational goals.
The institutes of education that exist in Ontario put their best efforts into being the best
that they can possibly be. The purpose of these schools is to give students a chance to receive a
world-class education. An education that delivers a variety of methods that are enlightening,
structured, and fair. Students in Ontario have some of the best opportunities in the world to
achieve their educational goals, and become wellrounded, caring, and critical thinkers.
The schools place in society is, in my opinion, the foundation of society as a whole.
Schools act as centers for education that represent each community accordingly. Educators are
passionate in the pursuit of creating schools that offer students a place to not only learn, but
develop in the best people they can be.

I believe that the role of schools in society is paramount to the success of the society.
Students have a safe place to learn. Students learn how the society is organized and how they
want to be a part of that society going forward. Students spend time learning well founded
curriculum during this process. A curriculum that can lend itself to open ended thought.
Thought that leads to the ideas of tomorrow that will allow society to be successful.
The Curriculum
The Ontario Ministry of education offers a curriculum that strives to support high-quality
learning while giving every student the opportunity to learn in the way that is best suited for his
or her individual strengths and needs. The Ontario curriculum is designed to help every student
reach his or her full potential through a program of learning that is coherent, relevant, and age
appropriate.
It recognizes that, today and in the future, students need to be critically literate in order to
synthesize information, make informed decisions, communicate effectively, and thrive in an
ever-changing global community. It is important that students be connected to the curriculum,
that they see themselves in what is taught, how it is taught, and how it applies to the world at
large.
The curriculum recognizes that the needs of learners are diverse and helps all learners
develop the knowledge, skills, and perspectives they need to become informed, productive,
caring, responsible, and active citizens in their own communities and in the world.

Learning
Progressivism is the method of education that I believe offers Ontario students the best
opportunity to reach their educational goals, while meeting curriculum standards. Progressivism
views change as natural and progress as both inevitable and desirable. Progressivism is a
continuing evolution based on previous experiences. Progressivism accepts uncertainty and
stresses individual and social growth. It utilizes the techniques of the scientific method to better
understand the world.
Progressive education is a pedagogical movement that began in the late nineteenth
century; it has persisted in various forms to the present. The term progressive was engaged to
distinguish this education from the traditional Euro-American curricula of the 19th century,
which was rooted in classical preparation for the university and strongly differentiated by social
class. By contrast, progressive education finds its roots in present experience. Most progressive
education programs have these qualities in common:
An emphasis on learning by doing hands-on projects, expeditionary learning, and
experiential learning. Integrated curriculum focused on thematic units. An integration of
entrepreneurship into education. Strong emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking.
Group work and development of social skills. Understanding and action as the goals of learning
as opposed to rote knowledge. Collaborative and cooperative learning projects. Education for
social responsibility and democracy. Highly personalized education accounting for each
individual's personal goals.
Integration of community service and service learning projects into the daily curriculum.

Selection of subject content by looking forward to ask what skills will be needed in future
society. De-emphasis on textbooks in favor of varied learning resources. Emphasis on lifelong
learning and social skills. Assessment by evaluation of childs projects and productions.
All of these ideas and opportunities for educational success are what makes
progressivism the best educational pedagogical movement, the one that will allow for the most
success.
Some influential progressivism philosophers, educators, and theorists are Friedrich
Froebel, Maria Montessori, John Dewey, and Johan Heinrich Pestalozzi. Each of these
individuals has improved education by taking what they know about education and altering it to
improve student development. Froebels idea of kindergarten, and Montessoris development of
the Montessori Method both progressed by taking existing educational theories and improving
them. This is the kind of educator that I want to be. I want to always be on the cutting edge of
improvement within the field of education. I want to give my students the best opportunity to be
ready for life after school. The ever changing global economy demands that, I want to provide
that for all of my students.
Students responsibilities with respect to their own learning develop gradually and
increase over time as they progress through elementary and secondary school. With appropriate
instruction and with experience, students come to see how applied effort can enhance learning
and improve achievement. As they mature and develop their ability to persist, to manage their
behavior and impulses, to take responsible risks, and to listen with understanding, students
become better able to take more responsibility for their learning and progress. There are some
students, however, who are less able to take full responsibility for their learning because of

special challenges they face. The attention, patience, and encouragement of teachers can be
extremely important to the success of these students. Learning to take responsibility for their
improvement and achievement is an important part of every students education.
Mastering the skills and concepts connected with learning all curriculum requires
ongoing practice, personal reflection, an effort to respond to feedback, and commitment from
students. It also requires a willingness to try new activities, collaborate with peers, and always
follow safety practices. Through ongoing practice and reflection about their development,
students deepen their appreciation and understanding of themselves and others, the communities
to which they belong, and the natural environment.
Assessment is an indication of student success or failure in regards to subject area
content. Assessment has dynamically progressed in the last century. Traditional methods of rote
memory assessment are slowly being replaced by assessments that offer every type of learner a
chance to succeed.
Howard Gardners multiple intelligences theory allows students to be assessed on a
common subject through meeting the needs of diverse learners. Using a variety of instructional,
assessment, and evaluation strategies, teachers provide numerous opportunities for students to
develop and refine their skills and knowledge as they apply the concepts of disciplinary thinking
to course content. These learning experiences should enable students to make meaningful
connections between what they already know and what they are learning. Teachers should
reflect on the results of the learning opportunities they provide, and make adjustments to them as
necessary to help every student achieve the curriculum expectations to the best of his or her
ability.

It is important that all teachers create an environment that will foster a sense of
community, where all students feel included and appreaciated and where their perspectives are
treated with respect. One way of accomplishing this is for teachers to select topics, resources,
and examples that reflect the diversity of the classroom. I believe that Howard Gardners theory
of multiple intelligences meets and exceeds those diverse needs. Howard Gardner has identified
eight different ways that humans process information. They are linguistic, logic-mathematical,
musical, spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. Identifying that
learners are diverse and have multiple ways of learning is the key here. Gardners theory aligns
with the idea that teachers should always be looking to meet the needs of each individual in the
classroom. Creating subject matter and assessments that accomplish this goal is the foundation
of the future of education.
Classroom management is the foundation of a healthy and productive classroom. Both
teachers and students benefit greatly from following a well-managed classroom that follows
positive structure and utilizes best teaching practices.
Some of those best teaching practices are, a classroom list of rules, a visible anti-bullying
policy, a step-by-step daily schedule, student awareness of personal space and belongings,
awareness of consequences for not following classroom policy, and teacher-student rapport. As a
part of good teaching practice, teachers should include and inform parents about what their
children are learning and when various topics are to be addressed. Such communication enables
parents to work in partnership with the school, promoting discussion, follow-up at home, and
student learning in a family context. Stronger connections between the home and the school
support student learning and achievement. I believe that following an instructional and
assessment theory like Gardners will ultimately benefit every classroom.

Promoting the healthy development of all students, as well as enabling all students to
reach their full potential, is a priority for educators across Ontario. Students health and wellbeing contribute to their ability to learn in all disciplines and that learning in turn contributes to
their overall well-being.
Educators play an important role in promoting children and youths well-being by
creating, fostering, and sustaining a learning environment that is healthy, caring, safe, inclusive,
and accepting. A learning environment of this kind will support not only students cognitive,
emotional, social, and physical development but also their mental health, their resilience, and
their overall state of well-being. All this will help them achieve their full potential in school and
in life.
I believe that teaching is a key to students success. Teachers are responsible for using
appropriate and effective instructional strategies to help students achieve curriculum
expectations, as well as appropriate methods for assessing and evaluating student learning.
Teachers bring enthusiasm and varied teaching and assessment approaches to the
classroom, addressing individual students needs and ensuring sound learning opportunities for
every student. The attitude with which teachers approach subject matter is critical, as teachers
are important role models for students.

Development of Resume
______________________________________________________________________________

John-Michael Matthews
647-686-4506 jmaftermath@gmail.com

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
o Possess a vast wealth of educational working experience
o Proven leader in the workplace
o Ability to maintain employee productivity through example and creative criticism
o Able to facilitate any and all classroom situations
o Qualified CPR administrator
______________________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION
Global Leadership College
2012
TESOL/TESL Certification Course
o Completed 150 hour online certification course
Brock University - St. Catharines, Ontario
2006
Bachelor of Arts Geography
o Courses involved development of critical reasoning, selecting and evaluating data,
processing, research, and communicating complex ideas in an effective and persuasive
manner.

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School - Brampton, Ontario

1999
Secondary School Diploma
o Grade 12 Co-operative education placement at Georges Vanier Catholic Elementary
School
o 1999 Graduating class Citizenship Award of Excellence
o Grade 9 Nutrition and Well-being award

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Chungbuk National University
2013

July 2013-August

English Camp Teacher

o
o
o
o
o

Facilitate English lessons for elementary school students

Prepare daily lesson plans and activities
Help students understand and utilise English effectively
Host opening ceremony, pop-song contest, and drama productions
Work with student teachers to optimize classroom productivity

Seowon University
March 2013-Present
English Professor
o
o
o
o
o

Prepare lesson plans for conversational English classes

Instruct students in the abilities of proper use and function of the English language
Facilitate the English education of students by capturing their imaginations and
providing profound examples
Encourage consistent study and usage habits
Prepare and distribute mid-term and final exams

Wonderland English Institute

September 2008-February 2013

Head Foreign Teacher

o Achieved position of Head Foreign teacher in September, 2009
o Administrative duties include:
Interviewing potential staff, issuing monthly salary documents, receiving and
distributing teaching materials, familiarizing new staff with Korea, training new
staff, facilitating foreign teacher meetings, and aiding in the selection of course
materials and resources
o Facilitate classroom activities on a daily basis. This process includes:
Daily introduction, songs, activities, and games.
Teaching conversational English through the use of textbooks, and related
preparation material. Focus on reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary
and grammar lessons
o Monthly field trips facilitated, as well as monthly birthday parties, and special activity
days
o Weekly student homework correction including essays and workbooks
o Singer/songwriter for several childrens songs
Chungbuk Language Consulting

July 2012-September 2012

Conversational English Instructor

o

Teach conversational English to six LG Chem employees in Ochang, South Korea

o
o
o
o

Create weekly lessons focusing on conversation, pronunciation, sentence structure,

reading and vocabulary
Lessons focused on current event topics and adjusted to trending student interests
Implement use of Microsoft PowerPoint for visual support during lessons
Encourage students to focus on conversing by using the English language only

Cheongju University

July 2011-February 2012

Guest Seminar Instructor

o
o
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o

Prepare and facilitate Resume/English Study Preparation seminar

Instruct seventy students for two hours each seminar
Use of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Powerpoint
Question and answer period provided

Mini Skool A Childs Place

2008

August 2006-August

Before and After School Program Coordinator

o Responsible for the care and well-being of fifty elementary school students before and
after school
o Drop off and pick up students to their main schools daily
o Organize and manage a care center classroom
o Prepare and organize activities for the students to partake in
o Prepare and serve lunch to students
o Administrative duties include:
Coordination of working hours for three employees.
Receive and distribute food items for the center.
Keyperson responsible for opening and closing the center.
Responsible for the care and maintenance of three Center vehicles including a
twenty-five seat bus.
Create and administer weekly lesson plans

Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

2003

September 2002-June

Substitute Teacher

o
o
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o

Rotating substitute teacher for St. Thomas Aquinas SS, St. Marguerite DYouville SS,
Georges Vanier Catholic Elementary School, and Our Lady of Providence Catholic
Elementary School in Brampton, Ontario
Facilitate and maintain order in classrooms of thirty students
Teach materials assigned by home room teacher such as, Math, Science, history,
Language arts, English, Biology, and Geography
Prepare daily lesson plans for student work according to home room teacher.