Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Introduction
This section of the portfolio project consists of a screencast mock interview that you can
find on my Weebly website under the Portfolio tab. The mock interview introduces my
classroom teacher website, and provides background information about myself and my readiness
to teach by answering several predetermined interview questions. The screencast video can also
candidate-teacher-interview-video.html.
Briefly share a little about your background experiences that have led you to choose
a career in education.
various classrooms with several of my current teachers. Usually, I helped in grade nine and ten
health classes. While I attended Brock University, I also took the opportunity to become a
seminar leader for my professor. Not only did I lead the weekly seminar for two classes but I
also had the opportunity to Grade papers and mark presentations and assignments. Immediately
after graduating from my undergrad, I accepted a position at Mentor College in Port credit
Ontario. During my two years at Mentor college I have the opportunity to teach high school
geography and physical education. I was also called upon to be the teacher for the grade 5,6,7,8
growth and development health classes. These of course were not the easiest of years in terms of
workload but I found them extremely rewarding as I immerse myself into the teaching
profession.
Greg Williams - Elementary Project Portfolio Section 6 2
After I completed my second year at the private school, Mentor college I decided to listen
to the travel bug inside of me. I traveled to New Zealand and obtained a working holiday visa.
The main reason of course was to visit my moms side of the family and do some soul-searching.
During my year in New Zealand I clearly couldnt stay away from being in the classroom. I
accepted an opportunity to teach English as a second language to students who were completing
their summer English credit in New Zealand. The students were from various countries, such as;
China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. I had a wide variety of students in terms of
age groups. My first week of teaching was with six-year-olds from South Korea and by the last
class I was teaching five adult male rugby players from Japan.
Once I return from New Zealand I made the decision to obtain my teaching certification
and enrolled at Medaille College in 2006. I was able to complete both of my primary education
placements and all of my in-class courses. However, due to a family need I have to leave the
province and moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The reason for this was because my twin
nephews were diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Since my background in health and
physical education has a focus in special-needs education, I made the choice to help my brother
and sister-in-law with respite. Throughout my three years in Calgary I was able to work as an
education assistant at two schools. The first school, Emily Follansbee, was entirely dedicated to
the betterment of students with special needs. I absolutely loved working at this location. They
had all the amenities, nursing staff, education assistance, occupational therapists, and teachers. I
did my best to learn as much as possible I listening and working with a diverse professional staff.
Once I return from Calgary Alberta I spent six years as a sales professional developing
seminars and webinars to teach their business partners how to use security software effectively.
Greg Williams - Elementary Project Portfolio Section 6 3
Again, I was in a classroom, only this time it was in the business world. This opportunity
provided me with numerous occasions where I worked with people from all over the world and
It was last year when I decided to return to Medaille College and finish what I had
started. Last year while I was working as a development manager for rugby Ontario, where I
was responsible for providing training opportunities for coaches and referees in the province, I
decided it was time to return to my true love and passion. Working with young students.
What have you learned in your teaching program that will make you an excellent
I have learned many significant aspects during my teacher training. One of the main
things I have learned, is how important equity and culturally responsive pedagogy is to the entire
educational process. Equity should be a consideration for all students, always keeping in mind
that fair and equal are not the same thing. You must always try to meet the needs of each
individual student. The amazing thing about this is that what is good for one student is usually
Through my teacher training I now understand that culturally responsive pedagogy is not
just a fad, a buzz-word or an afterthought. It is something that you must purposely think about
every day, for every lesson. You must consider how to best reach all of your students and ask
the questions: Whos voice is being heard? Whos voice is missing? What perspective will
I teach this lesson from? Its about identifying the needs of certain students. You must
consider what you hang on the walls, what holidays and celebrations you will address and always
Another important thing I learned is the focus on caring. It seems so simple yet I have
learned that it is perhaps the most important aspect of teaching. Students know and can feel
when someone truly cares about them. When students feel that their teacher cares, they will be
more likely to take risks in their learning, ask questions, share their stories and become truly
invested in their time at school. Caring is the foundation for all great educators.
Provide us with an example of a lesson you taught. How did you integrate it with
I designed a language centers lesson that focused on learning about First Nations peoples.
All of the centers addressed the language curriculum but was cross-connected with at least one
other subject. The lesson was purposeful in that it was meant to activate prior knowledge about
First Nations peoples, while also introducing new information. The first center required students
to read about the Wampum belt and how it was a treaty between Europeans and the
Haudenosaunee people. Students had to complete a vocabulary match after reading and then got
to build their own Wampum belt made from gimp and beads. This connected to Grade 3 Visual
Arts and English Language Arts. This center could also be expanded to include patterning and
measurement in Math.
The next center required students to listen to traditional Aboriginal music and also look at
traditional First Nations artwork to infer what life was like when the art was drawn. Students
had to write down questions related to what their heard and what they saw. Students had to also
answer specific questions that were asked of them, including: What do you think life was like
for First Nations people at this time? How do you think they made their food? How did they
make their clothing? What instruments do you hear in their music? How did they make their
Greg Williams - Elementary Project Portfolio Section 6 5
instruments? What other questions do you have? This center is connected to Language, Social
The third center is for students to integrate technology by listening to a podcast on iPad.
The podcast was related to residential schools. The focus of this center was Listening to
Understand. Students had to complete a brainstorming sheet related to what they heard.
How will your knowledge of the current trends in education inform you as an
I am very comfortable with technology and try to infuse it into all of my lessons. The
focus on technology in schools is critical because it will be a life skill that students must take
with them for future schooling and careers. It is important that students learn not only how to
use a variety of technology but also how to be safe on the internet. You cannot teach technology
without teaching students to be good digital citizens. Here, I have decided to showcase my
SMART Board presentation from one of my Artifacts and also my flipping Screencast-O-Matic
Here, I would like to discuss the focus on equity, an aspect of education that I feel very
comfortable implementing. It involves taking the time to know each and every one of your
students so that you can meet the needs of all of your learners. Along with this, students need to
be taught how to be critical thinkers so that they can ask appropriate questions and be allies in a
Critical thinking involves teaching students how to solve problems in ways that are
respectful and accepting of others. It is important that students are able to connect what they
learn to their immediate community and the global community in which they live. Students need
this life skill so that they can navigate a world that now involves fake news and media that builds
Greg Williams - Elementary Project Portfolio Section 6 6
its audience on fear. Critical thinking and the ability to ask good questions is what will keep our
Why should we hire you instead of the other applicants we have interviewed?
none. I have knowledge to satisfy a diverse group of learners who may come from different
backgrounds, abilities and experiences. I can communicate in both French and English and want
to be involved in the school outside of the classroom too. I intent to coach teams and lead clubs
communicate with both students and parents on a regular basis. I intend to make as many
curriculum connections in a given lesson as possible, so that students can see how what they
learn really does connect to many other things. I also want to allow students to ask questions
about the world around them so that they develop into caring and productive members of society.
Conclusion
attributes which I will bring into the classroom with me as an educator. This section displays my
love for education, my public speaking skills and my ability to answer effectively with