Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction

In this section of my portfolio I hope to tell story; a story that encompasses all the

experiences I have had that had led me to this profession. Within this story I will use my

teaching experience, philosophy of education and working resume to help convey the reasons

why teaching is the only profession that will satisfy me. Also included within this section will be

how I interpreted these experiences, and how these interpretations influence who I am today. It is

my goal that after this section you are left with a sense of the hard work I have put into this goal,

and how I will continue to strive to be the best teacher I can be.

Educational Experience

For as long as I can remember my life has been impacted by educators in some way.

Although not all of my experiences with education has been positive I can say, that now, so far

removed from the majority of my academic career that I am able to find wisdom in all of it. I

would like to say that I always knew that I would be a teacher; that deep down sunk into my

bones was a desire to educate. But my path to where I am today was not straight and narrow. My

path to find my passion was winding, meandering, confusing, exciting, terrifying, and long.

Within this section I will provide you a glimpse into some of the things that guided me along this

path, and hopefully leave you with a sense of the amount of passion I have now for education

and educators.

When remembering back, the very first teacher I remember having an impact on me was

my fourth-grade teacher, Miss. Rawski. I remember she used to endlessly hound me to tie my

shoes because I always walked around with my laces whipping around my feet. Every day, at

least ten times a day, she would scold me and sometimes even bend down herself to tie my shoes
for me. I remember thinking back then “why does she care SO much?” and being annoyed by the

constant reminders. The same pattern was followed in the school work too; I would forget my

homework and she would begin checking my planner and backpack before I left for the night. I

remember thinking the same thing “why does she care SO much?!”. Looking back now, at 28

years old, I know for sure that she did not have to do those things. Her teacher peers or boss were

not holding her accountable for my shoes being untied or homework not being done. Now after

almost 20 years I find myself not caring why she cared so much, only thankful that she did care

so much.

The next teacher that comes to mind I will not be naming just in the spirit of

professionalism. Unfortunately, I certainly feel this teacher let me, and most likely many other

students, down. I was in my sophomore year in high school and this was Algebra 1 or 2 I don’t

quite remember. What I do remember is my teacher standing at the front of the room mindlessly

writing equations on the board and talking in the most monotone of voices. Whenever a student

did not understand it was the student’s fault, and he only repeated what was on the board again.

To this day I can still remember how dumb I felt leaving his class. I started avoiding taking math

classes or any classes that were math-heavy like physics or chemistry.

Knowing what I do now I understand that I wasn’t dumb, and I just prefer learning a

different way. Due to my experiences in this class I always avoided math classes and I wonder

what I could be doing now if I instead embraced math. Unfortunately, the teacher in question

here is only one of thousands of teachers that let students down every day. In everything I like to

find a positive, and if the only positive I take away from this experience is to make sure I do not

repeat the same mistake then I have changed for the better because of it.
 I want to end on a positive note but this experience will be a little different than the

previous memories. For almost two years I worked as a coach for a company that catered to

children ages 2-7. While doing this job I worked all over Western New York coaching hundreds

of children and getting to see so many beautiful smiles and adorable laughs. Even though I only

saw each group of children once a week for 40 minutes I truly felt I was able to make difference,

even if it was a small one, in most of their lives. I took and kept countless pictures and kept most

of the thank you cards I would get at the end of the season. Recently someone asked me “Why

do you keep all these cards? Seems like a lot of space for cardboard.” I told them that now on the

days my alarm goes off and all I want to do is go back to bed I look at that cardboard and see that

what I do really matters.

I really can’t bring up my coaching job without bringing up my boss, mentor, and friend,

Mark. Remembering one time in particular I was going through a tough situation he gave me one

of the most inspirational and true phrases I had ever heard. His words went something like this;

“We all want to be perfect; change ourselves for the better in every way. But our minds get in the

way and tell us that we can’t and that it’s impossible. So don’t think about your problems like

that. Just wake up every morning and tell yourself to be 1% better by the end of the day. Do

something that makes you 1% better than who you were yesterday. After 100 days you’re 100%

better.”

I understand this statement is riddled with logical fallacies but the message is as true to

me as can be. This single quote is just one of many but it is one that I think exemplifies what

Mark represented. He was such a strong mentor to me even at an old age, and he was someone

that showed me an upper echelon of mentoring that I didn’t know existed before.
 Not all of the experiences listed here were in a traditional school setting, and not all of

them were positive experiences. That being said all of them made huge impacts on who I am

today and why I chose to make teaching my calling. I hope this section has given you a brief

look into why teaching is the only profession for me, and where my passion for educating comes

from.

Work Experience

Honestly, thinking back I have a hard time remembering a time when I was not working

with children in some way. Even back in middle school I was babysitting many of my parent’s

friends’ children, or helping run summer camp at my mother’s school. In this section, to keep

things efficient and succinct, I will only be including formal job positions I have held working

with children in a mentor or educator role.

My first educational/mentoring role came to me when I was 19 years old. I accepted a

paid coaching position at Saint Francis High School to run their Freshman Soccer program. I was

not much older than the kids I was in charge of and I was also working while working toward my

undergrad. We had practiced every day for three hours, even on weekends which sometimes felt

like a huge pain but never once did I ever want to give it up. The connections I was able to make

with my players, and getting to watch them improve under my tutelage is priceless to me.

Eventually the program got a new athletic director and unfortunately, he brought in a brand-new

staff, but I am thankful for the 5 years I was privileged to be a part of their lives.

After this I found myself working for two companies owned by the same person; Soccer

Shots, and Engineering for Kids. Soccer Shots I have already mentioned in my educational

experience, so I will refrain from speaking on that too much. That being said, I also worked as a

Lead Teacher for Engineering for Kids which was a company that ran after school STEM
programs for elementary schools in the area. I was in charge of learning and teaching

mechanical, nautical, and electrical engineering to 1st-6th graders. Many of the students who

came to me did so with frowns or scowls on their faces; making it clear that Mom or Dad signed

them up and forced them to be here. As soon as they got their hands on the experiment or build I

had planned for the day those frowns turned upside down so quick! It’s hard to describe the

feeling of accomplishment you get when you see a student’s face light up when their catapult

fires or their boat floats in water.

School Observations and Classroom Application

During my time at Medaille I have been lucky enough to have been an observer in many

different classrooms with a variety of different children. This time spent in observation has led to

even more time spent in reflection about the things I saw that were good, and bad. Either way I

have been able to glean useful information out of almost every scenario and have thought of

many ways in which I would implement it in my own classroom one day.

My very first observation was what most people would call a little unorthodox; this is

because it was at something called “Saturday Academy”. This was essentially school on the

weekend which taken on its face sounds like it would be designed to fail. Surprisingly, this

academy usually drew a large number of students to come out and participate; but that being said

many of the children came for the free breakfast, gym time, or swim time. It was our job as

student’s to come, watch and participate in this academy in such a way as to gear the children to

the more academic activities.

Honestly, during these observations there was very little to actually observe because we

were all in charge of our own center or station. Every now and then we would be fortunate
enough to see one of the Academy’s full-time teachers participate and this is when the magic

would happen for us. The teachers always came bright and early with smiles and nothing but

love for the children. You could tell that their main priority was showing the children love, and

appreciation for coming to school on the weekend. At first, this confused me because most of the

children ignored the academic activities but as the weeks went on I realized why there was such

a large amount of gratitude towards all the children. The teachers at this school knew that just

getting the children to participate in the community was success enough; and anything beyond

that was just icing on the cake. Many of these student’s didn’t always get the love they deserve

but their teachers made sure that they definitely felt the love from them.

Aside from this, the way in which the teachers interacted with the students and used

teaching techniques to gently push them towards academics was very savvy. The teachers there

knew that an authoritative style of teaching would not get them anywhere, and in most cases the

children would do the opposite just out of spite. So instead they demonstrated the activities

themselves, not caring for their own pride or self-interest, in order to show off how fun the

activities can be. While watching this I learned that a child will automatically think the activity is

exponentially better if they get to do it with someone who loves and respects them.

Overall, much of what I observed from this placement was purely about being able to

react to your environment and not pushing your students too hard. While this experience and

observation is what some would call unorthodox I still found plenty of valuable information. At

the end of each Saturday Academy most children left with full bellies, full hearts, and were all

the better for it.

Soon after Saturday Academy we went to observe at a more formal academic setting.

This time we were placed in a classroom that, on paper, was filled with academically gifted
students. During one of their science classes the teachers had this very cool activity planned out

to show how fast contagious diseases can move. Unfortunately the merits of the activity were

overshadowed by the way in which the classroom was handled. This experiment was very

material heavy, and the teachers decided to hand out the materials before they had explained how

to complete the experiment. This quickly led to chaos as all the children only wanted to play

around with the mystery liquid in their syrengins or roll around their glass beakers. In doing so

they became very inattentive and most of the class time was lost trying to gain their attention

again. Eventually the class was able to finish the activity and the experiment was successful but I

still cringe at the lack of forethought and vow to always finish explaining directions before

handing out supplies!

Philosophy of Education

I have always had strong views on education and how it applies to all aspects of learning,

and the learning environment. As I grow as a person many of my truths and philosophy’s grow

and change as well. My philosophy of Education is certainly a living, breathing thing that

sometimes morphs as it absorbs new ideas and information.

The School

The purpose of the school in education is multifaceted and a pivotal part of the learning

process. Firstly, it is the schools job to make sure all students and teachers alike feel safe within

its walls. Students who do not feel safe cannot successfully put all their thought and attention in

their education. Secondly, it is the purpose of the school to create a sense of pride and

community. Through this pride students will feel a stronger connection to the building itself as

well as the ideals it represents.

Curriculum
 The purpose of most, if not all, curriculum is to make the classroom learning feel as

organic as possible. If the learning comes naturally the students would be more willing to accept

it. The standards set by the board in such a manner to include students’ interests and

backgrounds. In order for the curriculum to be successful it must also take into account all the

students cultural and ethnic backgrounds as well as integrate the community to promote a sense

of cooperation.

Learning

What the children learn should always mirror the school boards curriculum but should

not be limited by it. Within the learning process the teacher should not be much more than a

facilitator or moderator with the students being the main event. Learning should begin at a

specific point with a specific goal in mind, but should be able to adapt to many different interests

and learning styles. One should always keep in mind there are many different ways to reach the

same learning goal, and you should never limit a child’s imagination but only gently guide them.

Learning will be most successful when your students are taking prior knowledge to come up with

new ideas, and applying them correctly. Most importantly learning does not always have to be a

straight line of linear progression bur rather a path that can narrow, widen,or split depending on

the needs of the classroom.

The Learner

The role of the learner in the classroom is arguably the most important role in education.

First and foremost the learner must, in some way, respect the process and institution of

education. Without respect the learner will never find their role meaningful and therefore will not

successfully learn. Secondly, but still importantly, the learner must be willing to contribute to the

community of the class and school. A learner who purposefully alienates themselves not only
hurts their own education but possibly everyone around them as well. The learner is a large part

of the whole educational chain, and therefore has a larger responsibility. Lastly, the learner has a

responsibility to apply themselves to the course and try their best to complete all that is asked of

them. A student who is not willing to apply themselves is not living up to their part of the

implied classroom agreement.

Assessment

Assessment is an important tool for educators to track students progress and mastery over

the curriculum. There are many different types of assessment; observations; conversations;

quizzes; tests; research papers etc and each type should be used correctly. Just as you would not

test a fish on climbing the tree, you should not use the wrong assessment when testing your

students. After assessing you should discuss the results with everyone involved in order to see

the changes that should be made. Also, assessment allows the teacher to see each students

strengths and weaknesses and plan according. Perhaps most importantly assessment should be

used as a road map to success, and important results should be addressed with parents/guardians.

Assessment is an important tool to use but should always be treated as a work in progress.

Classroom Management

When it comes to classroom management it is always better to take a proactive stance

rather than a reactive one. In many cases the worst of scenarios will happen even before you

have time to react to them. Being proactive with your classroom management style does not

always mean patrolling around your room like the Batman and being there to physically stop

wrong, bad or harmful situations. In fact doing something like that would be downright

exhausting and most likely overall ineffective. Instead you can make passive changes to the

room like blocking off run zones, or using calming colors such as blue or grey. A large part of
classroom management is making sure whatever rules you have in place are clear, and consistent

throughout the whole year as well. All this means that successful classroom management begins

on the very first day of school and will continue throughout the whole year.

The Teacher

The new-age teacher must be able to wear many different hats, as we are learning that

many different factors affect student learning. This means that most of the educational

responsibility in the classroom falls onto the teachers shoulders. First and foremost the teacher

must be a mentor that the children respect and love, and an equal balance of both. The students

must respect their mentor enough to adhere to their rules and listen to what they say, but they

must not be too respectful as to be afraid to share their own thoughts and ideas. On the other

hand, the teacher cannot be the children’s mother or father because the teacher/student

relationship needs to be fundamentally different so there cannot be the same kind of love.

Everything the teacher does must be towards reaching a goal of creating a successful

learning environment and successful students. Sometimes this might be changing teaching

methods, or behavior charts, or furniture arrangement and all of these changes must be done

strategically. The teacher needs to have enough research and intelligence as to not just begin

making changes randomly when things begin to go wrong. But rather look at the information

given and make an informed decision as to what best would help the situation. In short the

teacher must be an adaptive mentor who is passionate about what they do.
Resume

Luke Hider
7125 Brandywine Dr. Derby, NY, 14047
(716) 335-4832
Hider4961@gmail.com
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Education
Bachelor of Arts, English, May 2013
The State University of New York at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY

Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, May 2013

The State University of New York at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY
______________________________________________________________________

Related Experience
Edukids, Buffalo, NY
Lead Teacher, November 2017 - Present
· Provide and execute my own curriculum for children ages 5 - 12
· MAT, CPR, and first aid certified
· Director Designee for my center, which includes overseeing and maintaining staff and
class ratios in accordance with OCFS regulations
· Help lead and assist field trips

Soccer Shots, Buffalo, NY

Brand Ambassador, March 2016 - November 2017
· Coach 100-200 children a week
· Provide fun and instructional curriculum for the classes
· Secure park permits for over 20 parks across WNY
· Assess coaches and techniques through site visits
· Gave two presentations for Edukids corporate on “ThePower of Play”

Engineering for Kids, Buffalo, NY

Lead Teacher and Supply Manager, Fall 2016 - August 2017
· Taught children ages 5-11 about beginner robotic, nautical, electrical, and mechanical
engineering through active learning

St. Mary of the Lake, Hamburg, NY

Long Term P.E. Substitute, December 2013 - June 2013
· Taught Pre-k through 8th grade
· Constructed lesson plans
· Helped organize extracurricular activities
· During that time I also subbed in for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade as their primary teacher
occasionally

Barnes and Noble, Blasdell, NY

Book Seller, May 2015 - May 2016
· Coordinated several instructional events in robotics (grades K-8) and lego architecture (All
ages)

______________________________________________________________________

Technical Skills
· Basic coding in Java and robotics using programs/kits such as littlebits
· Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
· Ipad and tablet use in education
· Smartboards

Conclusion

In this section of my portfolio I have regaled you with stories from my past, and given

you my educational philosophies on the school, teachers, students, curriculum, classroom

management, and assessment. Hopefully after reading this section you are left with a good idea

as to why I choose to become and educator and how my past experiences will always shape my

teaching style. I find reflection can always be helpful and I know even in the short time I spent

reflecting here I have learned new things about myself and know I will continue to learn

throughout my educational career.