Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction

Why a teacher? This is a question I have received from countless individuals, ranging

from close friends and families to casual acquaintances. While the answer varies slightly from

person to person, the main driving force towards my pursuit of a career in teaching is always

consistent. I wish to teach because I want to foster positive growth within my students and

ensure that I provide them with the framework to be successful both academically and

personally. The act of teaching is too often simplified and distilled into the transmission of

knowledge, but any good educator achieves so much more. It took me many years to realize the

true impact a teacher can make on the lives of their students. I have had fantastic teachers

throughout my life, from my days in elementary school up until my post-secondary education.

Despite being directly impacted by these individuals, it was not until I had the chance to

experience teaching firsthand that I gained a true appreciation and love for not only the act of

teaching, but the idea of being a mentor to my future students.

This section will provide some insight into the various experiences that have led me

down the path towards become a prospective educator. These experiences have come from many

different parts of my life, my time as a student in school, my professional work experience and

the classroom observations I have conducted as a Master’s of Education student. Furthermore,

the section will outline my Philosophy of Education which has been derived from my many

experiences as both student and teacher. It will present my core values and beliefs as an educator

and will provide further insight into the approach I hope to bring into the classroom. Finally, this

section will end by presenting my resume which outlines both my professional and educational

experience.
Teacher Candidate Educational Background and Work Experiences

Education Experiences

Throughout the course of my Masters of Education studies I have had time to reflect on

my past education experiences and how they have shaped my philosophy of education as well as

my desire to be a teacher. While the realization that I wanted to pursue a career in teaching came

about as the result of experiences in the workplace, reflection on my time in school surely helped

to solidify the decision. The classroom and educational framework that was in place when I was

a child was not conducive to my learning style. As a primarily kinesthetic learner the lecture

style of teaching that was predominantly used in my classes made it challenging for me to stay

engaged in the lesson. This problem only grew worse as I progressed into secondary school and

eventually into post-secondary education. Despite these challenges I remember that many of my

teachers were able to engage me on a personal level and through that engagement they awoke in

me a love for learning. I can recall teachers at each stage of my educational career who found

ways to engage me beyond the content that they taught and the connection they formed with me

have all left a lasting impression that persist to this day. Their ability to build rapport with

students and foster growth is something that I hope to emulate when I enter my first classroom.

One of my fondest memories of elementary school comes from the fourth grade where my

teacher taught me the value of empathy and the importance of helping others. While these were

not necessarily foreign concepts at that age, the compassion and selflessness that she

demonstrated on a daily basis has a profound impact on me. It made me realize the importance of

the classroom community and the value of teamwork both in trying to achieve a common goal or

to support peer. Our ability to empathize with and support one another is a key part of our

humanity and I hope that this is a lesson I can impart on the students in my classroom both by
modeling those values in front of my students and teaching them importance of supporting one

another through various types of teaching strategies and activities.

I learnt a very different lesson in secondary school but it was important nonetheless.

Secondary school taught me the true value of knowledge and understanding and showed me the

importance of being a lifelong learner. I had left elementary school with affinity towards science

and mathematics. Not only did they interest me the most, but I recognized in them a practicality

that could be applied to the world around me. For this reason I remained less engaged in other

subjects, while I always studied diligently, the thirst for knowledge was not present when

studying other subjects. All that changed in my tenth grade English class. My teacher brought

with him a passion of knowledge that I had not yet witnessed before stepping into his classroom.

Not only was he extremely knowledgeable, but his ability to convey information and encourage

understanding was unprecedented. He showed me that knowledge in all of its forms can be

practical and that to properly understand the world around us we needed to make an effort to

learn about all subjects. He demonstrated how knowledge of various subjects are connected to

one another. The most important lesson I learned, was that knowledge and understanding was

empowering. Through him, I learned that the most important lesson a teacher can teach to their

students is a love of learning. Each student will come to this realization differently but one of the

key goals as a teacher will be to foster a desire and love of learning in my students.

Work Experience

Despite encompassing a smaller portion of my life, the influence that my professional

experience has had on my life has been quite profound. While reflection on my past educational

experience has reinforced my desire to be an educator, it my work experience that is responsible

for awakening in me a love for teaching and mentoring others. This began early on my
professional career when I was just starting at my current place of an employment. While I had

held several positions in the past, this was my first true career and like all new ventures I had

little knowledge and skill to bring to the table. I was understandably very nervous, and lacked the

confidence required to be an effective member of that team. Luckily, one of my peers noticed the

challenges I faced and decided to take an active interest in supporting me. Having been mentored

in the past, she realized the importance of regular guidance when helping an individual grow and

be successful. From there on out she acted as my mentor and helped me to develop both the

personal and professional skills that I rely on regularly today. Through that relationship I

recognized the profound impact that people can have on one another and decided that I also

wanted to take on that supportive role with others. I of course still had much to learn and still do

but I decided to make an effort to engage and support new members of the team. I made it my

mission to welcome all new members of our team and offer them the knowledge and experience

that my mentoring had taught me and while these were never formal mentoring roles, they began

to foster inside of me a love for the mentoring process. It was not until I had become a senior

member of the team that I had an opportunity to truly take responsibility for the success of one of

my peers. The opportunity came about from a new hire, a newly graduated student who was

entering the job market for the first time and would be working with me on several projects. I

saw in them the same feelings of confusion and apprehension that I felt so many years ago. It

was then that I decide to support her in any way she needed. This meant engagement outside of

the scope of our project and involved one to one meetings to discuss setting goals, discussing

approaches for meeting those goals and providing them with opportunities to take on new and

challenging work. It involved regular feedback and coaching as well as tough conversations. We

shared victories and failures but most importantly we shared lessons. While I derived a great deal
of happiness from witnessing their growth and seeing them succeed, it was not until I sat back to

reflect on the experience that I realized I wanted to become a teacher.

Teaching is so much more than simply transmitting curriculum based knowledge to your

students. A good teacher and educator takes an active interest in the success of their students and

takes responsibility for their growth not only as students in a classroom but as members of our

society. It is our job as educators to help mold our students into the people they wish to be and

we can only do that by taking the time to understand them and their needs and working with

them to be successful in all aspects of their life. We must be mentors to our students and we must

tie our success directly to theirs.

School Observations and Classroom Application

The position of a teacher is not one to be taken lightly. Not only is it an extremely

complex and demanding job but you are also responsible for the well-being and education of

children or teenagers. It is therefore imperative that all prospective teachers take the time observe

a classroom. While a love for teaching others and a passion for fostering success in your students

is incredibly important, firsthand experience of the classroom environment and exposure what is

involved in the day to day operating of a class is extremely educational. Theories of pedagogy

and instruction as well as practice planning for and executing lesson and units will provide

prospective teachers with the foundational skills they require to be successful. Despite all of this

nothing can prepare someone for the reality of operating your own classroom. I therefore count

myself extremely fortunate that I had the opportunity to participate in classroom observations

during my time in the Master’s of Elementary Education Program. During my fieldworks hours I

had the opportunity to both observe lessons as well as participate in them as supported students

in group activities as well as individual projects.

 One particular teacher stood out for me as we she was able to engage the students in both

relevant and controversial topics while meeting New York State Common Core Curriculum

standards for ELA. The particular classroom that I was observing was not only held on Saturday

morning but it also taught advanced curriculum that two grade levels above what the students

were learning in their Monday – Friday classes. Teaching in this environment can be extremely

challenging as students may not only be disengaged but the added challenge of the curriculum

level could easily lead to frustration. The remarkable thing about Mrs. B’s class was that I

observed none of these behaviors. Students were extremely engaged and participated regularly in

classroom discussions and activities. They did this despite the subject matter that was discussed

and the tasks they were expected to complete. I noticed very quickly how Mrs. B was able to

achieve this level of classroom management. For the longest time I had assumed that structured

rules and regulations and strict adherence to those rules were the key to a well-managed

classroom. Mrs. B helped me realize that this was not always the case. While it was clear that she

had in fact established rules and classroom norms and that the students were aware of them, the

key to her success was in how and when she chose to enforce them with her students. Mrs. B

often discussed controversial topics in her classroom and encouraged students to discuss, reflect

and write about these topics. Given the nature of these discussions it was common for students to

make jokes or mildly inappropriate comments. I would have normally expected a teacher to

immediately address these issues but noticed that Mrs. B would not always punish students for

that behavior. It became clear to me that she found a very delicate balance in the enforcement of

rules in her classroom. She recognized the importance of keeping students motivated and

engaged and realized that attempting to control every aspect of the discussion would impede a

student’s ability to express themselves freely and discourage students from speaking and
participating. She did a great job of keeping the students on track despite these occasional

digressions. I noticed then that she was incorporating into her classroom an aspect of Keller’s

Model for Instructional Design. That element was the concept of ensuring lessons are satisfying

via intrinsic reinforcement which encourages and supports enjoyment of the learning experience

(Keller, 2008). Mrs. B’s balanced approach to classroom management helped me realize the

importance in being flexible when attempting to manage your classroom. While I recognize the

importance on consistency, it is extremely important to keep your students motivated and

engaged in the lesson.

A second teacher really stood out to me that taught in the same program as Mrs. B. She

taught the students Science and brought with her an energy that I had never seen before, her

name was Mrs. A. Mrs. A had this amazing ability to make any subject matter fun and

interesting. She did so by using multiple different tools and activities. It was clear that she was

well versed in addressing the various different intelligences of the student’s in her classroom.

Howard Gardner theorized that each student possess a different type of intelligence and that

learning is optimized when students are able to use that intelligence in their activities (Gardner,

Moran, 2006). Mr.A would provide both smartboard activities and videos for the visual and

auditory learners, she also engaged in hands on activity that demonstrated biological principles

for the naturalistic and bodily-kinesthetic learners. It became clear to me that not only did Mrs. A

realize the importance of variety in order to keep her students interested she also possessed

intimate knowledge of her students how they learned best. She also brought energy to every

single lesson no matter how dry the material. She modeled a passion for learning in science that

her students picked-up on immediately. I learned quite a bit from observing Mrs. A, mainly the
importance of knowing the learners in your classroom and how to ensure they are motivated and

can be successful.

Overall, my time observing in the classroom was extremely valuable and it helped me

bridge the gap between theory and practice. Over the course of my studies at Medaille, I had the

opportunity to learn from some truly phenomenal educators. Their passion for the field of

education really came through in their classes and the lessons they taught me were extremely

valuable. These lessons, theories and practices came to life in the classroom observations as I got

to experience first-hand how these concepts worked in practice. It is therefore extremely valuable

for any prospective teacher to take the time to observe and learn from other more experienced

teachers by actively participating in their classroom.

Philosophy of Education

Our beliefs and our values play a very important role in how we define ourselves as

individuals. We speak of them proudly and defend them passionately when they are challenged.

Most of all, they influence every aspect of our day to day lives from the most inconsequential

choices all the way up to our life changing decisions. They are the direct result of our

experiences and the lessons we learn and therefore, they are consistently changing and evolving.

Our beliefs and our values as educators as equally as important as the beliefs and values of our

day to day lives and they make up a teacher’s Philosophy of Education. Prior to realizing my

passion for teaching, my Philosophy of Education was limited and consisted simply of preparing

students for success in the adult world. However, as I mentioned our experiences and lessons

shape our beliefs and values and as such, my experience in the classroom has shaped how I view

education today.

The School
 The school is the core institute of education, and it is where the most important work

takes place and by extension is the most important place for students and teachers. A school must

therefore be a place that facilitates learning and growth, not only for students but also for

teachers. The school must provide its students with a safe environment where they can learn, ask

questions freely and shape their minds in a way that allows them to become the best version of

themselves. Schools are havens for students and not institutes whose aim is to solely teach

prescribed subjects and knowledge. In order for a school to meet the needs of the students it must

also be a safe place for teachers, a place that encourages them to be mentors for their students

and supports them in their endeavor to ensure the success of the student. This required the

support of all stakeholder within the school including the other teachers. A school must ensure

that a teacher has the tools and supports necessary to ensure the success of their students. A

healthy school encourages a healthy community and society as they help to instill values and

teach students how to be responsible members of society. Overall the school is focal point of the

education system and it is imperative that schools have the resources they need to ensure

effective learning.

The Curriculum

The curriculum from my perspective is the blueprint of the educational system. It is

highly technical, standardized and measurable. It is a great tool to be used as a guideline but

should not be the only thing taught to students. There are of course key lessons that are valuable

to all students and the curriculum serves as a means to ensure that these key topics are covered in

class. Topics such as literacy, math, science and social studies and key pieces of knowledge that

all students should learn. These are valuable lessons and are needed in order to be successful in

today’s society. We must therefore not part ways with the instruction of fundamental knowledge.
What is missing from current curriculum are key life and social skills that are equally as

valuable. It is not enough to simply transmit knowledge to our students, we must prepare them to

use that knowledge effectively in their day to day lives. With respect to hidden curriculum it is

imperative that we teach our students how to be functional within society. Key skills and

behaviors such as having empathy for one another or the importance of community and

supporting those who are less fortunate. We must teach students how to express themselves both

when they are agreeing and disagreeing with one another. We should help kids learn the

importance of kindness and compassion and they should leave school with an understanding of

how to conduct themselves and treat each other. Overall, the curriculum must remain flexible

and it must evolve with society.

Learning

Over the course of my life I have been fortunate to have had multiple different learning

opportunities and experiences. Throughout the courses of those experiences I have realized the

importance of the learner’s motivation as it pertains to their success in the classroom. I have been

on both sides of this issue both from the student and teacher perspective and I recognize the

profound impact that one’s motivation can have on their success. It for that reason that John M.

Keller’s ARCS Model of Instructional Design is so significant to me. Keller argued that in order

to successful instruct students of any age, the tactics that are used to motivate students are in line

with a learner’s motivational needs (Keller, 2008). He therefore developed the ARCS framework

which aims to ensure that all lessons include 4 motivational categories: Attention, relevance,

confidence and satisfaction (Keller, 1987). The issue of motivation is not the only problem that

needs to be addressed in order to be an effective educator. Teachers must also learn how they can

meet the diverse needs of the students within the classroom. Students like adults have a varied
sent of needs both academically and in day to day life. It is extremely difficult to address the

needs of all of the students with the current resources available to teachers. With increased class

sizes and cuts to funding, more than ever teachers are expected to do more with less. This

includes less support in the classroom, less resources for the students and less training for

teachers. It is therefore imperative that we find ways to support our teacher in their instruction so

that they can address the needs of various students and ensure they are successful. Technology is

a great way to bridge that gap as it allows for customization of lessons to meet the needs of

various students. It is also very interactive and engages the students in ways that motivates them.

Despite these benefits, it is therefore important that teachers do not become too reliant on

technology. Technology is not meant to replace aspects of your lesson, it should be used to

enhance the lesson itself.

The Learner

The learner is the beneficiary of the education system and they are the ones whose

success we as teachers must ensure. Ideally I would like to work with students from grades 4 to

grade 6. According to Piaget (1977), students at this age are in the Concrete or Formal

Operational Stage of cognitive development and are able to think in more sophisticated and

advanced ways. They will be able to discuss and learn about more abstract topics. More

importantly, that are at a point where they can take a level of responsibility for the learning and

the learning process. They can do this by asking questions and seeking knowledge. The teacher

in this scenario should act as a facilitator in the discovery of that knowledge and should guide

students towards the information they seek. It is also an excellent age range for students to being

forming and discussing thoughts, opinions and ideas. It therefore provides an excellent
opportunity to help students develop their ability to formulate and express their thoughts and

argue a position.

Assessment

Assessment must be varied, interesting and equitable. It must take into consideration the

various needs of the students and the limitations they possess. Assessment must engage multiple

aspects of a student’s competencies and should not only account for the acquisition of

knowledge, it should and must account for understanding of the material. Assessment as a means

to simply determine if a student is successful or unsuccessful is a poor use of resources.

Assessment should be used as a means to understand the progress of your learners and its

outcomes should be used to inform on future instructions so that changes can be made to ensure

the success of your students. A balanced used of assessment in the classroom is also extremely

important. A mix of formative and summative assessments should be used with an emphasis on

formative. Overall, the goal of assessment in the classroom is to provide the teacher with the

information they require to modify instruction in a way that benefits the students and improves

their chances for success.

Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is one of the most important properties of a good

classroom. Diverse and effective lessons can be executed flawlessly, however if the classroom is

poorly managed, learning will suffer. It is the foundation of a productive classroom and must be

established early in the year. Its importance is derived from the fact that the classroom must be a

safe place where students feel free and open to ask questions, explore and discover knowledge. It

is very difficult build that environment if classroom norms are not established. The most

effective means for ensuring class room management is engaging your students in the
development of the rules and regulations within the classroom. By playing an active role in their

development, students will feel a sense of ownership and pride in following guidelines that they

helped to develop. In addition to collaborative development of classroom norms, it is imperative

that the teacher is consistent and fair in the enforcement of those rules.

The Teacher

The teacher is the glue that holds the classroom together. It is essential for teachers to

play many different roles in the classroom, each of which play a part in supporting the students

and ensuring their success. A teacher’s role extends beyond simply teaching the curriculum. A

teacher must act as a facilitator in the classroom and a co-creator of a student’s knowledge.

Teachers are partners in the educational process of a child and must work with the student to

help them achieve their learning goals. Teachers must also motivate their students and foster

within them a love of learning. For that reason, one of the most important characteristics of a

teacher is a love of learning. Teachers who are lifelong learners are able to inspire their students

to seek knowledge and students who are motivated to learn are students who will be successful.

Resume

Introduction.

My desire to enter the field of education and my passion towards mentoring others is a

direct manifestation of my educational and professional experiences. I have been truly fortunate

in my professional career and had the opportunity to learn from some truly great people. Below

you will find my resume which includes an overview of all my past experiences as well as the

skills I developed as part of those engagements. While many may not be related to the field of

education. Many of the lessons I learned can be leveraged in the classroom

 My resume

dtoubassy@gmail.com 21 Neuchatel Pl
Mississauga, ON L5N 6A7
Daniel Toubassy (647) 970-3234
Profile

 Highly adaptable and a quick learner with new business processes, systems and
applications.
 Proven experience in the health care industry, where problem solving, data analysis and
stakeholder engagement knowledge was used to support strategic process improvement
projects.
 Strong interpersonal, time management and organizational skills, with an ability to
prioritize and multi- task in a fast paced environment.
 Strong marketing, communications and teamwork skills, with leadership and
management experience.
 Bilingual-Fully Fluent in French and English

Educational Experience

Masters of Education Student – Fieldwork & Classroom

Observations Sep 2018 – Apr
Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School, Buffalo Prep, St. Gregory 2019
Elementary School
 Supported and guided students through multiple lessons and activities
 Facilitated small group activities within the classroom to promote learning in science and
numeracy
 Developed meaningful relationships with the students to build rapport
 Arranged educational activity stations during Saturday activity, including STEM related
exercises
 Assisted students in developing final project for ELA class

Professional Experience

Specialist, Data & Analytics

University Health Network, Office of Strategy Management and Jan 2019 - Present
Business Intelligence Teams
 Act as liaison between Business Intelligence and Clinical Operations teams to translate
business and process needs into measurable metrics
 Planned, managed and executed projects to improve data collection and reporting process
for funded procedures aimed at improving data quality and increase revenue generation
 Developed performance management framework for the Laboratory Medicine Program
including establishment of Key Performance Indicators and implementation of metric
reporting to clinical and administrative executive team
 Facilitated development of Business Intelligence tool for Transfusion Medicine
department to ensure access to key metrics aimed at improving operations and minimizing
patient harm
Project Manager Jun 2017 – Dec
University Health Network, Office of Strategy Management 2018
 Plan and manage project scope, schedule, resources, and risk for imaging and laboratory
medicine operations at University Health Network, Sinai Health Systems and Women’s
College Hospital.
 Participate in development, planning and execution of province wide MRI service delivery
model aimed at reducing wait times for low acuity patients.
 Coordinate and facilitate the review of multiple severe and critical incidents within the
hospital including identification of critical failure points, development and execution of
recommendations to prevent incident recurrences.
 Development of departmental quality strategy aimed at improving quality and safety of
patient care.
 Lead a team of Business Analyst and Senior Business Analyst to implement strategic
projects within the department while providing mentorship and professional
development.
Senior Business Analyst Jun 2015 – June
University Health Network, Office of Strategy Management 2017
 Coach and train students and analysts in project execution, stakeholder management and
data analysis.
 Developing and managing clinical processes for technologist and radiologist workflow
during information system downtimes within medical imaging.
 Planning and managing project scope, schedule, resources, and risk for imaging operations
at University Health Network, Sinai Health Systems and Women’s College Hospital.
 Organizing, executing and managing the delivery of medical imaging services in the
Athletes Village during the 2015 Toronto Pan AM/Parapan Am Games.
Business Analyst Jan 2013 – Jun
University Health Network, Office of Strategy Management 2015
 Supporting various strategic projects designed to directly impact patient care by increasing
accessibility of medical imaging procedures while decreasing procedure wait times.
 Engaging in data analysis, process observations and stakeholder interviews to identify
bottlenecks and areas of opportunity in patient care pathways.
 Planning a value stream mapping event where clinical, administrative and clerical staff
help to analyze and design the flow of materials and information in the process of
diagnosing potential lung cancer patients.
Brand Ambassador Nov 2011 – Jan
Consumer Impact Marketing, Toronto, Ontario 2013
 Organized and executed strategic marketing campaigns for various clients such as Pepsi
and Loblaw.
 Set up and managed kiosks as well as interacted directly with consumers to create brand
awareness.
 Worked in a team oriented environment where interpersonal and communication skills
were crucial.
Community Events Coordinator May 2009 – Aug
Enersource Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario 2009
(Summer)
 Planned and executed educational activities aimed at teaching children the importance of
energy conservation
 Coordinated, planned, implemented and reported on participation at local community &
cultural events.
 Scheduled and conducted successful visits to community events.
 Discussed with and educated the public on energy conservation initiatives put into place
by the Ontario Power Authority and the Enersource Corporation.
 Responsible for promotional and statistical analysis of program results.
Assistant Laboratory Technician May 2008 – Aug
Fielding Chemical Technologies, Mississauga, Ontario 2008
(Summer)
 Performed various tests on crude and refined organic materials to ensure that the clients’
desired properties were met.
 Tested incoming crude materials for PCBs to ensure that processing of materials was safe.
 Prepared various standards used to test chemical properties of refined organic materials.
 Tracked product and client information to ensure that testing of the material was done
correctly and necessary information was made available for clients.
IT Support for MOE/Mar implementation May 2007 – Aug
University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario 2007
 (Summer)
 Assisted and trained nurses and physicians in the use of the Mysis CPR, MOE/MAR
(Medication Order Entry/Medication Administration Record) Computer Software.
 Provided IT support at several health care facilities including: Toronto General
Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto Rehab Institute and West Park
Rehabilitation Institute.
 Acted as team lead for support at the West Park Rehabilitation Institute where I was in
charge of delegating tasks to colleagues dealing with problems encountered by other
members of the staff, as well as dealing with project leads to resolve significant
problems.
 Performed regular system audits to ensure the proper use of the systems as well as
adequate entry of information.

Education

B.Sc in General Science December

Post-
Biology Student with a focus on Molecular Biology 2011
Secondary
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Graduate
December
M.Sc in Elementary Education
Graduate 2019
Medaille College, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
Graduate

Volunteer Experience

 Spectra Helpline Call Centre volunteer

 Assisted individuals in dealing with difficult/traumatic
experiences via telephone
Spectra Jan 2016 –
 Helped callers develop strategies to manage their current
Helpline Oct 2016
distress
 Used active listening techniques better understand callers
problems

References

Available Upon Request

Conclusion

We are all a product of our past experiences and the lessons we learned from them. We

change and we evolve continuously and with that evolution may come a change in what we are

passionate about and where we derive our happiness and satisfaction. I have experienced this

change first-hand and I am truly grateful that it led me down the path towards teaching. In the

previous section I have outlined how both my educational and professional experiences have

contributed to my desire to pursue a life of teaching. I have also discussed how my time observing

in various classrooms as impacted the type of teacher I hope to be and skills I wish to bring to the

classroom. All of my past experiences have also enabled me to develop my Philosophy of

Education which outlines my beliefs and values as a prospective educator. Finally, a copy of my

resume was included which provided the reader with insight into my past experiences and the skills

I have developed that can be leveraged in the classroom.

The next section will provide evidence of the competencies I have developed throughout

the Masters of Education program. Various artifacts, each of which are key skills required by a

teacher will be provided.