If you are on the job hunt, you may want to create a teaching portfolio. It is the season of job hunting in education and it may be smart to create a teaching portfolio. Teachers are retiring, being promoted, changing grades in the same schools, and maybe looking to change schools. There are also new teachers trying to find their first teaching job.
Various Teaching Positions
First, keep in mind that teaching job situations vary all over the county. Some states have a huge shortage of educators while other states are extremely hard to even get an interview. I know of many fresh-out-of-college teachers who take positions as Teaching Assistants or substitutes to get their foot in the door of schools and on the minds of principals. This is exactly why I highly recommend that you create a teaching portfolio. If you get an interview, you have what you need ready.
As the teacher who wants THAT job, you have to do whatever you can to set yourself apart from others. You want to go into that interview prepared. This is why I suggest putting together a showcasing you as a professional.
Who is a Teaching Portfolio for?
Next, I suggest doing you create a teaching portfolio for yourself as much as for your potential interviewer. This will help you organize your mind for any job interview that comes and help you show off what you do best… teach!
And honestly… You don’t want to leave an interview and suddenly remember the 3 things you really wanted to mention. You can make sure you include many things you know you want to showcase so you can show off exactly what you want to show off.
Make a Teaching Portfolio Your Own
Next, please don’t “copy” this portfolio. MAKE IT YOUR OWN. This teaching portfolio was just a creation of mine with the way my mind flows. It represents myself and my love of color coding all things. You want to do this your way when you create a teaching portfolio that guides your thoughts.
All About Me
To begin, I have my portfolio opening on this page immediately. I want my potential employer to know these things about me, such as that I am married with children. Whatever school I teach at is the school my children will attend. {I did block out my specific town for privacy reasons.}
Create a Teaching Portfolio with
First, I started my teaching portfolio for Education & Documentation. Most of the time these background items are the reason you got an interview, to begin with. But I have found that one person might know this information. But if you are doing a panel interview they might not all know your background and experience.
Then, you can see the elements I have listed. TKES is our state evaluation system for teacher reviews and for classroom walk-through assessments from the administration. GKIDS is our state grading system for Kindergarteners. And ESGI is the Software I use for classroom assessments, which is shown below.
Next tip, keep your reader in mind. Since I wasn’t sure the reader(s) would know what ESGI is… I made sure I described ESGI on the left and showed evidence of my use on the right. Additionally, I wanted to show the actual charts/graphs because that is a talking point I use to show how I use the data to drive my instruction. Then, I made sure I blocked out student names and anything that would violate confidentiality.
Include Talking Points When You Create a Teaching Portfolio
Next, I have a tab for Classroom Management. I show the specific way I set my classroom up for success. I wanted to showcase how I adapt my Monkey Clip Chart to the school-wide PBIS Behavioral System my school adopted. ironically, I do not use a clip chart anymore. This is a great talking point to show my evolution as an educator.
Collaboration
Next, I also added a section for Collaboration. This is my weakest area in an interview because I don’t remember mentioning the way I collaborate
when given a close-ended question like “Do you collaborate with your team.” In this section’s outline, I made sure I listed the numerous ways I collaborate with others.
As a SPED collaborative teacher, I do a LOT of collaborating to support teachers. I show evidence of each way in all the sections listed as well.
Show Your Strengths
Moreso, show off your strengths! Because I am strong in technology, of course, I have a whole section dedicated to technology. This is only because I am passionate about using technology in the classroom. I would not add this section to your portfolio if it is not a strength for you.
Show Your Classroom
Then, another section in my portfolio was to showcase My Classroom in Action. I want to make the readers feel like they could see my classroom and almost see me in that room teaching.
Again, I show off the things I am proud of as an educator. Here are the pages dedicated to Sight Word Stations.
Finally, I tried to capture the ways I made these big-level decisions and goals work in my classroom and for my students.
I hope to give you some tips and
help to create an awesome Teaching Portfolio.
And if you need some amazing Interviewing Tips…
Great tips! I'm working on updating my portfolio now. You reminded me of several things I need to add. Than you!
LOVE LOVE LOVE! Thank so much for linking up to the Ultimate List of Kindergarten Summer Reads! This makes having a portfolio effortless (well mostly.) =)
Jennifer with Simply Kinder
Hi! Your portfolio is awesome! But do you have suggestions for someone who has not taught in a classroom yet? Ive worked in day cares but never my own classroom so how would I spice up my portfolio in that sense?
Get super creative. Take pics of the things you help create and put together. Yours may not be as picture rich, but that is OKAY!
Thanks Mary! So helpful! I enjoyed hearing your presentations in Indianapolis this past December for the Kindergarten conference!
Thank you for sharing your tips! I am in the process of putting together my portfolio, and I love some of your ideas – especially where you add the contents of the category on the cover page of the category. what a great idea!