Professional Portfolio

Professional Portfolio By Melanie Nollsch Professor/Coordinator Early Childhood Education

Professional Portfolios: • Document your knowledge and skills in early childhood education • Demonstrate your best work and efforts • Assist you in developing and talking about your philosophy of early childhood • Provide the opportunity for reflection • Demonstrate your progress as a teacher over time • Organize your accomplishments • Provide a helpful resource for job interviews

Show Case Your Talent & Hard Work! Nothing will work unless you do. Maya Angelou I believe that every person is born with talent. Maya Angelou Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work. Booker T. Washington

Portfolios benefit: • You as you organize and reflect on your development as a early childhood professional • Future employers • Teacher education programs. If you choose to transfer your progress at Kirkwood is well documented and supports future classes and continuation of your portfolio.

Steps to Developing a Portfolio • Start a working file • Purchase a durable accordion file with 10 – 12 sections • Label each section with the name of each early childhood class (8 sections) • Label a section Certificates • Label a section Psychology (Intro and Developmental) • Label a section Communication (Composition and Fundamentals of Communication) • Label a section Other (Relevant assignments from General Education Courses )

Steps to Developing a Portfolio • Add items to the working file • For each class you will want to file graded assignments and projects, course syllabus, supervisor evaluations and photos or other artifacts • Certificates – include certificates from community based training, CPR/First Aid, Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse, etc) • Other Courses – keep relevant assignments and work. For example: research papers, service learning assignments, observations, book reviews, etc

Early Childhood Tool Kit • Many students also want to keep key handouts and class notes for future reference • Do not keep these in your working file • Use the Early Childhood Tool Kit from this class to begin your system to access these items • Suggestions: • Three ring binder with tabs for topics • Begin with the four sections for the Tool Kit Assignment • Professional Resources – Internet sites • Professional Organizations • Community Resources • Professionalism

Steps to Developing a Portfolio • Materials needed: Professional 3 inch three ring binder with display pocket for cover Dividers with tabs List of Program Standards/Competencies Page protectors (optional) Pocket Dividers Three Hole Punch Working File

Steps to Developing a Portfolio • Portfolio Organization You will need to have your portfolio organized before you are admitted to Field Experience Class – ECE 262 • Place the NAEYC Standards and program competencies at the front of the portfolio • Make a tab for each competency area

Steps to Developing a Portfolio • Standard One: Child Development and Learning • Standard Two: Building family and Community Relationships • Standard Three: Observing, Documenting and Assessing Young Children • Standard Four: Build Meaningful Curriculum • Standard Five: Using Dev. Appropriate Practice • Standard Six: Becoming a Professional

Steps to Developing a Portfolio • Select items to add to your portfolio • Review items in your working file • Select 1 or 2 items from each course to include • Read the program standards and objectives to determine placement of the artifact • Many items can be filed in multi locations in the portfolio • Your instructors can provide suggestions and you can discuss in field experience

Standard One: Child Development and Learning • Research papers • Journal reviews • Website reviews • Child Observations • Papers on child nutrition or illness

Standard Two: Building Family and Community Relationships • Case studies • Parent resource files • Critiques of parenting articles • Research paper on guidance topics • Field trip reports of community sites/agencies • Parent newsletters • Family/Community interviews

Standard Three: Observing and Assessing • Child Study • Anecdotal observations • Completed Developmental Checklists • Research papers • Field trip reports of community sites/agencies • Classroom observations

Standard Four: Building Meaningful Curriculum • Units/Projects • Microteaching activities • Teacher made materials • Photographs of you with children. Photographs should have a written note explaining why it is included in the portfolio • Self-evaluations of instruction/teaching • Supervising Teachers written comments • Video tapes of you interacting with children • Health, safety or nutrition units

Standard Five: Using DAP • Photographs of you with children. Photographs should have a written note explaining why it is included in the portfolio • Self-evaluations of instruction/teaching • Supervising Teachers written comments • Micro teaching plans and units

Standard Six: Becoming a Professional • Current topic papers • Research papers • Field trip reviews • Assignments about Standards and Laws • Reflections on values and ethical practices • Reflections from service learning • Philosophy statements • Child Guidance Personal Reflection Paper • Journal entries • Certificates of training (CPR/First Aid, UP, etc)

Steps to Developing a Portfolio • Other sections you may want to include: • Table of Contents • Create a one page table of contents listing each section and items included • Employment: • Information from related employment • Your Resume • Professional Development: • Community based professional development certificates and CEU’s

After Graduation • Why maintain your Portfolio? • Teacher Education programs • Job Evaluation • Ongoing record of your achievements and skills • System to maintain training records • Annual updating • Maintain a working file • Annually (on birth date, yearly evaluation, etc), review materials to add • Possibly add new sections – example: Presentations, Family Events/Workshops, etc

Professional Portfolio