Portfolios in the Initial Mathematics Education Programs
Your portfolio is a purposeful collection of your work, and your students’ work, as a prospective secondary mathematics teacher. The goal/purpose of your portfolio is to provide a means for you to reflect on your growth in your emerging teaching practice and assess your learning, while simultaneously providing university faculty, mentor teachers, and supervisors with evidence to use in assessing your performance against the Syracuse University Teacher Education proficiencies and sub-proficiencies. (Note that dispositions are not assessed through portfolio review.)
Three Portfolio Reviews
Entrance portfolio: This review occurs in late November/early December in the semester prior to the Candidacy Student Teaching experience. Your portfolio should show (a) who you are (include a teaching philosophy statement-use phrases or bulleted items, honors, resume; don't include much family/personal information since this is a professional portfolio), (b) what experiences (courses-titles, numbers and grades, tutoring, working with adolescents, recommendations, professional education affiliations) you bring that prepare you for being a mathematics teacher, and (c) why you want to be a mathematics teacher. Consult the portfolio rubric for decision point 2 with added information for ideas of potential evidence for the sub-proficiencies against which you will be assessed.
Progress portfolio: This review occurs in late April/early May at the end of the Candidacy Student Teaching. Your portfolio should include (a) evidence from student teaching experiences (lessons-including strengths and changes, photos, projects, reflections, samples of student work, ideas about classroom culture, analysis of own teaching, teacher observation comments, and (b) your revised teaching philosophy statement to show how you are developing as a potential teacher. Your portfolio should give evidence from your Candidacy Student Teaching experience that demonstrates what you learned and gained from this experience. Consult the portfolio rubric for decision point 3A with added information for ideas of potential evidence for the sub-proficiencies against which you will be assessed.
Exit portfolio: This review occurs at the end of the Standard Student Teaching experience and is the culmination of the professional development sequence. Your portfolio should include (a) things mentioned above and examples of activities, assessment tools, adaptations for students with different needs, a variety of teaching strategies, technology lessons, and (b) your revised teaching philosophy statement, which should be phrases that prompt you to talk about each item and why it is an important part of your philosophy. It could include, among other things, (a) a diagram and description of how you would set up your classroom (i.e., answer the question "What would I see if came to your classroom?"), and (b) list of conferences attended and other professional development activities. Consult the portfolio rubric for decision point 3B with added information for ideas of potential evidence for the sub-proficiencies against which you will be assessed.
Important Considerations for ALL Portfolios
You have only 10 minutes to present your portfolio. Have a reason for including each item in your portfolio and explain what that reason is during your presentation. Use visuals and color to make your portfolio interesting and bring attention to the main points of your presentation. Work on having only phrases or bulleted items for written text that bring out your philosophy. Have strands that are important cornerstones of your teaching philosophy that run throughout your portfolio and provide organization. Every portfolio should have a table of contents and your resume. Always include a list of the mathematics courses you have taken (course numbers and titles) and make sure you are demonstrating your qualifications and your desire to be a mathematics teacher as opposed to a teacher. Do not use the names of students in any photographs or captions. Use copies of students’ work rather than the originals. Be careful of stereotypical constructs such as ideas about urban versus suburban schools. Have an ending page that sums up your strengths and what you "want to learn".