Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction

In this section, you will learn about my educational and work experiences which have

inspired me to further pursue my career objective and lifelong dream of becoming an elementary

school teacher. After earning my bachelor’s degree in Social Science with a specialization in

therapeutic recreation, I have worked for the past fourteen years in the field of autism services

both in a classroom setting and a center-based environment. The passion I possess for children

and education brought me to seek out further education with Medaille College in the Masters of

Elementary Education program. I have included experiences from my own elementary and high

school teachers, my work experience teaching children with special needs, as well as my

experiences teaching adults as evidence. In this section, you will also learn about my field

observations and the skills I have observed that I wish to apply to my own classroom one day.

Included in this section is my personal philosophy of education and my resume. The combination

of all these experiences and their impact on me have shaped my desire to become an effective

elementary school teacher.

Teacher Candidate Educational Background and Work Experiences

My very first experience of effective teaching came at a young age, when I was in Mrs.

C’s grade three class. Mrs. C modelled all the qualities of an effective teacher and in turn

brought light to the career path I have since sought out to achieve. I was a very shy little girl and

never felt I could approach or communicate with teachers. Mrs. C had a way of developing a

relationship with every student in her class which demonstrated her ability to be safe, caring and

approachable. She modeled what it meant to be a sensitive person, to have a kind heart and to

accept all students in her class for who they were. She made us feel that we were supposed to be
exactly who we were and not to change for anyone. Suddenly, this shy little girl in grade three,

began to feel comfortable, accepted and shared her personality with her teachers and friends.

Mrs. C taught with such enthusiasm and excitement that she made it seem magical. She made

learning seem magical. She lit a fire inside of me that ignited my desire to continue to learn. Not

only did Mrs. C have a superpower to create relationships with each student, she made it an

effort to maintain them. Students felt safe in her classroom and to me, this modeled at a very

young age, the type of teacher I wanted to be.

I struggled with learning in high school. I always felt that I had a different learning style

then my peers. I wanted to comprehend concepts related to math and science at the same rate as

my peers and I struggled with this. Most of my educational career, I was taught in one

instructional style. The assessments consisted of a lot of memorization and I often would

question why something was being taught to me. It was my grade eight ecology class that gave

me my first hands on experience and opened my eyes to a different instruction style. This teacher

took us on various field trips throughout the semester to engage and motivate us in natural

outdoor learning setting. I still remember playing “predator and prey” in the woods with different

colour shirts to represent the various animals and the excitement it brought that day. I was

learning all about the ecosystem and had no idea. This teacher was the only one throughout my

secondary career to model differentiated instruction. Not only did this teacher differentiate the

learning environment, she modified the process. According to Carol Tomlinson (2000),

differentiating instruction means teaching the same material to all students using a variety of

instructional strategies, or it may require the teacher to deliver lessons at varying levels of

difficulty based on each student’s ability. Teachers design lessons based on learning styles and

modify the content, process, product and learning environment. Research shows that
differentiated instruction is effective for both high ability students and students with disabilities.

Students take on more responsibilities for their own learning and appear more engaged

(Wesekby, C., 2020).

My first experience in teaching was at an early intervention center for children with

autism using the Lovaas method of Applied Behaviour Analysis. I worked with children in an

individual and small group setting to teach communication, social, play and daily living skills.

This method entails breaking down a skill to its simplest component and reinforcing children

positively for their mastery. Using this method, I quickly understood that any child can learn

regardless of ability and it was up to the teacher to adapt their lessons to reach skill acquisition.

Evidence shows that using this method, students with autism are more likely to perform

successfully at grade level (Lovaas, 1987). This was a pivotal experience for me in laying the

pathway towards becoming a teacher. I worked with a little boy who was non-verbal. His only

method of communication was hand pulling and occasionally hitting. His parents expressed their

exhaustion and frustration with trying to communicate with him and felt as if things were only

going to get worse. I implemented the picture exchange communication system with him, and in

time, we were able to give him his own communication system. Day by day, this student learned

to put pictures together to make sentences and hand them to a partner in order to request or

communicate. With time, came verbal utterances, then words. Within a year, this boy was

completely verbal and able to not only get his needs met but have short conversations. I will

always remember years later, receiving a letter from this boy’s parents, stating that they had their

first argument with him, and how enthralled they were to have this experience.

I had another exceptional experience during my career as a behavioural therapist,

working with a little boy in Kindergarten. This sweet little boy had a dual diagnosis of autism
and ADHD. He excelled at reading, writing and math and was working above grade level. He

struggled socially and was challenged with the skills to make and maintain relationships and this

was affecting his confidence and emotional well-being. I was able to accompany him to his

kindergarten class and develop and implement a social skills program based on the principles of

ABA. I worked collaboratively with the teacher to set up opportunities for this child to work in

small groups with various peers and I was able to systematically teach him the appropriate social

skills in order to make and maintain friendships. I loved watching the other students in the class

take to this idea and want to be reinforced along with him. I was able to embed my behavioural

modification skills with not only him but use the other children’s motivation to teach them all the

same skills. Seeing the children so motivated to learn and participate reinforced my passion for

teaching and made me want to keep going with this career path.

For the last eight years, I have worked as a family support worker completing intakes for

families whose children have been diagnosed with autism. In this role I have worked primarily

with parents and mental health professionals. This has been a challenging role that has further

molded me into the compassionate, empathetic and supportive person I am today. Interviewing

parents and assessing the child's skills, strengths and needs were the primary responsibilities of

this role. I’ve gained the skills to develop trusting relationships with parents that have often come

from crisis management and service coordination supports. This relationship building skill is

going to excel my career in teaching as family collaboration is key in a child’s learning process. I

believe that having adult role models working together consistently will give a child the skills

they need to be successful in their educational pathway. While in this role, I gained teaching

experience as an accredited facilitator for the Triple P Positive Parenting Solutions. Using the

principles of adult education, I taught parent groups where I was able to extensively practice and
develop my presentation and facilitation skills. Through this experience, I’ve gained confidence

with modifying materials and content based on the flow and dynamic of the group.

School Observations and Classroom Application

While attending Medaille College, I had the experience of participating in the Buffalo

Public School District’s Saturday academy program during my field placement courses. This

program allowed me to visit various schools throughout the district working in partnership with

Say Yes Buffalo. This experience allowed me to be immersed in the community, culture and the

New York state education system. I was able to learn and observe their swimming programs,

virtual reality programs, STEM, wood working and breakfast and lunch programs. I appreciated

watching the dynamic of the parents that accompanied their children to the program. When they

recognized that their children were engaged and wanting to participate in our lessons, parents

started to get involved themselves and participate in their child’s learning. Although all the

activities we were based off the curriculum standards and literacy based, they were enjoyable

and engaging for both parents and children. This is something that as a future teacher, I would

like to have in my classroom. An environment where parents are welcome to participate and be a

part of their child’s education where learning can be exciting. Studies show that, “Parents of

children with teachers who frequently use home learning activities are more aware of teachers'

efforts, receive more ideas from teachers, know more about their child's instructional program,

and rate the teacher higher in interpersonal skills and overall teaching quality” (Epstein, 1983,

p.6).

While at a school observation I was granted the opportunity to observe a classroom in an

elementary school where I was able to gain insight into classroom management. Marzano (2003)

states that by using strategies supported by research, teachers can influence the dynamics of their
classroom and build strong teacher-student relationships that support student learning. The

teacher had a large visual hand with the classroom rules written on each finger present in the

classroom. When she required the attention of the class, she would hold up her hand with her

fingers spread and say, “give me five everyone” and the students would know to put their work

down, look at the teacher, quiet voices, sitting still and actively listening. The students responded

so well to this and I loved that the visual was always present as a reference for those students that

required review.

During my observation, I was able to see a lesson being taught using the SMART board

technology. This is an interactive tool that the teacher used to teach word families. Through

multiple forms of learning such as videos, interactive pictures, access to a letter board and a

Starfall website, students were able to explore word families and create words to develop their

literacy skills. The students were engaged in learning and demonstrated full participation. This

technology tool allowed to the teacher to embed differentiated instruction into the lesson and

accommodate various learner. This was my first time observing this new age technology and I

have since been fully trained in using the Smartboard software through my Technology course at

Medaille College.

Philosophy of Education

From being a student myself to working in education, my philosophy of education has

shaped itself over the years as I continue to further my education and experience. By examining

the seven educational elements of school, curriculum, learner, learning, assessment, classroom

management and the teacher, my educational philosophy will be presented.

School

I believe that the mission of the school should be to provide a welcoming and safe

learning environment for students and their families. As a society, the school is housing the

future generations. School is a place for students to go to be together in a socially accepted

learning environment where they learn to build self-esteem, confidence and the ability to

respectively work together. I believe the role of the school is to focus on building and

maintaining partnerships with students, home, the community and the staff.

Curriculum

I believe curriculum is something that is and should be forever changing. As society

changes and new concepts are introduced, the curriculum should follow suit. It is important to

keep the historical elements to education and society alive while continuing to move forward

with new ideas and technology. In lieu of recent events in our current society, I have become

very aware of how staying silent with regards to controversial issues does not do anyone any

justice and therefore am starting to feel strongly that the uncomfortable serious issues of our

history and current society should be embedded into the curriculum. When it comes to

controversial topics, it is important that the educator is well versed in all aspects and presents

these rather than sharing any bias.

Learning

Coming from a behavioural background, I have a strong connection to the behavioursim

perspective of learning. Behaviourists believe that learning consists of a change in behaviour due

to the acquisition, reinforcement and application of associations between stimuli from the

environment and observable responses of the individual. Skinner (1948) was an influential
behaviourist who proposed operant conditioning. The more you reinforce a behaviour, the more

likely it will re-occur. A measurable change will occur in the behaviour. Through a systematic

breakdown of behaviours and/or skills, students can learn through reinforcement.

Albert Bandura (1977) who also agrees with the behaviourist approach to education,

developed the social learning theory. Based on my personal experiences, I support this

educational learning theory. He argued that people learn within a social context, and that learning

is facilitated through concepts such as modeling, observational learning and imitation. Children

learn from observing others as well as from “model” behaviour, which are processes involving

attention, retention, reproduction and motivation (McLoud, 2016). I plan on using this to

formulate my instruction but also using the wealth of background knowledge that is in my

classroom from the students to collaboratively learn.

Learner

What has challenged me throughout my career is the idea that all students learn in

different ways. Working individually with students to understand their learning ability has taught

me to creatively adapt my teaching materials, concepts, and to think outside the box in order to

support each individual successfully. As challenging as this has been, it has, and always will

light the fire inside of me to keep going. I believe that every child is capable of learning and that

is up to the instructor to modify or adapt their lesson to the child’s learning style. I believe it is

important to take the time to understand and assess what type of leaner they are through

assessment and observation.

Assessment

It is not the role of the student to understand what the teacher is teaching rather it is the

role of the teacher to ensure the student is understanding. Assessment tools will provide this
information. I believe that when assessing students, it is imperative to vary your assessment

tools. While pen and paper tests may be okay for some, it will not fully reach all your students to

demonstrate their abilities. There are many ways for your students to show how they understand

a concept. Such assessment tools could include art projects, dramatization, hands on projects,

group work, classroom discussion, etc. Your assessment should be able to reach all students and

therefore it is important to consider all learners and their individual needs. The goal of

assessment is to verify that your teaching practices have successfully been understood as well as

allow the teacher to modify their instruction practices based on the assessment results.

Classroom Management

Individuals thrive off structure and routine. Having clear classroom rules, procedures and

expectations are going to make for an effective classroom management strategy. As Wong

(1998) states, classroom management is the most important factor that effects student learning.

Students want classroom management in their classroom as they want to feel secure. I believe

that explicitly teaching students the classroom management expectations and rules the first day

of school, repeating throughout the year and using positive reinforcement will make for a safe

and positive learning environment.

The Teacher

The role of the teacher is to help every student develop skills, knowledge, attitudes and values

that are necessary in order to achieve academic success and most importantly, become lifelong

learners. I value relationships and want each child that enters my classroom to know that I care

not only about their learning, but them as individuals. I want my students to feel safe. I believe

that as a teacher, it is a duty to always have open arms to children regardless of the situation.

Martin Buber (1923) had the philosophic idea that teachers educate to the whole student, the
whole person. He felt that the presence and character of the educator is more important that what

is being taught (Scott, n.d). I believe that it is imperative to meet the needs of the whole child;

intellectually, socially, physically and emotionally.

Resume

Kelly Cizar
Kelly.Cizar@gmail.com

CERTIFICATION: Seeking New York State Initial Certification in Childhood

Education, Grades 1-6

EDUCATION: Masters of Science in Education, Elementary Education, December

2020
Medaille College, Buffalo, New York
 Current GPA: 4.0

B.A Therapeutic Recreation, 2006

Concordia University, Montreal, QC
EXPERIENCE:
Family Support Worker-Autism Services 2012 – 2019
Aisling Discoveries Child and Family Centre ▪ Toronto
• Administered intake services for children and youth with a confirmed autism diagnosis
• Identified strengths and needs of children and youth using the CANS assessment tool
• Behavioural consultation to parents based on principles of Applied Behavioural Analysis
• Clinical consultation and referral process to internal and external children’s mental
health services
• Case management and service coordination
• Empower and collaborate with families to develop family support plans
• Facilitate adult education group: positive parenting Triple P Stepping Stones
• Provided French language ABA treatment to children; modelled and consulted with
educational assistants on the principles of ABA focusing on communication, social skills,
behaviour and daily living skills.
• Quantitative data management reported to Ministry of Ontario
• Microsoft Office, Boardmaker, Extranet and KIDS system

Behaviour Therapist 2008 – 2012

Aisling Discoveries Child and Family Centre ▪ Toronto
• Direct behavioural treatment to preschool aged children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum
Disorder using the principles of Intensive Behavioural Intervention and Applied
Behavioural Analysis
• Assessed children using a standardized assessment tool (ABLLS)
• Developed and executed individual and group instruction programs in the domains of
communication, social skills, play, daily living and behaviour management
• Implemented functional assessments and collected behavioural data
• Collaborated with Senior Therapist to develop individualized treatment programs and
monitored the implementation of the program

Integration Aid 2008

Lester B. Pearson School Board ▪ Kirkland, Quebec
• Consultation with Teachers and Support Staff on ASD and principles of ABA
• Direct one on one academic support to children requiring additional resource support
• Designed and implemented interventions to support daily needs and academic progress
• Collaborated with community support staff to better enhance individual treatment plans

IBI Senior Therapist 2007 – 2008

Learning to Learn ▪ Montreal, Quebec
• Managed team of instructor therapists and supervised children in an IBI centre
• Trained and coached staff according to principles of Intensive Behavioural Intervention
and Applied Behaviour Analysis in collaboration with clinical supervisors
 • Supervised staff and provided observational feedback, modelling and coaching
• Parent training
• Performed administrative tasks such as data entry, attended and wrote individual service
plans (ISP's), reviewed and managed staff time sheets, monthly child statistics, intake and
discharge responsibilities, interviewed potential candidates
• Supported student in a Kindergarten classroom setting and collaborated with the teacher
to implement a classroom support plan to increase social skills

IBI Instructor Therapist ▪ 2006 – 2008

Learning to Learn ▪ Montreal, Quebec
• Educated preschool aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ages 2-6 according to
the principles of Intensive Behavioural Intervention and Applied Behavioural Analysis-
using discrete trial teaching, incidental teaching, Natural Environment teaching, picture
exchange communication system, small group teaching.
• Prepared all materials for sessions and graphed child’s data for analysis
• Participated and certification achieved in Non-Violent Crisis Management and St. Johns
Ambulance
• Child First Aid and CPR.

Certification and Training

• Toronto Partnership for Autism Services provincial training
• CPI Certification
• CPR Certification
• PECS training
Triple P Stepping Stones Group Facilitator Certification
• CANS Certification- The Praed Foundation
Compassion Fatigue- Hincks Dellcrest Institute
• ASIST-Applied Suicide Intervention Training

Languages
▪ English
▪ French Conversational

Conclusion

This section of my portfolio allowed me to introduce myself and make connections to

important educational and work experiences that have played a role in shaping my path to become

a teacher. By reflecting on my educational philosophy, it is clear the type of teacher I strive to be

and the important educational values I support. Based on my professional experiences and my

school observations, I feel that I have the skills and tools that have prepared me to become an
educator. In the next section, I will be displaying a collection of artifacts that I have created

throughout my education with Medaille’s Masters of Elementary Education Program. These

artifacts will demonstrate my educational and professional competencies in the field of education.