Teacher Effectiveness Portfolio Student Guidelines

What is a Teacher Sample Portfolio?

 A teacher work sample is a 1 to 4 week unit of instruction in one subject area for one class.  The teacher work sample may be an integrated unit between two curriculum areas or may be a unit from one content area.  The central feature of the teacher work sample is the impact the candidate has on P-12 student learning.  The teacher work sample will include lesson plans, narratives concerning each process, evidence of P-12 student learning and a six minute video which documents the classroom practice of each candidate.  The teacher work sample must show satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes of the College of Education as well as evidence of P-12 student learning.  The Teacher Work Sample Portfolio should be developed in consultation with the candidate’s cooperating teacher, University supervisor, the Internship Director, and program faculty.  The format will be an electronic multimedia file posted to each candidate’s Livetext account.

Teacher Work Sample Portfolio must include the following components:

• Cover Page and Table of Contents: listing the sections and attachments with page numbers.
• Philosophy Statement: Should address the candidate’s view of education supported by candidate’s course learning, experiences within the classroom and supported by research. The focus should not be the Teacher Candidate but the P-12 student and how classroom practice and decisions concerning practice can help the P-12 student reach their potential as a learner. Suggested page length: 1 page.
• Narrative: A suggested page length is given at the end of each component section. The total length of the written narrative (excluding charts and graphs, attachments and references) should not  exceed  30 word processed pages, double-spaced in 12 point font with 1 inch margins.
• Charts, graphs and attachments: charts, graphs and assessment instruments are required as part of the portfolio/TWS documents.  Other attachments, such as student work, photos and lesson plans should be provided according to the directions for each section. Be very selective as the student work samples must provide clear and concise evidence of student learning progress.
• Six Minute Video Clip: Each TWS will include a 6 minute video clip of the candidate’s classroom practice. Specific instructions for this component will be given in the Video Direction section and by attending the Technology Seminar.
• References and Credits: (not included in total page length) All citations will be made using APA style.
• The Teacher Work Sample must use standard written English and make use of the vocabulary representative of the Education Profession.  It is expected that the portfolio be clearly organized and grammatically correct.
• Anonymity: In order to insure the anonymity of students in the class, do not include any student names or identification in any part of the TWS.
  

The Process

Each teacher candidate will plan and teach a comprehensive unit. The unit must last between 1 and 4 weeks, may be integrated or may be from one content area. Before teaching the unit the candidate will consider the contextual factors present in their particular placement situation. Learning objectives must be identified and based on the Sunshine State Standards, student needs, and district content standards. An assessment plan will be created to measure student performance before, during, and after instruction. A plan for the instruction of the material will be developed, student learning will be analyzed during the process and instruction will be modified based on the assessment data. Following the unit completion the candidate will reflect on the entire process; assessment, planning, teaching, modification of instruction, data analysis, and teacher candidate’s instruction as it relates to student learning gains.

To access Directions for Preparing a Teacher Work Sample click on the link below. The Directions are also posted to the Senior Seminar Angel Course Page.

Directions for Preparing a Teacher Work Sample (PDF, 448KB)

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