Day 8: Professional/Teaching Portfolios

If teachers wish to be treated as professionals, then we must be ready to show evidence of our expertise. A portfolio presents much more information than a simple resume; it provides a snapshot of our daily practices and thus a clearer picture of what we do. With the proliferation of technology tools available, it makes sense for teachers to utilize digital portfolios in lieu of paper binders. But, in order for this collection of our best practices to be effective, we must go beyond merely grabbing everything we have created for inclusion in the portfolio. We must take the time to reflect on what we have done and choose only the most relevant examples. Unfortunately, presentation of our portfolios often only happens when we search for a new job (which hopefully isn’t too often.) But, in my graduate work experiences, I have discovered that in order to rejuvenate our teaching, we must take the time to celebrate our successes occasionally.