This is a brief look at several questions reflecting on where I've come and how I've changed.

- What are two examples of work that show evidence of changes in your thinking and in your teaching? What changes have occurred?

Two examples of work that show evidences of changes in thinking and teaching are my review of the book “Savage Inequalities” by Kozol and the review of the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins.  Education was the uncharted seas for me two years ago and while I had some thoughts on it, they were in no conceivable way developed or stretched to see the complexity of problems in education.  My changes in thinking include an appreciation for teachers everywhere and those who try their hand actively in reforming public education, a developed sense of the complexity of education, and the roles leadership play in guiding education today.  At one time, there might have been a “silver bullet” for fixing education in my mind but it was only in my mind and it has left the premises after the first year of teaching.  These evolving ideologies have shaped my teaching as well, going from a simplistic view on education to a multifaceted view of teaching students and addressing their issues.  I have sought to address the needs of the student directly not just in education but to mold them in character and beliefs.  If I can change the beliefs and dreams of children, I can change the world. 

- What two things from your portfolio are you most proud of and Why?

In my humble opinion, I think I am most proud of my philosophy of education and the short essay on my MTC experience.  The philosophy of education represents to me the sum of my reasons for pursuing, remaining, and believing in education.  I enjoyed researching the topic of various educational philosophies; I could see parts of many other ideologies that I thought were good, I could also see why my experiences in teaching has shaped the way I believe.  My experiences were also enjoyable to sum up as I reflect on how much the Teacher Corps has taught me and made me think.  There is nothing I enjoy more than someone making me think and the essay reminded me of how much this program has tickled the brain. 

- In what ways does your portfolio reflect your scholarship, leadership, growth and master within the teaching profession?

Scholarship is a noble thing but it doesn’t have meaning without giving back what was given to you.  I believe that this portfolio represents what I have given back as I was given at one time.  Through all the struggles with teaching kids, I have found the rewards of knowing I am changing lives just as a few teachers did to me years ago.  Scholarship is represented by the self-evaluations and reflections on how to be a better teacher – those things that have changed over the two years such as classroom management and my teaching styles.  The leadership is shown by the effect of my teaching upon students and how it leads them toward rounding their education not only in mathematics but in art, music, English, history, and the sciences.  The portions of my portfolio such as the projects and the student teaching sections show the ability to lead students.  Growth within the teaching profession occurs when thinking and styles change and grow with the needs of the situation.  My changing of classroom management and the recognition of how my thinking on education changed shows the results of a maturing process in my teaching.  Teaching is a world of depth and the simple recognition that there is always room to grow is the beginning of the journey which never ends.  This growth continues till at some point it is acknowledged that you are an effective teacher.  Mastery within the teaching profession is that stage where the teaching strategies are predictably changed to meet the needs of the student.  Mastery is something like an ideal of Plato’s which is unachievable but a constant recognition of those things needing improvement.  I feel my portfolio shows as a whole the progress toward mastery within the teaching profession but as always there is room for improvement.  I see in particular my teaching strategies and my classroom management techniques the steps showing mastery.