Do you have a teaching portfolio? If not here’s a new product just for you! Not only is it a great way to show off all your hard work and accomplishments, it can be a valuable tool when you are looking for a new job. Let’s face it: working in education is now really unpredictable. You just have to be more discriminating with the help you render toward other people. Start with examples of this teaching portfolio.
Top tips for building a learning portfolio
As you begin to consolidate your learning portfolio, keep in mind that the goal is to provide evidence of your learning experience from a wide range of sources. As you collect and organize the material for your portfolio you get a better idea of what you want to include.
Why you should create a learning portfolio:
- This is a great opportunity to reflect.
- It records your professional development.
- It highlights the success of teaching for job interviews.
- It verifies that you have met the promotion criteria
- It tells the story of how you have evolved as a teacher over time.
Be honest.
When you are compiling your education portfolio, you do not want to exaggerate your experience or qualifications. You don’t have to look perfect! Your portfolio should be an accurate and fair representation of your teaching career. Tell the world about your successes, but don’t underestimate the disadvantages. Instead, focus on how you learned from the negative experience.
Choose wisely.
Include materials that show many aspects of your learning. Be selective and put some real thought into it. It is much better for the reader to have a strong set of well-chosen materials than a large collection of uncovered and irresistible documents.
Get organized.
Your learning portfolio should have a clear structure that makes it easy for readers to find what they want to review. Include a table of contents and headings to keep everything in order.
Start planning now.
Creating a solid learning portfolio takes time. You may be tempted to keep it off for a while in the future, but you never know when you will need it. It’s best to start now and set aside time to work each week until it’s over. Then, at the end of each quarter, spend some time updating it to keep it current and relevant.
Teaching portfolio examples
1. Primary Teacher Portfolio
Mary, a kindergarten teacher at @ sharingkindergarten, shared her portfolio on her blog. It includes a section about me, professional CV and certificate information, classroom management overview, its classroom performance information and much more. This portfolio is neatly arranged in a binder with cover pages for each section that lists what is included.
Learn more: Kindergarten Sharing
2. Digital student-teacher portfolio
Check out this example of a digital portfolio for a student teacher looking for their first job. This example highlights a teaching philosophy, student work, classroom management, reference letters and much more.
Learn more: Cassandra Burke Teaching Portfolio
3. Print student teacher portfolio
In this video, a teacher who had just been hired in her first role shows the portfolio that gave her the job! If you have just finished your student-learning experience, this example is for you. Go to the second minute of the video to get to the portfolio pages.
4. Editable portfolio template
Finding a template that you can customize to your liking can save a lot of time. This template is free from Teach Starter! This includes sections on behavior management, parental communication, assessment and tracking, and teacher collaboration. This example has many deeper sections and you can choose which one you want to include
Learn more: Teach starters
5. Google Site Portfolio
While it is important to have a physical portfolio for interviewing, it is also quite convenient to have a digital portfolio! When applying for a job or emailing at school, you can easily include a link in your online portfolio so that others can learn more about you. If you’re looking for an example of portfolio learning from Google Sites, check it out from Martha Moore of Primary Paradise. He beautifully illustrates how to create a digital portfolio using Google Sites. Google sites are free and you can transfer data from your physical portfolio, so make it a digital option if you already have one!
Learn more: Early Paradise
6. Digital scroll-through portfolio
Another example of an online portfolio, this option has a scrolling page of content. Instead of clicking through various tabs on the site, readers are able to view the entire portfolio by scrolling a page. Adding visuals like student examples, icons and text links can really make your page pop.
Learn more: Gretchen Sibel
7. Colorful portfolio
Don’t be afraid of color because it can really pop your experience. This example includes color tabs with content fields such as evaluation, evaluation, policy, and lesson examples created.
Learn more: Lucky Frog Learning
8. Alternative Teacher Portfolio
Looking for a full-time location? Or are you looking to transform from part-time to something more permanent? This education portfolio created by Sarah Chizman might be right for you! It not only highlights alternative teaching work, it also highlights other related professional experiences.
Learn more: Sarah Chizman
9. PDF portfolio
This portfolio is extremely extensive! Take a look and you can get some ideas that you want to include in your own portfolio. This example sets itself apart because it includes student teaching information as well as student letters.
Learn more: Holly’s portfolio
10. World Language Teacher Portfolio
If you teach a world language or a special class, this example may be more helpful for you. These Spanish teachers have included student comments and information on engaging class activities.
Learn more: Tyson’s portfolio
11. Portfolio updates
In this YouTube video, a third-year teacher reviews what she has included in her portfolio while looking for her first job. Throughout the video, get tips on revisiting and updating your learning portfolio.
Learn more: Primary Mrs. Katie
12. Experienced teacher portfolio
In this video, a teacher with several years of experience shows her detailed portfolio. A great feature of this portfolio is the use of a QR code to link to a digital website or portfolio!